Usually ships within 1-5 business days [New, Unopened Item] Schubert's Impromptus, Rich in Shadow and Affection, Yukio Yokoyama's First Schubert Album Features All 8 Impromptus. The album title "Impromptu" means "improvised" in French, and these Impromptus are truly representative masterpieces of Schubert and essential pieces for piano learners. As the title suggests, the marriage of these 8 free, lyrical, and beautiful pieces with Yukio Yokoyama's ultimate beautiful sound creates supreme artistic beauty. Yukio Yokoyama's Journey and Schubert By Yoshiko Hagiya Beethoven and Chopin are the twin pillars of pianists' repertoires. Pianists who excel at both are rare, but Yokoyama is one of the few. He began by completing the "Complete Chopin Recital Series" from 1992 to 1999, followed by a series of concerts of all piano works with opus numbers titled "Beethoven Twelve Meetings" in 1998-1999. In 2005, he successfully held a concert of all piano concertos, and in 2010, the year of Chopin's 200th birthday, he undertook a series of Chopin-related projects, thus traversing both of these great peaks. In recent years, at his annual long-duration recital at the Tokyo Opera City Concert Hall in September, he has featured not only Beethoven and Chopin but also Liszt. Furthermore, with an eye on the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth in 2020, he launched "Beethoven Plus" in the same series in 2013. I have attended several of his long-duration recitals in September, and I am always captivated by Yokoyama's performances, which present lesser-known works with rich creativity and reveal new listening points in famous pieces. It is this Yukio Yokoyama who has now recorded all of Schubert's Impromptus. For a pianist of his caliber, the repertoire he frequently performs in concerts is just the tip of the iceberg, with tens or hundreds of times more accumulated knowledge beneath the surface. Schubert's Impromptus are likely one of his basic assets, but producing a recording that will last semi-eternally requires more than casual commitment. I had thought that Yokoyama was dedicating a great deal of energy to the 2020 Beethoven Year, but the creation of this Schubert album suggests that he is not interpreting Beethoven narrowly, but rather attempting to express a broader image of Beethoven that includes composers peripheral to this giant. In fact, the "Beethoven Plus" series at Opera City also features several composers alongside the main figure. With this understanding, Schubert, who spent his life looking up to Beethoven, can be said to be the composer closest to this giant. With such thoughts in mind, I immediately listened to the trial pressing. The first piece, Op. 90-1, begins with a four-octave unison G, followed by a surprisingly long fermata, before launching into a deeply moving melody played with delicate pianissimo. The subsequent dynamics are finely detailed, and the triplets that appear in the left hand evoke waves lapping gently at the depths of the heart. Op. 90-2 is a model of smooth legato. In Op. 90-3, his naive sensibility shines through in many places, and in Op. 90-4, one can enjoy a wide dynamic range on the softer side. Entering Op. 142, there are more instances where a different touch is chosen compared to Op. 90. For example, in Op. 142-1, the subtlety of the scene changes is enchanting. Op. 142-2 and Op. 142-3 are not merely presented as gentle and beautiful pieces, but are performances with strong evocative power that stimulate various images in the listener's mind for each musical idea. These gem-like miniatures are concluded by a final movement with a Hungarian flavor, where Yokoyama's clear, crystalline notes are imbued with deep shadow, gently entering the listener's heart. Yukio Yokoyama Profile In 1990, he was the youngest Japanese prizewinner in the history of the Chopin International Competition and received numerous awards, including the New Artist Award from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Since then, he has been active as a top artist leading the music world in both popularity and skill. In 2010, the year of Chopin's 200th birthday, he was awarded the "Chopin Passport" by the Polish government, presented to 100 artists worldwide for their particularly outstanding artistic activities related to Chopin's works. In the same year, he performed the "Complete Chopin Piano Solo Works Concert" (166 pieces) and was recognized by Guinness World Records. In 2011, he performed 212 pieces, breaking his own record. In 2013, he launched the series "Beethoven Plus" in preparation for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. In 2015, he successfully held a concert of all of Ravel's piano solo works in Paris to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Ravel's birth, establishing a high reputation through his many ambitious self-initiated projects. His released CDs have received prestigious awards such as the Excellence Prize in the Record Division of the Art Festival by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Grand Prix Prize of the International F. Liszt Competition. In 2011, he released "Yukio Yokoyama Plays Pleyel: Complete Chopin Piano Solo Works" (12 titles in total) as a joint project with Ueno Gakuen Ishibashi Memorial Hall and King Records. In 2012, he released live recordings from his 20th Anniversary Concert (Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3), "Plays Liszt 2013," "Plays Schumann 2014," and "Plays Mozart 2015" from Sony Music Direct, and from Octavia Records, he released "Beethoven: Violin Sonatas No. 9 'Kreutzer' & No. 10" in collaboration with Tatsuya Yabe. He served as the personality for TOKYO FM's "Yukio Yokoyama's Piano Encounter" and has produced music and seasonal food by opening restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto, demonstrating a wide range of activities. He is currently a professor at Ueno Gakuen University and a visiting professor at Elizabeth University of Music. About the Artist Yukio Yokoyama Profile In 1990, he was the youngest Japanese prizewinner in the history of the Chopin International Competition and received numerous awards, including the New Artist Award from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Since then, he has been active as a top artist leading the music world in both popularity and skill. In 2010, the year of Chopin's 200th birthday, he was awarded the "Chopin Passport" by the Polish government, presented to 100 artists worldwide for their particularly outstanding artistic activities related to Chopin's works. In the same year, he performed the "Complete Chopin Piano Solo Works Concert" (166 pieces) and was recognized by Guinness World Records. In 2011, he performed 212 pieces, breaking his own record. In 2013, he launched the series "Beethoven Plus" in preparation for the 250th anniversary of Beethoven's birth. In 2015, he successfully held a concert of all of Ravel's piano solo works in Paris to commemorate the 140th anniversary of Ravel's birth, establishing a high reputation through his many ambitious self-initiated projects. His released CDs have received prestigious awards such as the Excellence Prize in the Record Division of the Art Festival by the Agency for Cultural Affairs and the Grand Prix Prize of the International F. Liszt Competition. In 2011, he released "Yukio Yokoyama Plays Pleyel: Complete Chopin Piano Solo Works" (12 titles in total) as a joint project with Ueno Gakuen Ishibashi Memorial Hall and King Records. In 2012, he released live recordings from his 20th Anniversary Concert (Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1, Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 3), "Plays Liszt 2013," "Plays Schumann 2014," and "Plays Mozart 2015" from Sony Music Direct, and from Octavia Records, he released "Beethoven: Violin Sonatas No. 9 'Kreutzer' & No. 10" in collaboration with Tatsuya Yabe. He served as the personality for TOKYO FM's "Yukio Yokoyama's Piano Encounter" and has produced music and seasonal food by opening restaurants in Tokyo and Kyoto, demonstrating a wide range of activities. He is currently a professor at Ueno Gakuen University and a visiting professor at Elizabeth University of Music.
-
[Disclaimer] Please inquire as benefits may be terminated. If you do not inquire, please understand that the product will be shipped with the new packaging.