July 2015
Duo Recital with Naoka Aoki (violin) 2 reviews

1  The Pont des Arts launches its successful musical season. 
 The audience was captivated by the first concert of the season in the Church of Maison-Maugis to listen Nooka Aoki, a young violinist virtuoso Japanese 23-year Grand Prize International Competition Long Thibaud Crespin and best price concerto accompanied by the pianist Tadashi Imai. A masterful interpretation of works by Schubert, Beethoven, Takemitdu a composition tor Japanese enthusiast Debussy, Ravel ...
 

2  Naoka Aoki and Tadashi Imai enthusiastic public
The church was  full on Saturday to hear the first concert of the season organized by the association of the Pont des arts.  In the center of the church, Naoka Aoki, young violinist virtuoso Japanese of 23, wowed the audience with pianist Tadashi Imai in a series of works exploring the variety of talent and demonstrating their musical bond. The programme was first classic game with the a minor Schubert sonatine and 8th Beethoven sonata. The second part began with an original work Distance of fairy, written in 1951 by Takemitdu, a Japanese composer Debussy enthusiast. Then the Ravel sonata and the fantasy Waxman Carmen have yet demonstrated mastery and passion of the two musicians.

 

 

January 22, 2015
Solo recital in Carlisle, UK

 

The young Japanese pianist Tadashi Imai delighted a large and enthusiastic audience at St Cuthbert’s Church Carlisle with a wide-ranging and absorbing programme of nineteenth and early twentieth century piano music.  Tadashi, a competition winner in Japan and the USA, presented music of great lyric and poetic imagination in the first half of his recital including Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Schumann’s Kinderszenen and Chopin’s great Barcarolle.  The Beethoven was executed with great attention to textual detail and an impressively dynamic and extremely precipitate finale which contrasted well with the lyricism of the opening movement.  The Schumann and Chopin had nice moments of poetic charm especially in the famous Traümerei and in the final Der Dichter Spricht.   Chopin ended the first half of the recital the Barcarolle having real charm, especially the section where the music moves from minor to major.  The Liszt Weinen Klagen variations based on a theme from Cantata BWV 12 saw Tadashi at his best and impressive.  The technical challenges were easily overcome and the contrasts in which Liszt's work moves from overwhelming grief to consolation were movingly conveyed.  The evening concluded with Debussy’s Images sensitively played and a rousing and exciting Bartok Sonata full of crossing hands, hair-raising leaps and percussive syncopation.  As a final offering Tadashi was persuaded to give a less energetic but charming encore, Godowsky’s transcription of Albeniz’s famous Tango.  

Graham Robertson 

 

 

 

 

 

October 21, 2009

Recital with Soojin Han (Violin)

 

It was one of those occasions when everyone present felt privileged to be there: a recital by Soojin Han (violin) and Tadashi Imai (piano). These two young performers may not be very well known at the moment but no one who heard their recital could have any doubt that they are on their way to the top. Soojin opened the programme with Bach’s unaccompaniedSonata in A minor, a work that demonstrated her superb technical skill as well as great musical sensitivity.  In her hands the exquisite tone of the Stradivarius instrument was able to shine.  Tadashi joined Soojin for Beethoven’s A Major Sonata, a particularly melodious and good-humoured piece to end the first half of the programme. The second half brought a change of nationality and period, opening with Faure's First Violin Sonata. This work enabled both musicians to shine, combining a feeling of youthful exuberance with great elegance and intimacy of tone. Saint-Saens' well-known Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso proved an inspired choice to en the concert, the audience responding rapturoudly to its gypsy flamboyance and musical fireworks. .

Rosemary Wisbey
18 October, 2009

 

 

April 24, 2010

Recital with Jaroslaw Nadrzycki (violin)

 

Last Saturday's concert at St. Wilfrid's Church proved to be an exceptionally exciting evening when two highly acclaimed young musicians performed Haywards Heath Music Society.

Jaroslaw Nadrzycki, playing a Stradivarius violin, and Tadashi Imai, piano, opened their programme with the Brahms' sonata No.2. Together they quickly captivated the audience with their talent, technique, empathy and musicality, expressively drawing out the passion and innocence of the music. This was followed by their romantic playing of Wieniawski's "Legend", written for his girl friend in order to demonstrate to her parents their love, dreams and longings in courtship. Next was the sonata by Tartini known as "The Devil's Trill", which provided a sparkling demonstration of the expert violin technique and virtuosity, admirably supported by Imai. The cadenza was performed brilliantly with such confidence it had all the appearance of effortlessness.

Three well known pieces by Kreisler, which opened the second half of the evening, beautifully conveyed an atmosphere of wooing the ladies of old Vienna. In Prokofiev's second sonata, this evocation of the happier and more hopeful time being experienced by the composer was brought to life in energetic performances by the duo. The great optimism of the Presto movement contrasted with the calm lyricism of the Andante, and was followed by the triumphant progress towards a dramatic finale.

The audience, which had been held spellbound throughout the evening, showed their great appreciation of the talents of these two internationally acclaimed musician, who are winners of several major International Music competitions and have performed in major venues around the world. The audience was rewarded by an encore of Debussy's "Beau Soir." We hope it will not be too long before we can hear them perform again.

Gwynneth and Derek Paine

 

 

May 1, 2010 

Recital with Jaroslaw Nadrzycki (violin)

 

The evening opened with a grand performance of J Brahms' Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major op 100 no.2.  In this piece, violinist (Jaroslav Nadrzycki) and pianist (Tadashi Imai) soared expressively through the elongated, impassioned lines. Working as equal partners thematic material developed through wide-ranging effects: episodes of engaging dialogue, beautifully sustained notes on the violin and expressively shaped episodes by the pianist adjusting the weightness of the piano keys exactly were all features of this highly accomplished performance.

This was followed by the highlight of the evening . Sonata for Violin and Piano in D major op. 94 no.2 by Prokofiev. These versatile performers matched the extremes of Prokofiev's piece wonderfully. Jaroslaw's exquisite flutters of embellishment within the highly varied melodic line drew alternations of character, expression and articulation within single musical thoughts were matched exactly by the canny know-how and phenomenal technique of these excellent performers. Long sustained notes at the top of the range of the violin suspended extremely softly in the air, sweeping flourishes that flew right across the whole range of the instrument with ease and sonorous, suave melodies tinged with melancholy were a few of the violin's effects. Tadashi Imai was right there with the violinist, sweeping though sudden changes from cheeky snatches and emphatic melodic episodes to moments of spirited jollity. With amazing perceptiveness and skill these two performers gelled as one, even in some of the most rapid and challenging passages. This was an amazing piece performed by amazing musicians.

After interval, in a lighter frame of mind, Kreisler's popular Three pieces for violin and Piano were played. Schon Rosmarin, Caprice Viennois op.2, and Liebeslied were given fresh vitality and polish, the phrases rounded beautifully and effectively and every emotional tug of every sound fully explored. Other engaging pieces followed Wieniawski's emotive Legende op 17 and Ravel's passionate and virtuosic Tzigane Rhapsodie de Concert. The encore, Beau Soir, by Debussy was justly deserved and brought this fine evening to a calm and atmospheric close.

 

Rosemary Westwell