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Artist
Yasukazu Amemiya
12+ albums
percussionAvant-Gardecontemporary classicaljapanesenoise
about
Yasukazu Amemiya studied at the Tokyo University of the Arts. Immediately after graduation in 1962 he entered the Yomiuri Nihon Orchestra at the time of its foundation, after which time he became active as a solo performer of contemporary music while retaining his position in this orchestra. He went to the United States in 1973 where he studied under Prof. Saul Goodman and Prof. Paul Price. And his activity as a guest soloist and ensembles during this period gave him increased ability and self-confidence. The prerequisites for the contemporary percussionist are a good sense of rhythm, the ability to deal with complicated rhythms, sensitive response to tone color, in addition to an organic sense of rhythmic distribution, flexible bodily control and quick movement. This new field of percussion playing has however reached musical maturity so that, transcending the above requirements, the creative imaginations of the various percussionists are now in competition. Yasukazu Amemiya's performance style possesses its own particular musicality and individual syntax, as will be observed by listening to the present recording. The most representative example of his style is Amemiya's own composition "Summer Prayer", composed in 1974 during his stay in America and originally performed with the Manhattan Percussion Ensemble. The piece is based on the text of a prose poem by the composer depicting the tribulations of a young ascetic monk on his travels and the retribution of the natural w
