Samuragochi Symphony No.1

[Lionel Harrsion]

The closing pages of the finale are utterly thrilling and uplifting. Wonderful! Thanks again, Atsushi!

Having listened to the extracts on YouTube that Atsushi directed us to, I agree entirely with your opinion, Alan.  However, I can't find anywhere that seems to stock the CD -- Amazon has it a ridiculous price (over £30).  Or am I missing  something?

[Alan Howe]

Nope. It's just not available outside the Far East. Anyway, I've stumped up the £30 because I think it's worth it...

[Lionel Harrsion]

  That seems a very strange decision for the recording company to have made, given that the style of this music will appeal to listeners worldwide, I should have thought.

[markniew]

Atsushi,
I am just listening to the first movement of it. Impressive work! By the first sight/hearing it remindes more than Mahler, I hear it more modern that recalls other and later pieces - will try to concretise my impressions. Of course there are Mahlerian elements but I am quite sure that nobody hearing it without any additional information could attribute it to Mahler, not even mentioning Brucker who, im my mind, remains traditional in the post-Beethovenian style. But I don't feel strong in Bruckner so it's only my personal view.
Let's start with movement 2!

one question to Atsushi. What were the reasons that Samuragouchi has discarded his earlier composed symphonies?
And now writing his no. 2 is he restoring/correcting those previously done?

[Alan Howe]

Sadly, I would imagine that the problem is a marketing one. Nobody in the west has heard of Samuragochi, so a lot of work would have to go into 'selling' him. Not that this should be a problem - after all, his story is so fascinating. But we all know what motivates the 'majors' - big names in familiar repertoire...

[Alan Howe]

I agree, Marek. There are other composers 'in the mix' here - the later Penderecki, Rochberg, Pettersson, maybe...

[lechner1110]

  Thanks all,

  Marek, About reason of composer discarded his earlier symphonies.
  Composer said, he found new composing method after he lost his hearing.
  He is not able to listen all sound , so he necessarily explore sound in his heart.
  At that time, he realized that this is " true sound " for him.
  And he felt his earlier symphonies are sounding ' Fake '.
  Therefore he discarded these.

  His symphony no.2 is ' New work '.
  Of course , I interested in his earlier symphonies...
  But I'm looking forward to listen his new symphonies

[vandermolen]

I would buy it if it wasn't so expensive.

[Alan Howe]

It's well worth the extra cost involved.

[hemmesjo]

I received my copy on the same day as Brian's first.  I haven't been able to take the Samuragochi out of the player.  I'm on the seventh listening.  I keep hearing more each time.  I hear Bruckner, Mahler, Shostakovich, Debussy, Ives......

I really need to move on to the Brian

I also want to thank the members of this group for bringing to my attention so many new composers.  Now if they would just send a check to cover purchases.

Dan

[J.Z. Herrenberg]

I received my copy on the same day as Brian's first.  I haven't been able to take the Samuragochi out of the player.  I'm on the seventh listening.  I keep hearing more each time.  I hear Bruckner, Mahler, Shostakovich, Debussy, Ives......

I really need to move on to the Brian

I also want to thank the members of this group for bringing to my attention so many new composers.  Now if they would just send a check to cover purchases.

Dan

The Battle of the Firsts...

[Paul Barasi]

The price of this CD is outrageously high and unfortunately seems to be well worth it. It's no wonder Alan champions this astonishingly powerful and amazingly beautiful work composed in the hope of a nukes-free world.  Anyone yet to hear the YouTube extracts should right away!

[Peter1953]

Samuragochi's Hiroshima Symphony is nothing less than a monumental masterpiece of the highest calibre. It's a very long time ago that music gave me tears in my eyes, but it happened when I started listening to the 3rd movement. It's amazing how Samuragochi translated the horror of the atomic bomb into music. Hats-off!
The music gets right into your heart. Therefore I think £30 (excluding p&p) is for this CD absolutely value for money.
Thanks very much, Atsushi and Alan.

[Alan Howe]

Here's another pertinent review:

Virtually unknown in the western world, Samuragochi has written what will one day be considered among the very best classical works of the 21st century, perhaps of all time. This is not Japanese native music - it is western symphonic music, clearly at some past point strongly related to Mahler, but subliminating Shostakovich, Hovhaness, Havergal Brian and a whole lot of others into a very unique voice. Clearly programmatic, the music presents Hiroshima honestly without a political point of view - as human, tragic, yet hopeful, and the climax comes at a split second and is a devestating flash of light that tonally overwhelms with the complex emotion it portrays.
http://robertmusic.blogspot.com/2011/10/two-best-of-year-joshua-abrams-vinyl.html

[febnyc]

Ok - I'm convinced.  Or, better still, I am crying "uncle!"  Can no longer resist, so...

I coughed up the 50 US shekels and ordered via Amazon.

I'll bet it's money well spent.