Concert Band - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1328892 By Ryuichi Sakamoto. By Ryuichi Sakamoto. Arranged by John Ivor Holland. 21st Century,Classical,Film/TV,Multicultural,World. 74 pages. John Ivor Holland #916902. Published by John Ivor Holland (A0.1328892). Ryuichi Sakamoto (å‚本 é¾) (1952-2023) was a Japanese composer, pianist, record producer, and actor who pursued a diverse range of styles as a solo artist and as a member of Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). With his bandmates Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi, Sakamoto influenced and pioneered a number of electronic music genres. As a film score composer, Sakamoto won an Oscar, a BAFTA, a Grammy, and two Golden Globe Awards. 'Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence' (1983) marked his debut as both an actor and a film-score composer and his most successful work was 'The Last Emperor' (1987). 'Blu' (ブルー) was composed for an advert to mark the 50th anniversary of the Japanese clothing brand Aoyama Shouji and the title could be a reference to the colour of their business suits; the structure, after a quiet opening, is very reminiscent of Ravel's 'Bolero' and accompanies visuals of workers going about their day, gradually ending with a bit of a night out at the end before slumping into bed. There are some lovely moments for alto flute, cor anglais and tuned percussion; 'Blu' would be a great companion to a performance alongside 'Bolero' or other dance pieces.
