Ohayo - Encounter with Minipiano Naruhiko Kawaguchi

• Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809): Allegretto in G Major, Hob.XVII:10:
• 1Haydn: Allegretto in G Major, Hob.XVII:1001:48
• Robert Schumann (1810 - 1856): Album für die Jugend(Album for the Young), Op. 68, Part II:
• 2Schumann: Album für die Jugend(Album for the Young), Op. 68, Part II: Für Erwachsenere: No. 38 Winterszeit I02:09
• Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915): 5 Préludes, Op. 74:
• 3Scriabin: 5 Préludes, Op. 74: No. 4 Lent, vague, indécis01:16
• Leoš Janáček (1854 - 1928): Po zarostlém chodníčku(On the Overgrown Path), Book 1, JW VIII/17:
• 4Janáček: Po zarostlém chodníčku(On the Overgrown Path), Book 1, JW VIII/17: No. 5 Štěbetaly jak lastovičky(They Chattered like Swallows)02:08
• Edward MacDowell (1860 - 1908): Woodland Sketches, Op. 51:
• 5MacDowell: Woodland Sketches, Op. 51: No. 1 To a Wild Rose01:36
• Reinhold Glière (1875 - 1956): 8 Easy Pieces, Op. 43:
• 6Glière: 8 Easy Pieces, Op. 43: No. 5 Le Soir(Evening)01:34
• 7Glière: 8 Easy Pieces, Op. 43: No. 3 Mazurka01:26
• 8Glière: 8 Easy Pieces, Op. 43: No. 6 Rondo01:48
• 24 Pieces caracteristiques Op. 34:
• 9Glière: 24 Pieces caracteristiques Op. 34: No. 301:53
• Béla Bartók (1881 - 1945): 14 Bagatelles, Op. 6, BB 50, Sz 38:
• 10Bartók: 14 Bagatelles, Op. 6, BB 50, Sz 38: No. 3 Andante00:55
• Petite Suite, BB 113, Sz 105:
• 11Bartók: Petite Suite, BB 113, Sz 105: No. 6 Bagpipes00:58
• Franz Joseph Haydn: Keyboard Sonata(Partita) No. 13 in G Major, Hob.XVI:6:
• 12Haydn: Keyboard Sonata(Partita) No. 13 in G Major, Hob.XVI:6: III. Adagio03:06
• Joaquín Rodrigo (1901 - 1999): El álbum de Cecilia:
• 13Rodrigo: El álbum de Cecilia: No. 1 Maria de los Reyes00:36
• 14Rodrigo: El álbum de Cecilia: No. 3 Cancion del hada rubia01:08
• Enrique Granados (1867 - 1916): 6 Estudios expresivos en forma de piezas faciles:
• 15Granados: 6 Estudios expresivos en forma de piezas faciles: No. 4 Pastoral02:14
• Alexander Scriabin: 24 Preludes, Op. 11:
• 16Scriabin: 24 Preludes, Op. 11: No. 15 in D-Flat Major01:46
• Fryderyk Chopin (1810 - 1849): Mazurka No. 8 in A-Flat Major, Op. 7:
• 17Chopin: Mazurka No. 8 in A-Flat Major, Op. 7: No. 401:13
• 19 Polish Songs, Op. 74:
• 18Chopin: 19 Polish Songs, Op. 74: No. 2 Wiosna(Spring)01:05
• Jacques Ibert (1890 - 1962): Petite suite en quinze images(Little Suite in 15 Pictures):
• 19Ibert: Petite suite en quinze images(Little Suite in 15 Pictures): III. Le gai vigneron(The Gay Wine-00:46
• 20Ibert: Petite suite en quinze images(Little Suite in 15 Pictures): VII. La promenade en traîneau(Sleigh Ride)00:58
• 21Ibert: Petite suite en quinze images(Little Suite in 15 Pictures): IV. Berceuse aux étoiles(Lullaby under the Stars)01:46
• Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757): Keyboard Sonata in C Major, K. 330, L. 55, P. 222:
• 22Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata in C Major, K. 330, L. 55, P. 22200:54
• Charles-Valentin Alkan (1813 - 1888): 25 Préludes dans tous les tons majeurs et mineurs, Op. 31:
• 23Alkan: 25 Préludes dans tous les tons majeurs et mineurs, Op. 31: No. 102:23
• 24Alkan: 25 Préludes dans tous les tons majeurs et mineurs, Op. 31: No. 1701:53
• Jean Sibelius (1865 - 1957): 5 Pieces, Op. 75, "The Trees":
• 25Sibelius: 5 Pieces, Op. 75, "The Trees": No. 3 Aspen(The Aspen)02:16
• Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931): 6 Humoresque-Bagatelles, Op. 11, FS 22:
• 26Nielsen: 6 Humoresque-Bagatelles, Op. 11, FS 22: No. 4 Spraellemanden(Jumping Jack)00:44
• Robert Schumann: Album für die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68, Part II:
• 27Schumann: Album für die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68, Part II: Für Erwachsenere: No. 32 Sheherazade03:21
• 28Schumann: Album für die Jugend (Album for the Young), Op. 68, Part II: Für Erwachsenere: No. 22 Rundgesang(Roundelay)01:30
• Vincent d' Indy (1851 - 1931): Schumanniana, Op. 30:
• 29Indy: Schumanniana, Op. 30: No. 2 Assez vite03:26
• Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963): Villageoises, FP 65:
• 30Poulenc: Villageoises, FP 65: II. Staccato00:50
• Charles-Valentin Alkan: 25 Préludes dans tous les tons majeurs et mineurs, Op. 31:
• 31Alkan: 25 Préludes dans tous les tons majeurs et mineurs, Op. 31: No. 21 Doucement01:34
• 48 Esquisses, Op. 63:
• 32Alkan: 48 Esquisses, Op. 63: No. 42 Petit air00:56
• 33Alkan: 48 Esquisses, Op. 63: No. 3 Le legatissimo01:00
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750): Keyboard Concerto in G Major, BWV 973(arr. of Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in G Major, RV 299):
• 34Bach: Keyboard Concerto in G Major, BWV 973(arr. of Vivaldi's Violin Concerto in G Major, RV 299): II. Largo02:04
• Kōsaku Yamada (1886 - 1965): Nihonhuu no kage-e:
• 35Yamada: Nihonhuu no kage-e: No. 1 Ohayo(Good morning)01:17
• Total Runtime56:17

Info for Ohayo - Encounter with Minipiano

Shigehiko Kawaguchi, who has won several awards, including the highest prize at the Bruges International Competition of Ancient Music (2016) and the second prize at the 1st Chopin International Competition of Period Instruments (2018), is active both in Japan and abroad as the hope of the Japanese keyboard instrument.

The fourth release on his independent label is a remarkable piece using the mini-piano, an instrument that was born in Japan but is now rarely seen or even known. Unlike toy pianos, the mini-pianos that were originally made in Japan from the end of the Taisho era (1912-1926) to the first half of the Showa era (1926-1989) had a real stringed structure, but their unique mechanics required a lot of ingenuity and time and effort to produce, and their sales numbers did not grow as expected.

The number of sales was not as high as expected, and the instrument disappeared from history after only a few units were made. Shigehiko Kawaguchi, who was fascinated by this instrument when he first encountered it by chance, took the time to carefully select the repertoire for this album after meeting a technician who was working on its restoration and preservation.

This is a valuable project that sheds light on an unknown aspect of Japanese piano history, and also allows the audience to encounter the magnificence of its tone and expressive power. Have you ever heard of the "mini-piano," which was developed uniquely in Japan in the first half of the 20th century? I first learned of the existence of this instrument in a small store in Amsterdam that sold vintage pianos. When I heard the sound of the mini-piano, which the owner of the store was selling as a treasure, I was so impressed that I had never heard of such an interesting part of Japanese piano history! I was so impressed! The mini-piano, with only one string for each note, could be called a precious made-in-Japan "old musical instrument. We wanted to share this interesting world of mini-pianos with as many people as possible, so with the cooperation of Atelier Pianopia in Osaka, we made recordings using four mini-pianos from KAWAI and Nippon Gakki (now YAMAHA). It was a challenge to find pieces that could be performed on these instruments, which have a limited range, but we were also able to encounter many wonderful pieces of music that we would have loved to play on the mini-pianos. Is a mini-piano a toy?" This is a commemorative mini-piano album that will be released to the world with an interest in what kind of thoughts come to your mind as a performer!

Musical instrument:

a) Pianette c.1923 (NIPPON GAKKI 49 keys)
b) Minipiano c.1930 (K.KAWAI 40 keys)
c) Minipiano c.1948 (K.KAWAI 40 keys)
d) Mascot Piano c.1995(KAWAI 49 keys)

Naruhiko Kawaguchi, pianos

Naruhiko Kawaguchi
was born in Morioka, the capital of Iwate prefecture, and grew up in Yokohama, Japan. He is the prizewinner of several competitions from competitions all over the world: The International Competition Musica Antiqua Bruges 2016, the 1st Rome Fortepiano International Competition (Premio Muzio Clementi ), the Geelvinck Fortepiano Concours 2015 (Amsterdam), Stanley Hoogland Square Piano Award 2016 and the 27th International Competition for Early Music in Yamanashi (Japan), to name but a few. He has performed fortepiano recitals in Wunderkammer of Trieste 2013 (Italy) and Maggio Musicale Fiorentino 2016, Festival Oude Muyiek Utrecht and so on. Naruhiko has a special interest in Spanish music, performing a program entitled “From the time of Goya” in Tokyo in 2014 with works of Spanish composers from the classical period. He continues to be an advocate for this special repertoire on the fortepiano.

He is also active in ensemble playing with singers and various instrumentalists. In 2016, he premiered the second edition of "Trio for Oboe, Bassoon and Piano" by F. Poulenc with Saxton Rose (bassoon), and Nicholas Daniel (oboe) in U.S.A. o.a.. He can be heard on the CD "Ballad for the Earth" with the harmonia ensemble on the Brain Music label, and his first solo recording of works by J. L. Dussek was released by Brilliant Classics in 2015. His second solo CD of works bz F. Schubert will be released from Fuga Libera in coming September. And his recording of Bartok's "Sonata for two pianos and percussion" will be released from his own label, MUSIS in 2018.

He holds a Bachelor's degree in musicology from the Tokyo University of the Arts (Tokyo-Geidai) as well as a Master's degree in Early Music from the same university, where he won the Acanthus Prize in 2015. And he holds a Master's degree in Early Music from the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, where he graduated in 2017 with "cum laude". He has studied fortepiano with Kikuko Ogura, Christine Schornsheim and Richard Egarr, harpsichord with Asami Hirosawa, and modern piano with Seizo Azuma, and clavichord with Menno van Delft.

This album contains no booklet.