Chie Sato Roden

Streetcar Journey

Peter — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 01:13:51 +0000

Pianist Chie Sato Roden & chamber jazz ensemble Fire in July recently released of their CD “Streetcar Journey,” featuring the music of beloved American film composer Alex North (1910-1991) and his magnificent, jazz-inflected score to the 1951 classic “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

The CD, now available for purchase on CD Baby, features Chie Sato Roden, piano, and Fire in July: (Jody Redhage cello, voice, compositions, arrangements; Alan Ferber trombone, compositions; Ken Thomson clarinet, bass clarinet; Tom Beckham vibraphone; Fred Kennedy drums & percussion)

The CD release concert took place on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at the Tenri Cultural Institute, located in New York’s Greenwich Village.

[Full CD Review by George Grella - The Big City blog]

Chie Sato Roden, a passionate proponent of new American and Japanese solo piano repertoire, was investigating potential new pieces to program when she happened upon a 30 minute suite of sequences from Alex North’s “Streetcar” film score, arranged for solo piano by North himself. Roden fell in love with the suite of nine sequences—this was moody and evocative music, in turn languid and gritty, and remarkable as the first major film music to pull heavily on the jazz sounds of the south. Roden formulated a vision to expand the 30-minute solo suite to an evening-length performance of varied textures and instrumental colors, by having arrangements of the solo piano sequences made for chamber ensemble, as well as commissioning original compositions inspired by North’s film score and Tennessee Williams’ play as interludes between the North movements. Roden, and composers Alan Ferber and Jody Redhage have worked together to collaboratively create the concert-length project Streetcar Journey, performed live as a multi-media event with projected still images from the classic movie starring Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh. Evoking in turn lazy southern afternoons and languid romance, versus the grit, intensity, and struggle of urban and industrial life in the mid-twentieth century deep south, Streetcar Journey celebrates the genius of one of America’s most beloved playwrights and one of America’s most beloved film score composers, re-imagined through the lens of 21st century chamber jazz performance.

Piano duo with Salvatore Moltisanti

Peter — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 01:19:10 +0000

In addition to her solo performance career, Roden has started a collaboration with the Italian pianist, Salvatore Moltisanti. Along with an assortment of contemporary solo works, the recitals with Moltisanti have featured performances of George Crumb’s piano four-hand masterpiece, “Makrokosmos IV.” A performance of the latter piece at the Opera City Recital Hall in Tokyo on May 30, 2000, drew these words of praise from the music critic Kyoko Michishita, “The superb performance by these two pianists was simply unforgettable.” On May 11th, 2002 at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, Moltisanti and Roden performed both Makrokosmos 1 and IV.” For this occasion, the New York Times music critic, Anne Midgette, wrote enthusiastically about Roden’s “firm, clear, open approach” and Moltisanti’s “soft touch and bearing of a romantic virtuoso.” In Midgette’s view “the pairing worked well,” and she was particularly moved when one young member of the audience, “caught up in the moment, leapt to his feet with a look of pure delight.”

On May 28th 2003 Moltisanti and Roden again gave a joint recital, each played some pieces from Olivier Messian’s “Vingt Regards Sur L’Enfant-Jesus.” Roden’s performance of a piece from from this monumental work impressed Giovanni Pasqual in a concert organized by the Lyceum of Catania, Italy. “In conclusione è intervenuta anche la pianista Chie Sato Roden, anch’essa distiGntasi all’Ibla Grand Prize eseguendo con squisita eleganza e magistrale grazia fonica e timbrica il pezzo Bacio per il bambin Gesù dai Venti sguardi sul Bambin Gesù di Oliver Messiaen.” Nuovo Abruzzo Press, March 24, 2004.

New York Times Review, May 14, 2002 by Anne Midgette

Concord Sonata

Peter — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:45:36 +0000

Sonata No.2 “Concord Mass., 1840-1860″ (1909-1915) by Charles Ives (1874-1954)
I. “Emerson” (15:44)
II. “Hawthorne” (13:40)
III. “The Alcotts” (5:48)
IV. “Thoreau” (10:18)

“Even before I came to the States, my image of America was shaped by reading Four Women by Louise May Alcott, The Scarlet Letter and The House of The Seven Gables by Hawthorne. I also discovered Emerson’s Diary and Thoreau’s Walden. Later when I first heard Charles Ives’ Sonata No.2 “Concord Mass., 1840-1860”, I felt compelled to play the piece. That was precisely the time when I started living in the States permanently. I needed something which might help me to feel more rooted to this land. This piece has served as a bridge between my life in Japan and America.” – Chie Sato Roden

Chie Sato Roden’s solo recording of Charles Ives’ Piano Sonata No. 2 “Concord Mass., 1840-1860″ was recorded in 1988 at Nova Hall and was released on Kojima Recordings, Tokyo.

This work, written between 1909 and 1915 contains four movements: I. Emerson; II. Hawthorne; III. The Alcotts; and IV. Thoreau.

This CD is available for purchase at ClassicalCDs.net

Matsukaze concert series

Peter — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:16:26 +0000

“Matsukaze” means the wind passing through the pine forests. This sound is considered the goal for training to become masters in tea ceremonies and shakuhachi (bamboo flute) playing. Chie Sato Roden started the series in 2006 with the wish that the music, like the wind, will captivate the listener’s heart.

Every performance takes place at Tenri Cultural Institute: 43A West 13th Street, New York City.

Sample audio – Yoko Kurimoto’s “Imitation for 17 string koto” performed by cellist Jody Redhage and Chie Sato Roden: Imitation for 17 string koto by Chie Sato Roden, Pianist

Past performances in the Matsukaze Series have included:

Saturday, February 5th 2011 at 8:00 pm
The Matsukaze Concert Series celebrated the new CD release of Streetcar Journey, based on the music from the movie “Streetcar Named Desire (1951),” directed by Elia Kazan with Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando. Original piano score composed by Alex North and performed by Chie Sato Roden. Interludes and original songs composed by Jody Redhage and Alan Ferber for Fire in July. Movie stills were prepared by Stephen Taylor. With Chie Sato Roden, piano; and Fire in July: Jody Redhage, cello/voice/cvomposer; Ken Thomson, clarinets; Alan Ferber, trombones/composer; Fred Kennedy, drums; Tom Beckham, vibraphone.

Sunday, April 11, 2010 at 3:00pm
Fly Afresh was created in memory of Miwa Ikegami to the music of Haydn, Megumi Kanamaru, Schoenberg and Dvorak. With Mayjuki Fukuhara, violin; Jody Redhage, cello/composition; and Chie Sato Roden, piano. All concert proceeds went to the National Kidney Foundation.

Saturday, April 4th, 2009 at 7:00pm
The Spring in Bloom series featured the music of Beethoven, Togawa, Kurimoto and Schumann. With Chie Sato Roden, piano; Mayuki Fukuara, violin; and Jody Redhage, cello.

Friday, March 28, 2008 at 8:00pm
The Matsukaze Concert Series IV celebrates music from the movie “Streetcar Named Desire (1951),”
directed by Elia Kazan with Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando, with an original piano score composed by Alex North and performed by Chie Sato Roden. Interludes and original songs composed by Jody Redhage for Fire in July. With Chie Sato Roden, piano and ensemble Fire in July: Jody Redhage, cello/voice; Ken Thomson, clarinets; Alan Ferber, trombones; and Fred Kennedy, drums. All proceeds went to the National Kidney Foundation.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007 at 7:30pm
The Matsukaze Concert Series III highlighted “A Musical Offering to the Coming of Spring.” With Mayuki Fukuhara, violin; Chie Sato Roden, piano; and Music of Webern, Sukegawa and Franck.

Friday, November 10, 2006 at 7:00pm
The Matsukaze Concert Series II featured Musical Landscape of Yoichi Togawa. With Chie Sato Roden, pianist; Junko Tano, Jiutamai dance and choreography; Jody Redhage, cello; and Aleijuan King, narration. The concert included “Hi No Chi (the Land of Sorrow)” for piano (1991), Junko Tano (jiutamai), dance and choreography; “Giving Tree” for piano and narration (1995), Aleijuan King, narration; “JHO-EN (Purifying Fire)” for violoncello and piano (1996), Jody Redhage, cello; and “E primavera di Nuovo” (1999) for piano (commissioned by Roden).

Sunday, May 21, 2006 at 7:30pm
The Matsukaze concert series I celebrated Imagination Released––piano works of Japanese women composers with works of Mica Nozawa, Haruna Miyake, Yoko Kurimoto, Mieko Shiomi and Sawako Tamaru. Friends provided photographs, art work, reading of poems

Duo with Mayuki Fukuhara

Peter — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 06:50:15 +0000

Mayuki Fukuhara began his musical studies at the age of seven. By the age of twelve he had already won the International Music Festival Grand Prix in Japan. He came to the United States as a scholarship student at the Curtis Institute, later doing post graduate work at Mannes College of Music. Formerly a student of Ivan Galamian, Jaime Laredo and Felix Galimir, Mr. Fukuhara is presently a member of the St Luke’s Chamber Ensemble and a principal violinist of the Orchestra of St. Luke’s. He performs regularly with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, New York Collegium, Claring Chamber Players, the Brandenburg Ensemble, and has recently appeared as concertmaster of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Fukuhara spends his summers performing with the Saito Kinen Orchestra of Japan under the direction of Seiji Ozawa, and teaches at Bennington’s Chamber Music Conference. He can be heard on numerous recordings for Deutsche Grammophone, Sony Classical, Music Masters, Musical Heritage, Nonesuch and DeccaLondon. Mr. Fukuhara is a founding member of the Strathmere Ensemble.

“When first hearing Mayuki Fukuhara play his violin, I was just mesmerized by the brilliance of his performance. In particular I was moved by his musical disposition and felt compelled to play with this person for my own development as a performing artist. With Mayuki’s gracious acceptance and guidance, a vibrant partnership emerged that would continue for more than two decades. And through duo performances of a vast repertoire(from Japanese contemporary compositions to Schoenberg) I have been given a chance of widening my own musical experience.” – Chie Sato Roden

Windows

Peter — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 16:50:42 +0000

Chie’s CD “Windows” features selected piano works by contemporary Japanese composers:

1. Shigenobu Nakamura (1950~) WHITE (1983) [9'16"]

2. Junko Mori (1948~) IMAGERY (1987) [7'58]

3. Motohiko Adachi (1940~) PER PIANOFORTE (1969~1972) [25'28"]
I. Accordo: II. Ostinato; III. Monodia

4. Toshiya Sukegawa (1930~) LANDSCAPE (1982) [8'55"]

5. Yoko Kurimoto (1951~) WINDOWS (1986) [9'45"]
I, II, III, IV

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“My CD Windows is a collection piano solo works by Japanese composers. I chose these composers because they have established their own unique musical idioms which suggest a sensitivity to Japanese culture in various ways. White by Nakamura employs only the white keys of the piano and produces a clear and delicate sound. Imagery reflects deep emotions of the women composer, Mori. Per Piano was composed by the composer, Adachi, with his love of jazz idioms and Japan’s native music. Sukegawa’s Landscape, inspired by Chinese-style ink painting, embellishes monotone images with simple melodies ornamented by arpeggios and tremolos. Windows, commissioned by Roden, is composed by Kurimoto. I was attracted by the comical and witty quality in her works. The composition consists of four pieces which emphasize contrasts between Japanese and American sounds, aligned and non-aligned notes, and long and short passages.” - Chie Sato Roden