Description
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Performance by Saeki Ryoma
Preface by Ryoma Saeki
Even though the overture to the opera “Ruslan and Ludmilla” is a truly standard piece of classical music that has been performed by orchestras all over the world, there has never been, to my knowledge, an arrangement for solo piano, especially a pianistic arrangement (Concert Arrangement) of a level worthy of being performed by a pianist in concert. When I first encountered this overture, I was instantly captivated by its fast-moving musical ideas and decided to work on an arrangement, as I was sure it would have a remarkable effect on stage.
In arranging the piece, I pursued a pianistic and performance-effective sonority while respecting the original. For example, the ascending and descending scales are played in double octaves on the left and right hands, and the melodic lines and note shapes repeated in the recapitulation have been partially modified in terms of position, technique, and harmony. Behind this are the non-stationarity of the music over time, a natural sense of seeking musical transformations that differ from remembered developments, and a personal desire to surprise the audience. This is what it means to perform this piece on stage – in short, the reason why this arrangement is positioned as a ‘Concert Arrangement’, and it is also the root of the desire to play the piano, or to be moved by listening to it. It would be no exaggeration to say that the performance of this overture can only be given meaning if the emotion is shared with the audience. The piece requires extremely high techniques, and many virtuosic performances come to mind.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to all those who have been a great influence on me in the compilation of this work, including Akihiro Masuko, who inspired me with his vast knowledge and insights and proposed the compilation of this Overture; Takio Hosoya and Shota Ezaki, who proposed its publication; and Nobuhito Nakai and Tomohiro Moriyama, who have inspired me with their knowledgeable lessons and helped my musical views grow on a daily basis.
Saeki Ryoma
Born 2000 in Saitama, Japan, began playing the piano at the age of 7. First prize in the high school division of the 32nd “Junior Classical Music Competition in Japan” and the high school division of the 3rd K Piano Competition. In 2019, he entered the Toho Gakuen School of Music. Second prize in the Fupper category of the 26th Fupper Tosu Piano Competition 2020. In addition, he was a finalist in the 2021 Toho Piano Competition and won the first prize in the 2022 Toho Piano Concerto Competition. He has studied piano with Yukiko Yamagami, Miwako Takeda and Nobuhito Nakai, harpsichord with Chiyoko Arita, chamber music with Toshiaki Murakami and Miwako Ochiai, and composition with Tomohiro Moriyama.
