VIRTUOSO AS MEMORY [SACD Hybrid]

[Machine Translation]

[Track Listing]
1. A. Scriabin: Fantasy in B minor, Op. 28
2. A. Scriabin: Etude in C-sharp minor, Op. 2-1
3. M. Balakirev: Oriental Fantasy "Islamey"
4. I. Paderewski: Miscellanea, Op. 16-2, in E-flat major, "Melody"
5. V. Horowitz: Variations on a Theme from Bizet's Carmen
6. M. Lewicki: The Enchanting Fairy
7. F. Liszt/F. Busoni: Paganini Grand Etude No. 3 in G-sharp minor, "La Campanella"
8. F. Liszt: Paganini Grand Etude No. 4 in E major, "Arpeggio"
9. F. Liszt: Rhapsody in Spanish Style

[Performer]
Koki Kuroiwa (Piano)
DSD 11.2 MHz High-Resolution Recording
24-bit/384 kHz High-Resolution Post-Production
Produced and Released by: R. Infini
Recorded: September 11-12, 2024

The magician of the keyboard has arrived. Sparks fly from the keys, the soundboard roars. Hear his intense passion and profound cantabile.
This is the first collection of virtuoso masterpieces from Koki Kuroiwa, a prodigious talent who graduated at the top of his class from the Tokyo University of the Arts' Faculty of Music, honed his skills at the university's graduate school and the Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary, and has won numerous competitions both in Japan and abroad. Beyond his superlative technique that leaves listeners speechless, his profound espressivo and cantabile, along with his deep musical interpretation, open up new horizons for pieces considered among the most challenging in the vast repertoire of solo piano works. Here and now, a new global standard of virtuosity has been born.

A Note on the Album - In Memory of the Virtuoso: Koki Kuroiwa
When I decided to create this album, the first word that came to mind was "memory." Music is always played in the present tense. Yet, the moment my fingers touch the keys, past times and emotions are sometimes quietly awakened. The act of releasing a new album is both a declaration toward the future and a record that encapsulates a specific version of myself at a given moment. I engage with the work, listen intently to the composer's thoughts, and allow the music to permeate my body over a long period of time. Through this process, the music is released in the form of a performance. What emerges in that moment is not merely technique or structure. There, layers of emotions accumulated over time-anxiety, elation, doubt, and conviction-undoubtedly exist. Among the works included in this album are pieces I have been working on since I was about half my current age. My environment and values have changed significantly, and there is music that I can see only now, having gained experience. At the same time, the innocence of youth and the radiance and sparkle that could only have been born during a time when I surrendered myself to that momentum still breathe deep within my performance. A performer should be a constantly evolving being, but that evolution does not mean denying the past. Even if it was unfinished, the light that shone only in that moment is a vital element shaping my current performance. This album centers on the concept of "virtuosity." However, this does not simply mean a display of technical skill. The virtuosity addressed here emerges as the result of the integration of technique, sound-building ability, a sense of form, and the performer's agency. The selected works are the culmination of pieces I have performed on stage over many years, repeatedly testing and refining them-a repertoire that has matured throughout my career as a performer. When I look at the program as a whole, a clear common thread emerges: Scriabin, Balakirev, Liszt, and then Paderewski, Horowitz, Lewicki, and Busoni. All of them were not only outstanding composers and arrangers but also legendary figures who possessed intense interpretive personalities and revolutionized the very nature of the piano recital. The performance aesthetic they embodied-one that goes beyond mere reproduction of the score-can be said to have reached its ultimate transformation within the lineage tracing back to Liszt. I am certain that within me lies a desire to carry on that spirit in the present day. In this modern age overflowing with information and resources, tracing the footsteps of the giants of the past has become easier than ever before. Yet, ultimately, it is I myself, in this very moment, who produces the sound. As a craftsman, I have imbued this performance equally with the fruits of my research and my pure admiration for the pianist. If this album quietly resonates with the memories of each listener, there could be no greater joy.

(Naxos Japan)

4562264261048
Product Number MECO1091

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