Monday, April 04, 2016

Japanese guitarists Tomonori Arai and Duo Trussardi's music journey around the world


Featuring:
Tomonori Arai
Duo Trussardi
     Eisei Tanigawa
     Takashi Endo
Sting Asistores
Marlee Pabico

Programme:
Agustín Barrios Mangoré
     La Catedral
Lucrecia Kasilag
     Prelude Etnika
Agustín Barrios Mangoré
     Julie Florida
Georges Bizet
     Serenade Espagnole
Shingo Fujii
     Rhapsody Japan
Hirokazu Sato
     Journey to the Far Valley
Rami Vamos and Randall Ayers
     12 Silly Song
Dušan Bogdanović
     No Feathers on this Frog
Celso Machado
     Imagens do Nordeste
Roland Dyens
     Saudade No. 3
Francisco Tárrega
     Caprichio Arabe
Heitor Villa-Lobos
    Prelude No. 1
Leo Brouwer
     Elogio de la Danza
Klaus Wüsthoff
     Samba Quica
Luigi Boccherini
     Introduction and Fandango
Paulo Bellinati
     Baiao de Gude
Goran Ivanovic
     Ethno Dance
Agustín Barrios Mangoré
    Zapateado Caribe
Máximo Diego Pujol
     Fin de Siglo
Hirokazu Sato
     Song of Birds

Encore:
Fujii Keigo
     Soap Bubble Variations

The solo, duo, and trio performances by Japanese guitarists Tomonori Arai and Duo Trussardi’s Eisei Tanigawa and Takashi Endo earned their recent concert the title …Three, Two, One, Arai!  But for me, the title was more apt as a countdown to the music journey across the world that these artists took the audience that gathered inside the Abelardo Hall Auditorium at the UP College of Music in UP Diliman.

Performing a diverse selection of music from the Americas, Europe and of course, their home country of Japan, the concert was a great venue for increasing knowledge and awareness of the vast guitar repertoire that included transcriptions and those composed specifically for the instrument.

Duo Trussardi, made up of Eisei Tanigawa and Takashi Endo performed a mixture of traditional Japanese tunes transcribed for guitar duo along with contemporary pieces by Japanese, American, Yugoslavian, and Brazilian composers. Takashi, who is able to communicate in limited English, provided brief backgrounds before playing each piece. And with such a varied selection, the duo’s set brought about different moods like nostalgia and cheeky playfulness. I particularly enjoyed the duo’s performance of Hirokazu Sato’s Journey to the Far Valley which evoked a laidback, rural vibe accompanied by guitar taps that added a percussive element to the piece.

A clear and rich tone (mostly owing to a combination of a superior instrument and impeccable technique) was evident when Tomonori Arai played his first notes. Presenting Romantic era music with more of a Hispanic/Latin flavor, Arai played most of his pieces during his set without pauses in between. It felt as if he played a long, multi-movement composition like a sonata or a suite. Arai's take on Capricho Arabe by Francisco Tárrega was a highlight with him bringing out the exotic flavor in this Romantic piece.

Arai and Duo Trussardi later on joined forces for the trio portion of the concert. The humorous banter among the three made the crowd more relaxed and resulted in a more enjoyable listening experience not minding that the concert clocked for more than two hours already by this point. What was very interesting for me was seeing how the main melody, harmonies, and other passages were passed from one guitarist to another. And having a visual of these things made me appreciate more the layers, textures, and overall structure and form of the music. Máximo Diego Pujol’s Fin de Siglo, with the music resonating well to 21st century ears and sensibilities, was the gem for me during the trio portion.

And to cap the evening after travelling all over the world music wise, the trio ended in the bathtub with a fun piece called Soap Bubble Variations by Fujii Keigo. The trio explained that the main theme of this variations was a children’s song about soap bubbles and if my impression is right, these bubbles are the one made during bath time.

Prior to the Japanese guitarists’ performances, opening acts Sting Asistores and Marlee Pabico gave guitar performances that belied their youth.

The concert …Three, Two, One, Arai! was a presentation of Independent Philippine Art Ventures, Inc. (iPav) and was supported by the Japan Foundation, Manila.

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