The Story of Alexander Schiffgen at the Mountain Sanatorium
BBC Music Magazine:
Three Stars
November 1, 2001
Applaus: Five Stars
December 2001
Fono Forum: "Ein Wintermarchen zum Verdi-Jahr"
September 2001
Fumio Yasuda [piano];
Kwartet Prima Vista;
Heeresmusikkorps 2, Kassel;
Music Box
1.
Intro - music in the summer garden:
Ballgefluster [Louis Gregh]
Lohengrin [R. Wagner]
2.
Camera Da Letto Di Violetta* [after La Traviata]
3.
Ah! Tu Dei Vivere* [after Aida]
4.
Vivra! Contende Il Giubilo a La
Habanera* [after Il Travatore]
5.
Aufforderung Zum Tanz [Carl Maria von Weber]
6.
Leonora Fantasy* [after La Forza Del Destino]
7.
Piangea Cantando* [after Otello]
8.
Interlude [sound of bells]
Alexander Marsch [Andreas Leonhardt]
Audio: Four Points
June 2002
Suddeutsche Zeitung: "...Aufgabe war es, einen Horfilm zu schaffen,
der die Stimmung der bekanntesten Promikneipe Munchens
einfangen und modifizieren sollte,
ganz so, als ware in den Raumen der Maximilianstrase
36 tatsachlich ein Barpianist zugange..." (Ralf Dombrowski)
March 14, 2002
Fumio Yasuda [piano];
1.
At Schumann’s
2.
Gone with the Wind [Steiner]
3.
Emily [Mandel/Mercer]
4.
Someday my Prince will come [Churchill/Morey]
5.
So do I [Mackeben]
6.
Im weisen Rossl [Benatzky]
7.
Somewhere over the Rainbow [Arlen/Harburg]
8.
Keepin’ out of Mischef now [Fats Waller]
9.
Try to remeber [Schmidt]
10.
Moon River [Mercer/Mancini]
11.
Edelweiss [Rodgers/Hammerstein]
12.
Just squeeze me (but don’t teaseme) [Ellington/Gaines]
"…eine phantastische Mixtur,
die dennoch Wahrhaftigkeit für sich beanspruchen darf." Süddeutsche Zeitung, April 2005
"…ein Kunstprojekt zwischen den Stilen, mal angejazzt klassisch,
mal poppig varietéhaft, vielfach in sich gebrochen und zugleich
komplex inhaltlich verwoben."
Jazzthing, June 2005
"Extravagante, acaso, pero por entero subyugante."
Diario de Sevilla, September 2005
"Die Oper … bietet eine berückend-bedrückende künstlerische
Reflexion über die Schamgrenzen der Macht.
Was könnte aktueller sein?"
Jazzpodium, September 2005
Wolfram Berger [story teller]:
Nicolo Machiavelli
Jean-Louis Costes [vocals, piano]:
Alexander VI.
Cristina Zavalloni [vocals]:
Giulia la Bella
Sabrina Khalil [vocals]:
Lucrezia Borgia
Jim Thirlwell [theremin, electronics]:
Cesare Borgia
Sadiq Bey [voice]:
Girolamo Savonarola
Theo Bleckmann [vocals]:
Martin Luther
Noël Akchoté [musical director, guitar]
Steve Beresford [hammond organ, electronics, pocket trumpet, voice]
Lorenzo Ghielmi [church organ]
Alan »Gunga« Purves [drums, percussion, tubes]
Ernst Reijseger [cello, percussion, voice]
Herb Robertson [trumpet]
Fumio Yasuda [piano, melodica]
Gamba quartet »Il Suonar Parlante« with Vittorio Ghielmi,
Rodney Prada, Fahmi Alqhai, Cristiano Contadin
CD I:
1.
Das Vorspiel [The prologue]
2.
Am Morgen [In the morning]
3.
Die Schändung der Jungfrau [The rape of the virgin]
"Der gelungene Gegenentwurf zu 'Lost in Translation'"
Jazzthing, Nov 05-Jan 06
Jazzzeit: Sehr gut
N°57, 2005
Xing Leyi [vocals]
Duan Aiai [erhu]
Cao Yun [dulcimer]
Old Jazz Band:
Zhou Wanrong [trumpet]
Gu Jinlong [saxophone]
Sun Jibin [saxophone]
Zhang Jingyu [piano]
Li Mingkang [bass]
Cheng Yueqiang [drums]
Fumio Yasuda [piano]
Jiangnan Bamboo and Silk Ensemble:
Wang Yongji [musical director]
Fang Zhiqiang [erhu]
Zhou Tao [pipa]
Pang Bo'er [dulcimer]
Gao Hai [bamboo flute]
Li Xianggeng [clappers and drums]
Xu Guanling [sanxian]
Zou Derong [erhu]
Brave Old World:
Alan Bern [musical director, accordion, piano]
Michael Alpert [vocals, fiddle, guitar]
Kurt Bjorling [clarinet]
Stuart Brotman [bass, trombone]
special guest Roswitha Dasch [violin, guitar]
Li Kangqin [vocals]
Students from Zhong Shan High School [vocals]
Lu Jinlin [conductor]
Zheng Boliang [accordion]
Wang Yongji [musical director]
Li Zhaofang [gaohu]
Xu Guanlong [pipa]
Gao Hai [xiao]
Cao Yun [dulcimer]
Peng Zhengyuan [cello]
Wei Guofan [ruan]
Shellac recordings:
Fredo Gardoni, Manuel Puig et leur ensemble,
Victor Silvester and his Ballroom Orchestra,
Toyama Army School Band
1.
A young girl sings "Ye Shanghai" (Shanghai Nights)
[Chen Gexin, Fan Yanqiao]
2.
"The moon over a fountain" [A Bing]
3.
In the French Concession/Barcarolle from "Tales of Hoffmann"
[J. Offenbach]
4.
The Bar at the Peace Hotel in Shanghai - "Slow boat to China"
[Frank Loesser]
5.
At the piano bar - "Ye Shanghai" [Chen Gexin]
6.
Strolling on the street [trad. music]
7.
"Raindrops rattling on the leaves of Bananas"
[trad. Cantonese music, He Liutang?]
8.
In the harbour - "Der Weana is'all'weil leger" [J. Schrammel]
9.
In the hustle of Bubbling Well Road
10.
"Sehnsucht" [Mischa Spoliansky]
11.
"Khsidishe nigunim" [trad.]
12.
"Dem rebns khosid" [trad.]
13.
In Shanghai's Little Vienna - "Frisch gewagt" [J. Schrammel]
14.
The refuge for the Jews - "Rozhinkes mit mandlen"
[Abraham Goldfadn]
15.
Bells and chants at the Long Hua Temple [trad.]
16.
1937 outbreak of the 2nd Sino-Japanese War, "Nocturne"
[F. Chopin]
17.
A young girl hums under the shower - "Ye Shanghai" [Chen Gexin]
18.
"Aikoku Koshinkyoku" [Tokichi Setoguchi] and "Graduation Song"
[Nie Er, Tan Han]