Yu Kuwabara - Sounded Voice, Voiced Sound - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Japanese pianist Yu Kosuge concludes her series of Orchid Classics albums related to the four elements with the final of the set Earth. Kosuge was inspired to create this series by the music of Beethoven, who was fascinated by Greek legends, prompting her to explore the Greek concept of the four elements in these albums. For Yu Kosuge, the preceding albums - Water, Fire and Wind - focus on the elements most necessary to a human being's survival, but with Earth, Inchwe get close to the human being itself and our own struggles in lifeInch. We come from earth and to earth we return; this album acknowledges the pain and loss of human existence as well as the life-giving properties of earth. The opens with Schubert's powerful Wanderer-Fantasie, evoking a solitary figure wandering the mountains, while Janácek's Piano Sonata No. 1 pays tribute to a Czech labourer, a casualty of military intervention at a demonstration. Contemporary composer Dai Fujikura's Akiko's Diary is on a similar theme, recalling a girl who became a victim of Hiroshima bomb radiation Akiko Kawamoto. The piece ends looking heavenward, a perspective it shares with Chopin's Piano Sonata No. 3, which ultimately faces human frailty with a sense of hope. InchApart from technical perfection, which is not that unusual today, she possesses a stunning palette of expression and an exquisite and pearly touch.Inch Piano News on Yu Kosuge

The Montrealer brings emotional depth to his explorations of banality.

Various Artists - Music to Enhance Your Spirit Inspired Bach [COMPACT DISCS] date 09/11/2001