Akira Kobayashi - Reiro (1981)

Akira Kobayashi: Reiro (1981) for piano Eriko Takahashi, piano Live recording from the concert "Light in the Darkness - Nature's Memory" on 17th September 2026, Tampere University of Applied Science (Finland), Satamakatu Concert Hall (Finland premiere) About the piece (from the program notes) : First, I am deeply grateful to Ms. Eriko Takahashi for bringing “Reiro” for piano back to the stage in her recital. I very much look forward to the performance. At the beginning of my high school days, I began to study for the entrance examinations for music university. While studying, I became interested in Chopin and Scriabin. I entered Tokyo University of the Arts in April 1981. At the time, I strongly wanted to compose mystical piano music such as Scriabin’s late works. However, within several months of entering university, through my university studies and conversations with classmates, my musical interests expanded to include modern and contemporary music, and I began to think about my own music more than ever. It was at the time that I composed “Reiro” in the fall of 1981. The piece reflects who I was at that time. I tried to apply everything I had learned to this composition; you might sense the influences of some particular composers in it. “Reiro” was premiered on November 28th of that year by Ms. Reiko Kanai, a university classmate. Her sincere performance was warmly received and encouraged me to compose new pieces. “Reiro” consists of three parts: fantasy, toccata, and cadenza. (Akira Kobayashi) Links: https://www.jscm.net/kobayashi_akira/ https://erikotakahashi.com/