Search - Kaori Muraji :: Plays Bach (Ltd) (SHM)

The perfect CD package

William N. Gross | Berkeley, CA USA | 12/09/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The practice of downloading music files is commonplace, but when a holiday or a birthday rolls around, it's always nice to have a gift one can give.

This CD is an import, which means:

a. it is comparatively expensive

b. it could take a while to arrive.

But this is why you should still consider buying this CD...

Each Kaori Muraji release follows the great Japanese tradition of incredible effort and execution in package design. I'm talking about this CD specifically as a gift item, so this counts. They take great care to make the outside every bit as impressive as what it holds. This edition comes with a small but striking 2009 calendar and a literally iridescent back cover photo of Kaori Muraji. She is extremely photogenic, but the thing is, the photos reveal more than a bit of her playing style, the tranquility, simple elegance and depth of feeling that are her trademarks.

Content-wise, Bach's music was waiting for someone like Kaori Muraji to arrive. She is perfectly suited to define this composer for the guitar, specifically the qualities of calmness, symmetry and delicacy. She recognizes and is able to realize the spiritual element that is implicit in any Bach composition.

People argue about the best way to represent Bach; is it better to use the emotional approach championed by Glen Gould, or the cerebral approach preferred by Alfred Brendel (both on piano). Kaori Muraji finds the balance between the two schools of thought.

It is fascinating to listen to this artist mature. She's young, but has been playing for almost 30 years. Its hard to believe she could get any better, but she keeps doing so. Expressively, she is very understated, filled with complexities but straightforward nonetheless. Her playing is like a mother's hand brushing her child's forehead; it has the power to connect and comfort, to bring one instantly but gently into the present moment.

Recording quality is excellent and again the packaging is wholly lustrous. Her recordings tend to be conservative, but reflective. Each listening reveals something more, they are so well thought out and executed and there is something transcendent in her playing anyway.

I've got recordings of Bach by many guitarists; Paul Galbraith (vibrant), Angel Romero (passionate) and John Williams (place your own superlatives here) as well as many others. All are wonderful and there is little cross-over in the material, so vast is the source. Kaori's arrangements are different and the flow is quite different too, very tender, measured and open. She is always sublimely expressive but the expression is very internalized. This collection has her playing both solo as on "Joy of Man's Desiring" and with orchestra as on "Air on the G String."

This one is a limited edition, and only a few $$ more than the regular release. It is a beautiful and tranquil presentation with great art direction as well, a delight to both eyes and ears.

"