Program
Tokyo Stories, the new work by Francesco Tristano, distils his personal experiences of the Japanese city and his deep-held admiration for it into 16 original pieces for piano and electronics. Composed by Tristano and recorded primarily in Tokyo, the album features guest artists including the Japanese musicians U-zhaan, Keiichiro Shibuya and Hiroshi Watanabe, the Argentinian electronic artist Guti and legendary French musician Michel Portal.
Tristano explains: “I came here for the first time in 2000. I was only 18 and was a first-year student at the Juilliard School of Music in New York. I soon realised that the city of New York has nothing on the mega-city of Tokyo! It was like a neon jungle. It really made an impression on me. I remember that first experience with great affection, even though there were some difficult times. I didn’t return until 2009, but since then I have travelled to Tokyo around 40 times. This is my humble soundtrack of the city: my album doesn’t try to explain Tokyo, but rather it represents very specific moments in time for me, intense moments I have experienced in this wonderful city over the past 10 years.”
