Music

■CD■ 12pieces(63Mins)
①Tales from the Orchestra｜Ryota Ishikawa
The story begins with a harp solo on the dark stage. Everyone starts learning the instruments alone. Slowly play the instruments, we all come together, and little by little we can taste the joy in the performance. Also I, Okapi, learn from this experience and I dreamed that someday I would bring wonderful music with my orchestra to an entire audience. And so, I founded the Zoorasian Brass Quintet. Originally, our concerts had only six animals. As time went by, more animal partners who had the same dream came together. From this partnership we founded the Zoorasian Philharmonic Orchestra.
It was a very long and hard process but it was well worth it especially when we see how everyone enjoys our music. I truly believe that symphony music has magical power that lets people feel happiness. Now come listen to the emotion in this piece as I show you how our dreams come true!
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②The Baby Stroller March | Hiroki Takahashi
I’m just happy and can’t help but dance to the rhythm when I listen to this original melody. There is so much energy coming from the baby stroller team. Here we go and there we go! Let’s go on a great big adventure! Ooops, we almost crashed! Knock on wood. (We are ok!) In this piece, the composer leads Zoorasian Brass, the central team and the orchestra’s sound to intentionally blend together. Listen and you can hear in this song the strings sing beautifully. There are also funny sounds coming from the percussions along with a happy and cute fantasy march.
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③Rabbits Dancing to Strauss | Johann Strauss, Shinpei Nakayama/ arr.Hiroki Takahashi
“♪SO-SO-RA-SO-RA-SO-RA the Rabbits are Dancing～”is a loved nursery: “The Rabbits’ Dancing( Usagi-no-dance)” that has been played in Japan since a very long time ago. The lyrics are from Noguchi Ujou and the swinging melody is composed by Shinpei Nakayama, who is a very famous nursery composer in Japan. When “The Rabbits’ Dancing (Usagi-no-dance) ” meets romanticist composer Johann Strauss, the rabbit start dancing to waltz or polka. In this piece, the tempos sometimes change from waltz to a march. The animals are so busy playing to various rhythms! In order not to make a mistake while conducting, I try hard to memorize this piece.
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④Albireo’s Fascination｜Shunsuke Takizawa
Does anyone know Albireo？Doesn’t the name sound beautiful? Actually, Albireo is the 'beak star' of “Cygnus” constellation. It seems like one star, but they are double star that the yellow star overlaps the blue start. The great Japanese author and poet Miyazawa Kenji also compare theses two beautiful stars with sapphire and imperial topaz in his famous novel: “The Night of the Milky Way Train”. Albireo’s Fascination writes about these amazing stars and the great universe. Each star makes up a separate musical theme forming a beautiful motif. Relax and enjoy this piece, as you think about Albireo that shines like jewels in the deep universe.
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⑤Fantasy on a Theme of Seven Baby Crows | Nagayo Motoori/ arr. Ryota Ishikawa
As the word “euphonium”, which comes from the word “euphony (the quality of being pleasing to the ear)", is a brass instrument which makes beautiful sound. It’s not so well-know by people, because the euphonium is seldom used in orchestras. However, euphonium has excellence versatility and great sound.
This “Fantasy on a Theme of Seven Baby Crows” is written for bringing euphonium’s fascination into full play. The song is constructed by a central theme:” Seven Baby Crows” and 3 variations like a Kaleidoscope with passing clouds and flowing water shows the melody’s changes. Ocelot, who is usually shy, but when performing, his talent show his delicate sense of music which people are fascinated by.
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⑥Mother Goose Concerto | Ryota Ishikawa
There’s a piano set on the stage. The piano surrounded by Tsuru-Usagi who play strings. The soloist is Tsuru-Usagi’s Beth and she plays piano outstandingly bringing everyone to Mother Goose’s world. Mother Goose come from the English nursery rhymes which are sang in the UK and America. Tsuru-Usagi, the little rabbits, always heard the nursery by mother’s singing in their childhood. When they play this song, wonderful memories come back, and they play freely.
Mother Goose Concerto centered on “Humpty Dumpty”,” London Bridge Is Falling Down” two songs, and other songs’ elements like ”Old King Cole”, ”Sing a Song of Sixpence” and “Hush Little Baby” to intertwine into the beautiful piece.
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⑦Fox, You Stole the Goose Concerto | Hiroki Takahashi
The concerto’s motif is from the melody of German folk song: Fox, You Stole the Goose and the Japanese folk song “The Little Fox (Kogitzune)” to expand into this lovely and interesting song. Of course, the soloist is Saxofox’s Latour. Latour has loved the song “The Little Fox (Kogitzune)” for a long time. He has play this song for many different ways, like saxophone quartet, the piano & saxophone, but this is the first time to play it with a orchestra. The little fox Latour is so nervous! His other three brothers, who share the six senses with each other, pray for him with all of their heart. But, who knows what the results will be? Let’s find out and enjoy this song.
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⑧Londonderry Air for Two Trumpets and Orchestra |Irish folk song / arr.Ryota Ishikawa
　Indian Lion and White Lion both believe they’re the most handsome trumpeter in the world. Theses two great rivals play the song, which is the most beautiful melody of Irish music with sound splendidly. The “Londonderry Air for Two Trumpets and Orchestra” recalls one’s cherished and bittersweet youth. The pure and beautiful melody of the two trumpets is softly touching everyone’s deepest heart.
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⑨Butterfly Concerto | Ryota Ishikawa
The Kotofue-Papillon; duo of flute and harp. A children song “Cho Cho(meaning Butterfly) ” (Lightly Row) is arranged to beautiful concerto for Kotofue-Papillon’s theme music. We can imagine that two butterflies dance from flower to flower under the warm sun. In one part of this song, you might feel sorrow like you would hear in Aria from Madam Butterfly. The cadenza of flute and harp remind you of ancient days!
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⑩Russian Roulette Wheel ~Russian Folksongs Medley for Orchestra~|Russian Folk Songs,ect. / arr.Hisato Yamaguchi
The opening part feels gun fight with much tension. Many colorful Russian folksongs like a Russian roulette wheel appear in this song. “Song of the Volga Boatmen” has intensity, ” Коробе́йники(Korobushka)” and ”Тальяночка(Talyanochka)” are inspired by Prokofiev and Shostakovich. “Тро́йка(Troika)” feels like as circus or sounds like a mandolin. “Калинка” is enjoyable with wind band music and Cossack dance.”Полюшко-поле(Polyushko-Polye)” is symphonic. “Катюша(Katyusha)” with a variety of dances in the finale.
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⑪Symphonic Animals | Seiichiro Uno, Nagayo Motoori, America Folk Song/ arr. Ryota Ishikawa
Three children’ songs were arranged to colorful music. The opening has much fanfare, next, “Ai-Ai” which is Douclangure’s favorite song with vigorous. Next, “Nanatsu-no-ko”, white goat plays oboe with a pensive mood , then cello and viola plays a song which has very rich tone. Finally, the last song “The Other Day, I Met a Bear”, appears, we can imagine the words’ feeling from first verses to last verses. Let’s sing together.
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⑫Kagome Kagome Fantasy| Ryota Ishikawa
“Kagome Kagome”, the famous Japanese nursery rhyme song reborn as majestic fantasia. Simple and mysterious phrase are ever expanding. This song is magical. You feel enthusiastic. Of course our members are playing in a fever pitch…standing one after the other. All members don’t hold back and perform out in the finale! You’ll be amazed!
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■CD■ 6Music vidoes(34Mins)
①Tales from the Orchestra
②Fantasy on a Theme of Seven Baby Crows
③Rabbits Dancing to Strauss
④Londonderry Air for Two Trumpets and Orchestra
⑤Kagome Kagome Fantasy
⑥Albireo’s Fascination

Album's new songs will premiere at "Zoorasian Summer・Music・Festival" concert!

We will bring the new album: “Tales from the Orchestra”s new songs in "Zoorasian Summer・Music・Festival" Concert. Malayan Tapir’s family: Grandpa Tapir and Uncle Tapir will join the concerts, too! Please check the informations below, and join our concerts!
●Zoorasian Summer・Music・Festival @ Tokyo
Date: 4th, August,2018
Venue: Suntory Hall
●Zoorasian Summer・Music・Festival @ Osaka
Date: 21th, August,2018
Venue: The Symphony Hall
For more informations, please check →CLICK