Toward the Night

Somei Satoh (Artist), Masaharu Kanda (Performer), Somei Satoh (Composer), Toshiyuki Uzuka (Conductor), String Ensemble Endless (Performer), Kyoko Sato (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Masaharu Kanda, String Ensemble Endless, Kyoko Sato
• Conductor: Toshiyuki Uzuka
• Composer: Somei Satoh
• Audio CD (November 25, 2009)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New Albion Records
• ASIN: B000000R3G
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #320,810 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Satoh (b. 1947) is a Japanese composer of unusual power and inventivenss; he may very well be Töru Takemitsu's successor. In Satoh's case, however, the music is more traditionally Western than Eastern. Ruika (1990) is a work in the tradition of Miserere, by Michel-Richard Delalande (1657-1726), for cello and string orchestra. Toward the Night (1991) is for strings only, meant to describe dusk--of both the sunset and the sunset of humankind. It's still beautiful. Homa (1988) is for soprano and strings. This entire disc is a stunner. If you like Rautavaara or Takemitsu, Pärt or Schnittke, then Satoh is for you. --Paul Cook

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars transfixed, March 20, 2001

By 

damien (Jefferson, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toward the Night (Audio CD)

Although the entire cd is excellent, I would point the listener toward track 3, "Homa", in particular. I heard this piece of music, once, nearly 10 years ago, and never forgot it.

It has an unusually spare sound, a very quiet presence that seems to float, with the female vocalist's crystal clear voice arcing across the darkly luminous space painted by the string ensemble. It is achingly beautiful, a breathless piece of music, and almost too much to bear.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hauntingly beautiful, January 28, 2010

By 

Changren Yong (Seattle, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toward the Night (Audio CD)

By chance, i listened to this CD on one of the listening stations in a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Kansas City back in Fall/Winter of 1995. Just like what the other reviewer wrote, the minimalistic whole album is excellent. My favorite track is "Homa." This piece of music is hauntingly beautiful. It was written for the composer's deceased grandmother. The music slowly builds up with a string ensemble, kind of like Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings, eventually opening up to the clear voice of soprano Kyoko Sato. One can't help but feel the emotional pain of losing a loved one when listening to this and at some point, it is almost too much to bear.