Hisato Ohzawa: Piano Concerto No.3 'Kamikaze' (1938)

Russian Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by/ Orquesta Filarmónica de Rusia dirigida por Dmitry Yablonsky. Piano: Ekaterina Saranceva.
I. Larghetto maestoso - Allegro assai (0:00)
II. Andante cantabile (10:24)
III. Allegro Moderato - Allegro vivace (18:22)
Hisato Ohzawa is nowadays one of Japan’s most obscured composers, probably because in some way he “betrayed” his initially modernist ideals. Indeed, Ohzawa was one of the most cosmopolitan composers in the day, promoting modernist and revolutionary musical structures in Paris, city which became after WWI the center of musical avant-garde. Nonetheless, Ohzawa faced enormous hostility from Japanese art circles that cared more about nationalism in times where a fascist state was on the rise in the Land of the Rising Sun. His Piano Concerto No. 3 belongs exactly to that period when he had to shift to plain modernism to extoll national pride. Following the example of futurists, Ohzawa found inspirational ways to celebrate the record established by a Mitsubishi Ki-15 aircraft, which in 1937 flew in record time from Tokyo to London and thus was baptized as Kami-kaze, meaning the Wind of the Gods. Later on, this same word-concept would be used to name suicidal Japanese pilots, and although the original Kami-kaze would see war service, it didn’t suffer such a fate.
Hisato Ohzawa es uno de los compositores más desconocidos de Japón, en parte porque de cierta forma, se vio visto a “traicionar” sus ideales modernistas. Ciertamente, Ohzawa era inicialmente uno de los compositores más cosmopolitas de su tiempo, promoviendo formas musicales modernistas y revolucionarias en París; ciudad que se convertiría en sinónimo de vanguardia musical tras la 1GM. Sin embargo, Ohzawa enfrentó gran hostilidad en los círculos de arte japoneses, a quienes les importaba más el nacionalismo en tiempos en los que un estado fascista se alzaba sobre la Tierra del Sol Naciente. Su Concierto para Piano No. 3 pertenece a ese periodo en el que tuvo que cambiar a un modernismo plano que ensalzara el orgullo nacional. Siguiendo el ejemplo de otros futuristas, Ohzawa encontró inspiración para celebrar el récord establecido por un avión Mistubishi Ki-15, mismo que en 1937 voló en tiempo récord de Tokio a Londres y por lo mismo fue bautizado como Kami-kaze, que significa Viento de los Dioses. Más tarde, este concepto sería utilizado para nombrar a los pilotos suicidas japoneses e incluso si el Kami-kaze original participaría en la guerra, no enfrentaría ese destino cruel.
Image/ imagen: The Kami-kaze, assembling model artwork / El Kami-kaze, imagen de un modelo de ensamblaje.

[@rexy7399]

I feel some Shoatakovich, Prokofiev, Ravel and Gershwin in it.
Mix of modern dissonant harmony, jazzy improvised subject and Japanese melody. Interesting!

[@recoveringpariah]

What a spectacular piece of music! The pacific beauty which builds to terrifying tension, the lilting drama. I'm not even done listening to it. I can't wait for the conclusion.

[@LilyKittyful]

A beautiful and sublim Music expressing universal value of Japanese spirit.

[@obduliorincon6112]

at 11:08, the rapturous piano..the love theme..
The music matchs the art work image..
🇧🇷♥️🎶🎵🎼🎶🎼

[@stephenchen7491]

The main theme of the second movement has similar melodic contour as that of Debussy's "La plus que lente".

[@osushi1366]

終楽章の終わり方は衝撃でした！

[@obduliorincon6112]

仰るとおりです ！

[@plonplon243]

there's a scriabinian feeling in this piece. I like it

[@obduliorincon6112]

yes, i agree. you`re a very observer listenner!

[@martinlagrange8821]

Only one of two works of classical music explicitly written about a single great aircraft - Walton's 'Spitfire Prelude and Fugue' is the other.

[@alexandrecosta2708]

Great piece, impecable orchestration. Just a caveat - unless I´m mistaken, the Kamikazes flights took place at the end of WWII, not in 1938...

[@MethylOrange42]

+Alexandre Costa That's a different Kamikaze - this was written in honour of an aeroplane that won an air race prize, being the first to fly from Tokyo to Paris in under 100 hours, before any European pilots achieved this. The flight occurred before the coronation of George VI of England, and the whole journey from Tokyo to London took 94 hours (with in-air time of 51 hours).

[@alexandrecosta2708]

+MethylOrange42 Thank you for your explanation. Actually more needed and overdue as the selected picture makes those ignoring the 100 hours flight, more inclined to associate the WWII event to this beautiful musical piece. Let´s hope those still accessing the folder have the opportunity to read your note. Again, thank you so much.

[@kapitankapital6580]

The word kamikaze means divine wind, and was in use long before it gained its current association.

[@nickscallon7477]

I think Saint Sebastian, the patron saint of sports,would’ve enjoyed this song, Waterboy wh

[@user-unetaro]

欧亜連絡百時間飛行の『神風号』ですね。

[@markrubin9449]

Space for this in the dust bin.