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A contemporary treatment of two Japanese folk songs in a challenging three-part form.Opens in the style of John Adams while the folk material undergoes full development.Beautifully orchestrated to make the ensemble sound rich, as well as clear.A true fusion of Japanese and contemporary Western musical elements and a good way to introduce students and audiences alike to an ancient sound world.Challenging, yet able to capture a respect for both traditions without sounding trite.
■About Composer : Yasuhide Ito
Yasuhide Ito was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, on December 7th 1960. He started to take piano lessons in his childhood and began studies of composition in his high school days. His first band composition, "On the March" (1978; published by TRN) was written when he was in his third year of high school. In 1979, he went on to Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, majoring composition, and wrote his graduate work in 1986. Ito's musical talent has been widely recognized since he won prizes at the Shizuoka Music Competition (piano, first prize, 1980), Japan Music Competition (composition, third prize, 1982), The Competition for Saxophone Music (1987) and the Band-masters Academic Society of Japan (the Academy Prize, 1994). In 1987, his Festal Scenes saw its US premiere, with Ito himself conducting at the ABA-JBA joint convention, held in Tenessee. ("Festal Scenes" is published by TRN).
His work Gloriosa ("Gururiyoza") for band (1990) has become one of the most frequently played repertories in the world. He has composed 38 band works, among which are The Symphony (1990) and Melodies for Wind Ensemble (1995), both commissioned by Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra. Ito's lectures about Japanese band music at WASBE in 1995 (Hamamatsu) and 1997 (Austria) have had a great influence on the band world. Besides his composition career, Ito is well-known as an author and translator. He has written "Kangakki no Meikyoku Meienso" ("The Masterpieces and Great Performances of Wind Instruments") and translated Frank Erickson's "Arranging for the Concert Band."
Ito is also active as a board member of JBA and BASJ (The Bandmasters Academic Society of Japan), and a lecturer at Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, Senzoku Music College, Sakuyo Music College and Tokyo Conservatoire Shobi.
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