Merry Christmas, Mr. Sakamoto
December 20, 2022 2:03 AM Subscribe
Ryuichi Sakamoto releases "last" concert amid cancer battle (Kyodo News). Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence / Ryuichi Sakamoto - From Ryuichi Sakamoto: Playing the Piano 2022
From the Kyodo News article:
Sakamoto's video message about the concert.
Although streaming of the concert concluded a week ago, his performance of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is available on YouTube.
Liner notes for the setlist from Susumu Kunisaki, MUSIC/SLASH.
From the January 2021 greeting on Sakamoto's homepage:
From the Kyodo News article:
Japanese composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto released a stream of an audience-less, pre-recorded concert on Sunday [December 11th] that he has said "may be my last" due to his ongoing battle with cancer.
Because the composer is continuing to undergo treatment and does not have the energy to perform an entire concert, he instead recorded one song at a time and the final product was edited together.
Sakamoto's video message about the concert.
Although streaming of the concert concluded a week ago, his performance of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence is available on YouTube.
Liner notes for the setlist from Susumu Kunisaki, MUSIC/SLASH.
From the January 2021 greeting on Sakamoto's homepage:
I am now undergoing treatment … From now on, I will be living alongside cancer. But, I am hoping to make music for a little while longer.His upcoming original solo album “12” will be released on his 71st birthday, January 17th, 2023.
(The rest of the message is also touching; he expresses gratitude to healthcare workers for caring for patients throughout the pandemic, apologizes to colleagues for work disruptions, and thanks everyone for their continuing support.)
Of the album, Sakamoto says, “….after I finally ‘came home’ to my new temporary housing after a big operation, I found myself reaching for the synthesizer. I had no intention of composing something; I just wanted to be showered in sound. I’ll probably continue to keep this kind of ‘diary.’”
I am sorry to hear this -- there is no end to sad news of late. I loved his work with Yellow Magic Orchestra -- BGM comes to mind and his solo work as well, such as Left Handed Dream. Thank you
Sockin'inthefreeworld for bringing this to our attention.
posted by y2karl at 7:13 AM on December 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
Sockin'inthefreeworld for bringing this to our attention.
posted by y2karl at 7:13 AM on December 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
Ryuichi Sakamoto is the kind of artist all artists should aspire to be. Extremely talented, unencumbered by genre or format, and always will to go in new directions and try new things.
I love the way he weaves his "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" theme into other things he does. Anyone else doing that could get annoying, but it's such a beautiful chunk of music, and he weaves it into other things so fluidly that it's always a nice surprise when it pops up.
He even uses it on "A Day in New York", the album of Antonio Carlos Jobim music he did with Jaques and Paula Morelenbaum, who both played with Jobim in the 80s.
His performance of Async at the Park Avenue Armory is fantastic. It used to be on Youtube, but now it appears to only be on Mubi. (this link is to the trailer on youtube).
Also on Mubi is Coda, a documentary about him from a few years ago. These two things are worth getting at least a trial subscription to Mubi.
And here's another fantastic short performance. He plays piano and conducts at he same time.
BGM is my favorite Yellow Magic Orchestra albums, and one of my favorite albums, period.
posted by jonathanhughes at 7:58 AM on December 20, 2022 [4 favorites]
I love the way he weaves his "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" theme into other things he does. Anyone else doing that could get annoying, but it's such a beautiful chunk of music, and he weaves it into other things so fluidly that it's always a nice surprise when it pops up.
He even uses it on "A Day in New York", the album of Antonio Carlos Jobim music he did with Jaques and Paula Morelenbaum, who both played with Jobim in the 80s.
His performance of Async at the Park Avenue Armory is fantastic. It used to be on Youtube, but now it appears to only be on Mubi. (this link is to the trailer on youtube).
Also on Mubi is Coda, a documentary about him from a few years ago. These two things are worth getting at least a trial subscription to Mubi.
And here's another fantastic short performance. He plays piano and conducts at he same time.
BGM is my favorite Yellow Magic Orchestra albums, and one of my favorite albums, period.
posted by jonathanhughes at 7:58 AM on December 20, 2022 [4 favorites]
I love this man and had the honor of being one of maybe 100 people at that Armory show above and also saw him speak at a showing of Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence (one of my favorite movies). He just has this amazing gravity about him no matter where he goes or what he does. He is magic and I'm both sad for the inevitable, but glad he's doing what he can sharing with us the last embers of his life instead fading into the background.
posted by greta simone at 8:19 AM on December 20, 2022 [5 favorites]
posted by greta simone at 8:19 AM on December 20, 2022 [5 favorites]
Oh wow, thank you for sharing this. I admire him so much and am always so impressed when an artist can continue to create despite what they’re going through. When I had cancer, I was just struggling to get through it, and it’s incredible to me that he can do this. (I’ve also had a longtime crush on him, on the shallow side, ever since I saw Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence in the theater.)
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:35 AM on December 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:35 AM on December 20, 2022 [2 favorites]
When I listen to his theme from Merry Christmas Mister Lawrence, I visualize snow falling on palm trees. That image is nowhere to be found in the film itself, but the theme still conjures it in my mind, every time.
posted by abraxasaxarba at 12:24 PM on December 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by abraxasaxarba at 12:24 PM on December 20, 2022 [3 favorites]
I've been enjoying this (remixed) cut in particular for quite a while now. Be well soon.
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 2:34 PM on December 20, 2022
posted by not_that_epiphanius at 2:34 PM on December 20, 2022
I'm more familiar with B-2 Unit (my introduction to him), the already mentioned Left Handed Dream (with Robin Scott and Adrian Belew), as well as The Last Emperor OST (with David Byrne). Looking these up just now on discogs.com to refresh my memory, I hadn't ever realized how prolific an artist he's been. Lots to catch up on!
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:13 PM on December 20, 2022
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:13 PM on December 20, 2022
(Oh: and he did the OST for The Revenant. Like I said, much to catch up on.)
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:19 PM on December 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 3:19 PM on December 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
I've enjoyed a lot of his music over the years but Discord remains my favorite. And this is the piece from Wild Palms that made me initially really get into him. Thanks for sharing the recent news and concert.
posted by Candleman at 5:38 PM on December 20, 2022
posted by Candleman at 5:38 PM on December 20, 2022
I saw MCML in the theater, primarily because of Bowie. What I remember about that movie was the soundtrack. This song carried the whole film.
posted by Chuffy at 8:14 PM on December 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Chuffy at 8:14 PM on December 20, 2022 [1 favorite]
As mentioned here in the past, I like to listen to one of his piano performances of Forbidden Colours every year around this time as my personal Solstice ritual.
This version is very nice, as always. I think my favourite was a live concert version from around ten years ago that was on YouTube but isn't anymore. It was ephemeral.
posted by ovvl at 3:36 PM on December 21, 2022
This version is very nice, as always. I think my favourite was a live concert version from around ten years ago that was on YouTube but isn't anymore. It was ephemeral.
posted by ovvl at 3:36 PM on December 21, 2022
Storm knocked out the Internet, so I'm watching my backlog of downloaded NHK programs. Sakamoto appears in the heart wrenching episode of NHK Prime "Generation 3.11" as the conductor of the Tohoku Youth Orchestra. Made even more heart wrenching thinking about this post.
posted by ob1quixote at 8:58 PM on January 5, 2023
posted by ob1quixote at 8:58 PM on January 5, 2023
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