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Japanese Classics

Since the latter half of the 19th century, Japanese classical composers have taken inspiration from western classical music culture to create a variety of original compositions. However, with the exception of works by a few famous figures such as Toru Takemitsu, such compositions have had a limited audience even within Japan. The NAXOS JAPANESE CLASSICS series rediscovers composers such as Akio Yashiro, Saburo Moroi, Hisato Ohzawa, and introduces what is a rich musical repertoire to a much wider audience than before. Many of the works in the collection receive their première recordings. Each album provides detailed and authoritative liner notes, and is supported by fine performances from such distinguished ensembles and conductors as the RTE Orchestra and Takuo Yuasa, the Russian Philharmonic Orchestra and Dmitry Yablonsky.


Album Title Catalogue No.
ABE: Symphony No. 1 / Divertimento / Sinfonietta 8.557987
AKUTAGAWA: Ellora Symphony / Trinita Sinfonica / Rhapsody 8.555975
BEKKU: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 8.557763
FUKAI: Chantes de Java / Creation / Quatre Mouvements Parodiques 8.557688
HASHIMOTO, Q.: Symphony No. 2 / 3 Wasan / Scherzo con sentimento (Fukushima, Tokyo Geidai Philharmonia, Yuasa) 8.572869
HASHIMOTO: Symphony No. 1 / Symphonic Suite 8.555881
HAYASAKA: Piano Concerto / Ancient Dances on the Left and on the Right 8.557819
HOSOKAWA, Toshio: Flute Music - Vertical Song I / Sen I / Lied / Fragmente II / Voyage V (Bjarnason, Caput Ensemble, Birgisson) 8.572479
HOSOKAWA, Toshio: Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 - Horn Concerto / Lotus under the Moonlight / Chant (Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Märkl) 8.573239
HOSOKAWA, Toshio: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2 - Woven Dreams / Blossoming II / Circulating Ocean (Märkl) 8.573276
HOSOKAWA, Toshio: Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 (Elmark, Eerens, Mihoko Fujimura, Tadashi Tajima, Basque National Orchestra, Märkl) 8.573733
HOSOKAWA, Toshio: Orchestral Works, Vol. 4 (Berwaerts, Paul Huang, Residentie Orkest The Hague, Märkl) 8.574543
HOSOKAWA, Toshio: Raven (The) [Monodrama] (Hellekant, United Instruments of Lucilin, Kentaro Kawase) 8.573724
IFUKUBE: Sinfonia Tapkaara / Ritmica Ostinata / Symphonic Fantasia No.1 8.557587
Japanese Orchestral Favourites 8.555071
MATSUDAIRA: Bugaku Dance Suite / Theme and Variations for Piano and Orchestra 8.555882
MATSUMURA, T.: Symphonies Nos. 1 and 2 / To the Night of Gethsemane (Ireland RTE National Symphony, Takuo Yuasa) 8.570337
MAYUZUMI, Toshiro: Samsara / Phonologie symphonique / Bacchanale (Hong Kong Philharmonic, Yoshikazu Fukumura) 8.573916
MAYUZUMI: Bugaku / Mandala Symphony / Rumba Rhapsody 8.557693
MOROI: Symphony No. 3, Op. 25 / Sinfonietta, Op. 24 / Two Symphonic Movements, Op. 22 8.557162
OHGURI: Violin Concerto / Phantasy on Osaka Folk Tunes / Legend 8.555321
OHKI: Japanese Rhapsody / Symphony No. 5, 'Hiroshima' 8.557839
OHZAWA: Piano Concerto No. 2 / Symphony No. 2 8.570177
OHZAWA: Piano Concerto No. 3, 'Kamikaze' / Symphony No. 3 8.557416
SUGATA: Symphonic Overture / Peaceful Dance of 2 Dragons / The Rhythm of Life 8.570319
TAKEMITSU: Orchestral Works 8.557760
TAKEMITSU: Piano Music 8.570261
TAKEMITSU: Toward the Sea / Rain Tree / Rain Spell / Bryce 8.555859
YAMADA, K.: Nagauta Symphony / Meiji Symphony / Maria Magdalena 8.557971
YAMADA, Kazuo: Grand Treasure / A Song of Young People / Kiso / Spellbinding (Russian Philharmonic, Yablonsky) 8.570552
YAMADA: Symphony in F Major, 'Triumph and Peace' 8.555350
YASHIRO: Piano Concerto / Symphony 8.555351
YOSHIMATSU, Takashi: Piano Works for the Left Hand (Yumiko Oshima-Ryan) 8.579121