Search - Various Artists :: Japanese Koto Consort

Super Koto Music, the More the Merrier

Crazy Fox | Chicago, IL USA | 05/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a truly excellent CD of koto music, really top-notch. All of the musical instruments compliment each other well: The shamisen and shakuhachi add variety, the vocals (which I often find a bit abrasive in koto music) flow and blend in wonderfully, and the combination of different types of koto (17-stringed and steel-stringed in addition to the usual 13-stringed type) really packs a punch, giving the melodies depth and power. As with many such CDs in this series, there is a good mix of musical selections: tried & true old classics like "Yachiyo Jishi" and "Aki no Kyoku"; adaptations of folk tunes like "Kyo no Warabeuta", "Oedo Nihonbashi" (both children's songs), and "Kojo no Tsuki"; and more modern pieces like "Sasurai" and "Maboroshi o Otte"--this last one is particularly intriguing, sounding for all the world like the composer has incorporated the influence of Spanish Flamenco music. Seems like a bad idea maybe, but believe me it works beautifully. And on all the tracks the performances are nothing short of inspired.



My one nitpick would have to be that the liner notes are a bit sparse and lack detail. Annoying, yes, but it doesn't impact the listening experience.



Many of Lyrichord's CDs are digital remasters of older albums originally released as LPs, and I'd guess this one is too, but I can't really tell the difference on this one. They must have done a real bang-up job on the remastering, because the sound quality is exceedingly clear and nice. In short, this is a great CD of fine music. Sit back, listen, and enjoy!"

Excellent

Atilla | 12/27/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Instead of being a cd full of run-of-the-mill koto pieces, this cd contains unique songs from a variety of styles. It's one of the top arrangements of koto tracks that can be found as a cd. It's masterfully experimentative and well executed; a great listen containing both serious and fun tracks."