Credits:

Kokubo Mai Inagaki Mayuko

Description:

Mai Kokubo (euphonium) and Mayuko Inagaki (piano), two of today's hottest and most talented artists, will sing and dance a new work by Hiroshi Hoshina, a master of the Japanese wind band world, and Suguru Haga, a rising star! Mai Kokubo, a world-renowned euphonium player who won the top prize in the euphonium division of the 29th Japan Wind and Percussion Competition and has given several guest recitals at the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference, has created an ambitious collection of works by Japanese composers written for euphonium and piano. This is a collection of works by Japanese composers written for euphonium and piano. At Kokubo's request, the two composers themselves were present at the recording site and served as advisors for this unique album. The recording was made at the Tojo Cultural Hall Cosmic Hall in Kato-shi, Hyogo Prefecture, which is known as the venue for the Japan Woodwind Competition and boasts one of the world's finest acoustics for a medium-sized hall.Akihiko Goto, who presides over Time Machine Records, was invited as the recording engineer, and the latest Kanada DC recording system specially developed by Akihiko Kanada, Goto's mentor and known as the developer of the Kanada DC amplifier, was used to bring out the best of the Cosmic Hall's acoustics, to create the deep, rich sound that Kokubo was aiming for. The recording is like a time capsule of sound, faithfully capturing everything from the deep forte, to the cotton-wool pianissimo, to the subtle nuances of the fading notes. The booklet includes introductions to the pieces and essays by Toru Miura, Brian Bowman, and Hiroshi Hoshina, written in both English and Japanese, for the enjoyment of euphonium fans in Japan and abroad. The performers, composers, recording engineers, and recording hall all put their all into this passionate album, which is presented by adult "music idiots" who allow no compromise!