Maki Ishii
Mono-Prism / Afro-Concerto
JVC (Japan) 1984
SJX-1176 (LP) w/obi, insert.
sleeve : EX-(SRW, slightly wear on corner)
media : EX/EX(some slightly noise)
Released in 1984, this album presents two works by Maki Ishii, who emerged in the early 1970s as a leading new voice in contemporary composition. It was issued as part of JVC’s Masterpieces of Contemporary Japanese Music 2000 series. Both sides feature concertos for percussion and orchestra. Side A presents “Mono-Prism,” performed by the Sado-based taiko ensemble Ondekoza, led by Tagayasu Den, together with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra. The combination of Ondekoza’s energetic, surging taiko performance and the orchestra is exquisitely realized. Side B features “Afro-Concerto,” performed by percussionists Kazunori Momose and Takako Yamaguchi with the NHK Symphony Orchestra. It opens with spaciously arranged percussion that moves almost like a living organism, gradually developing into an increasingly dramatic performance through skillful shifts of pace and intensity.
A: Mono-Prism
B: Afro-Concerto