Joji Yuasa / Kuniharu Akiyama - 2005 - Music For Puppet Theatre Of Hitomi-Za

Joji Yuasa / Kuniharu Akiyama 

2005

Music For Puppet Theatre Of Hitomi-Za
Edition Omega Point

Obscure Tape Music Of Japan – Vol. 2

01. Joji Yuasa– Moment Grand-Guignolesques 5:21
02. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 1:44
03. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 5:03
04. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 1:08
05. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 1:29
06. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 2:32
07. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 2:40
08. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 5:54
09. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 1:41
10. Kuniharu Akiyama– Noh-Miso 1:34

Recorded At – Sogetsu Hall, Tokyo

Piano – Yuji Takahashi (tracks: 2 to 10)

Hitomi-Za is an experimental puppet theatre group. They had performed in February 13-17 in 1962 at Sogetsu Kaikan Hall. This program was consisted of three parts, and Joji Yuasa, Kuniharu Akiyama and Naozumi Yamamoto composed background sound for each parts. This CD contains two works made from magnetic tape from among them. Both works are world première issue.

Limited edition of 500 copies.

Moment Grand-Guignolesques (1962)
Noh-Miso (1962)

This is volume 2 of Omega Point's Obscure Tape Music of Japan series. Hitomi-Za is an experimental puppet theater group that still exists today in Japan. This recorded performance took place from February 13-17th in 1962 at Sogetsu Kaikan Hall. The program consisted of three parts, and Joji Yuasa, Kuniharu Akiyama and Naozumi Yamamoto composed background sound for each part. This CD consists of two works made from magnetic tape from among the performances. This is the world premiere release of both works. Music for "Moment Grand-Guignolesques": "...all the puppets were made of cutting out thin and filmy paper, which gave me an idea of using all kinds of sounds out of various kinds of paper for this composition musique concrète. The sound of tearing newspaper, of crushing brown paper and of shutting a thick telephone book, etc., were used as sound materials. --Joji Yuasa. "Noh-Miso" (A Brain) was composed by Kuniharu Akiyama (1929-1996), well known as a modern music critic, but also a composer of tape music (for example, soundtracks to experimental films and animation, tape music for John Cage's 75th birthday and more). "Noh-Miso" was the second part of this Hitomi-Za performance -- a combination of music concrète and the modulated sound of inside-played piano by Yuji Takahashi.