Toshiro Mayuzumi
Mandara Symphonie / Small Pieces for Prepared Piano and String uartet / Ectoplasme
Toshiba Records (Japan) 1970
TA-8013 (LP) gatefold sleeve. w/obi.
sleeve : EX(some slightly color-faded.)
media : EX/EX(some slightly noises.)
This is a 1970 album by Toshiro Mayuzumi, a representative composer and contemporary musician of post-war Japan who introduced musique concrète, electronic music, and avant-garde music to Japan in the early 1950s. The album was released as part of Toshiba Records' "Japanese Contemporary Composers Series." The A-side includes one of his representative pieces, the "Mandala Symphony," performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Hiroyuki Iwaki. The theme draws from Buddhist philosophy, conveyed through the construction of an ensemble of sound without the use of specific materials. On the B-side, "Small Piece for Prepared Piano and Strings," conducted by Mayuzumi himself, features a composition for piano, two violins, a viola, and a cello. It's said to be the first work in Japan to introduce the concept of prepared piano. The track "Ectoplasm" on B2 is making its first appearance on this album. It employs a composition comprising a clavioline and electric guitar as electric instruments, along with vibraphone, piano, and a string ensemble. This track also represents a rather innovative approach for its time.
B1: プリペアド・ピアノと弦楽の為の小品
B2: エクトプラズム