Ryuichi Sakamoto’s posthumous album ‘Opus’ celebrates his pioneering musical legacy

TOKYO (AP) — Recorded and filmed as , Ryuichi Sakamoto’s “Opus” — the Japanese movie composer’s posthumous album and documentary of the identical title — is clearly meant to be his last farewell.

As an album, it’s becoming that the 20-song, hour-and-a-half recording of sparse piano performed by Sakamoto is a retrospective, taking the listener on a journey by way of his half-century profession.

One standout is the first-ever recorded model of the playfully lyrical “Tong Poo” from his early days with techno-pop trio They have been pioneers of Seventies digital music and a Japanese act that landed on the worldwide stage.

The album “Opus” is about to be launched Friday from Milan Information. It showcases solo piano variations of the movie scores that type the pillars of Sakamoto’s legacy, beginning with the majestic theme for “The Final Emperor,” a movie set within the last days of imperial China main into its communist rule.

It received an Academy Award for greatest unique rating, making Sakamoto the primary Asian to win the consideration. The 1987 movie, starring John Lone, additionally received greatest image. The rating additionally received a Grammy.

Elsewhere, the observe “BB” is Sakamoto’s homage to Bertolucci, a young love poem for his good collaborator.

“Opus” additionally options the forlornly pensive music Sakamoto did for Bertolucci’s 1990 “The Sheltering Sky,” which juxtaposed emotionally misplaced American vacationers with the ruthless vastness of northern Africa.

And it contains the music for “Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence,” a 1983 movie a couple of World Battle II prisoner of struggle camp, directed by Nagisa Oshima, through which Sakamoto additionally acted. It has change into his signature piece.

Sakamoto’s sound has an unmistakably Asian really feel that’s difficult to outline, however evident by way of the utilization of sure harmonies, pentatonic motifs or scales. His sound can also be evocative of Debussy however, to be honest, that is all Sakamoto.

Minimalist is one other method some have described his capability to talk within the silences between the notes.

All of the songs on “Opus” have been immaculately recorded in Tokyo’s NHK 509 Studio, carried out with out an viewers in 2022. The piano pedal shift, and, at occasions, his respiratory, are current.

A poignant black-and-white paperwork the recordings, unfold out over a interval of days due to Sakamoto’s weakening well being.

This testomony to Sakamoto’s music underlines an artist’s dedication to his work that was there, to the very finish. The tagline on the album reads: “Artwork is lengthy, life is brief.”

“Opus” is all about loss of life, with segments, just like the title piece that ends the album, resonating like a solemn prayer.

Sakamoto wished to report his efficiency whereas he nonetheless might. He felt so drained after the recordings, and his situation worsened. He in Tokyo. He was 71.

“In some sense, whereas considering of this as my final alternative to carry out, I additionally felt that I used to be in a position to break new floor,” he mentioned in an announcement accompanying the mission.

Here’s a man unafraid to face his catalog of works and provides it his personal private interpretation, figuring out it will be his final.

In so doing, with a quiet dignity, he reminds us to not worry loss of life.

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Yuri Kageyama is on X:

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