Identity

by Kenji Miura

Overview

Identity is one of those releases that delivers something different from what it promises, with ultimately successful results. Pianist Kenji Miura hails from Japan and studied in Britain and Germany; he is based in Berlin. He calls the album "a reflection of my own personal struggle with identity... my small musical letter to all those struggling with the many aspects of identity -- a concept that should help us embrace who we are and our complicated, beautiful lives." As such, the album isn't terribly successful. There are no British or German pieces; the album consists mostly of French music, and there are only two Japanese pieces by Toru Takemitsu, both fitting into the sphere of well-established French influences on his music. Taken for what it is, though -- a recital of French Impressionist music with a few dashes of other flavors -- the music is lovely. The combination of Ravel's Valses nobles et sentimentales and Debussy's Six epigraphes antiques is ideal, with the incipient neoclassic idea married to a more general nostalgic mood. Miura keeps the dynamics low throughout; the climax of the album at the end, with Debussy's L'isle joyeuse, is not a peroration but simply a slight thickening of the texture. The end result evokes a mood of quiet questioning that does indeed fit with Miura's stated goal. This is a successful offbeat recital of French music. ~ James Manheim

Product Details

Release Date:	01/13/2023
Label:	Warner Classics
UPC:	0190296154584
Rank:	191587

Tracks

1. Pr¿¿lude, Fugue et Variation Op. 18 CFF 30B
2. Romance
3. Rain Tree Sketch II In memoriam Olivier Messiaen
4. Jeux d'eau M.30
5. Valses nobles et sentimentales M.61~Mod¿¿r¿¿, tr¿¿s franc
6. Valses nobles et sentimentales M.61~Assez lent, avec une expression intense
7. Valses nobles et sentimentales M.61~Mod¿¿r¿¿
8. Valses nobles et sentimentales M.61~Assez anim¿¿
9. Valses nobles et sentimentales M.61~resque lent, dans un sentiment intime
10. Valses nobles et sentimentales M.61~Vif
11. Valses nobles et sentimentales M.61~Moins vif
12. Valses nobles et sentimentales M.61~¿¿pilogue: Lent
13. Six ¿¿pigraphes antiques L. 139(131b)~Pour invoquer Pan, dieu du vent d'¿¿t¿¿
14. Six ¿¿pigraphes antiques L. 139(131b)~Pour un tombeau sans nom
15. Six ¿¿pigraphes antiques L. 139(131b)~Pour que la nuit soit propice
16. Six ¿¿pigraphes antiques L. 139(131b)~Pour la danseuse aux crotales
17. Six ¿¿pigraphes antiques L. 139(131b)~Pour l'¿¿gyptienne
18. Six ¿¿pigraphes antiques L. 139(131b)~Pour remercier la pluie au matin
19. L' Isle joyeuse L. 109(106)
20. Mazurka No. 2 Op. 54

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kenji Miura   Primary Artist,Piano

Technical Credits

Claude Debussy   Composer
Maurice Ravel   Composer
Benjamin Godard   Composer
Harold Bauer   Transcription
Anne Schneider   Liner Note Translation
Daniel Fesquet   Liner Note Translation
Harald Hoffmann   Photography
Alain Lanceron   Executive Producer
Kenji Miura   Liner Notes
Cesar Franck   Composer
Toru Takemitsu   Composer
Jean-Paul Victor   Recording Producer,Mastering,Editing,Mixing