Makoto Moroi “Music for Shakuhachi”

諸井誠
尺八のための音楽
Victor (Japan) 1972
VX-64 (LP) w/insert.
sleeve : VG+(WC, wear on top edge, small spots on back.)
media : EX+/EX(some slightly surface noises. B2 has one slightly wear that does not affect to sounds.)

This is a masterpiece album released in 1972, featuring compositions for shakuhachi by Makoto Moroi, who founded the Twentieth Century Music Research Institute with Toshiro Mayuzumi and Minamio Shibata, in which Toru Takemitsu and Toshi Ichiyanagi also participated, and one of the earliest composers in Japan to practice music concretes and the twelve-tone technique. The A-side contains "Three Concerto Movements for a Shakuhachi, Percussions and Strings". The shakuhachi is played by Takeyasu Sakai and the kotsuzumi is played by Roetsu Tosha. The first chapter has a contrasting structure of shakuhachi and drums, while the second and third chapters, which have strong improvisational elements, use tape delays, a pioneering minimalist technique using infinite multiple voices, and tone clusters. On the B-side, Katsuya Yokoyama and Shizuo Aoki perform "Five Dialogues for two Shakuhachi" and "Five peaces for Shakuhachi Chikurai", which were first performed on NHK's "Contemporary Japanese Music" in 1964 and released on LP in 1970 by Takeyasu Sakai and Matsumichi Sakai. Highly recommended.