Credits:

Lugano Percussion Ensemble

Description:

Also includes works by Masahiro Ishijima! The Lugano Percussion Ensemble is a group based in Lugano, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. The collection includes world premiere recordings of works by Charino, a leading figure in the world of contemporary Italian music, works by Masahiro Ishijima, who teaches at Toho Gakuen School of Music in Japan, and other works by composers of various generations, both old and new. Sharino's works, which are composed with innovative sound and full of special techniques, are surprisingly quiet and contemplative music here. Ishijima's work with live electronics begins with birdcalls that seem to symbolize a paradise, but eventually African rhythms and police sirens reminiscent of Varèse's "Ionization" enter the piece, which may be a warning bell for modern civilization. This is an excellent work that evokes in the listener a sense of awareness of some problem. The electronics for this piece are provided by Hibiki Mukai, a young hope in the world of contemporary Japanese music. Tobu Shoji Co.