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World Premiere of Toshio Hosokawa's Two Japanese Lullabies

Apr. 17, 2023

The world premiere of Toshio Hosokawa’s Two Japanese Lullabies was performed by mezzo-soprano Mihoko Fujimura and pianist Wolfram Rieger at Art Tower Mito in Ibaraki, Japan on April 16. Additional performances follow on April 19 at Izumi Hall in Osaka, on April 22 at Fukinoto Hall in Hokkaido, and on April 25 at Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall in Kanagawa.

The work was composed for Fujimura and Rieger's recital tour in Japan in 2021, but the long-awaited premiere was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Like Japanese Songs, which was premiered in Stockholm by guitarist Jacob Kellermann in February, Two Japanese Lullabies is part of Hosokawa's lifework of arranging Japanese folk songs and consists of two songs, Lullaby of Itsuki and Lullaby of Edo.

The melodies of both songs are recognizable to most people in Japan, but because they are so familiar, there may actually be fewer opportunities to experience them in their purest form. These performances by Fujimura, who continues to play an active role in Western opera houses all over the world, and Rieger, who has performed with world-famous singers and has a thorough knowledge of folk song, bring out the charm of Hosokawa's arrangement in which the composer delves deeply into melodies rooted in the hearts of the Japanese people, giving listeners the opportunity to rediscover the thoughts implied in the lyrics as well as the beauty of the music.

Listen to Toshio Hosokawa's Violin Concerto (2020) here:

Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra performs the Czech premiere of Toshio Hosokawa's Violin Concerto

Toshio Hosokawa
Two Japanese Lullabies - from Japanese Folksongs (2021)
arrangements for voice and piano

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