a demo piece that has affected me for life

[kensuguro]

Roland's "Autumnal Tints", by Kazuko & Masashi Hirashita, for Roland corp.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfgM7fnJ6MU

Recorded in a bunch of Yamaha piano patches ironically:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Jgd1geogLc
I feel none of these "renderings" does the piece justice. There are so many parts that can be executed so the piano sings more, but since these are just blind "renderings" pumping MIDI through whatever sound generator, there's not much in the way of adjusting to take most advantage of the patch.

This was a demo track that I found very moving and excellently written. Though the playing in the demo I believe didn't tease out the maximal amount of emotion in the writing. The motif I think is excellent, and also is written in a way that makes the piano sing very well. Sad that the demo execution feels a little bit rushed. If the piece were to be played in a nature setting, using the rhythm of nature, it would have breathed much slower. The whole thing feels rushed the way it's played in the demo. I mean, I don't consider myself a pianist, but I think I can inject more emotion into this piece. I mean, separating the composer and player, I think the composer imposed a lot of deep emotions into this piece. And the full force of Autumn, as felt in Japan, of course, which was (before climate change fucked it up) used to be a BIG change.

Another under tone of this is the way I think that the piece takes advantage of the piano strings, as if they were strings on a koto. The whole piece rings "Japan" to me, through the tonality of the greens of Japanese mountains, and the use of "koto"-esque plucking. Makes me want to go back home, though we all know, "home" doesn't exist any more no matter where you come from. Beyond dealing with the image of "death", I think the nostalgia and longing for "home" is another huge theme that I like tackling. It's not real, but an idealized "home" that everyone wants, knew they had, but can never go home to. But still it beckons you to come home. Is it nostalgia? Not that simple my friend.

Anyway, it's just one of those pieces right. Almost 20 years since hearing this on my Sound Canvas vsti, I still think it's a great piece of music. Whoever Kazuko & Masashi Hirashita is, may they be blessed for writing such a wonderful piece of music. I mean, I guess Roland owns the rights and all since they just did it for contract or whatever.

[Nestor]

Definitely beautiful my friend, great harmony all over. I love this special feeling that it is born from the fact that the melody follows eventually a conventional path, but the harmony takes you to a different, place, kind of “observing life from a different perspective”.

I agree with all your likes here, and think it could be a piece to be played with a Japanese hybrid orchestra, being a mixture of classical instruments and ancient Japanese ones too.

As a preferred piano in the second video, I would chose the Yamaha CFIIIS concert grand piano.

Yes, beautiful, thank you