CD CATALOGE

DER RING TOKYO ORCHESTRA

9th CD

BIZET:Symphony in C / WAGNER:Siegfried Idyll /

SCHUBERT:Symphony No.7(8)“Unfinished”

This is the ninth CD of the Der Ring Tokyo Orchestra.

Bizet's symphony is a memorable piece for Nishiwaki, who joined an univercity student orchestra as an extra in his third year of high school in December 1966.This was his first opportunity to play an orchestra.

Bizet's symphony, composed at the age of 17 while he was studying at the Conservatoire de Paris under the composer Charles Gounod, is full of the vibrancy and freshness that a young man possesses.

The Der Ring Tokyo Orchestra was named after the ideal sound of Wagner's sacred theater, the Bayreuther Festspielhaus. Therefore, from the time of its founding, one of its goals has been to perform Wagner’s works, and it has taken its first step with "Siegfried Idyll".

"Siegfried Idyll" was premiered by Wagner's friends on Christmas morning, December 25, 1870, the birth day of Liszt's daughter Kojima, who remarried Wagner, and was dedicated to Kojima. In addition, the previous year in 1869, their first son, Siegfried, had been born, "Siegfried Idyll" is full of joy and happiness.

Nishiwaki listened to the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Rafael Kubelík in April 1965 in his second year of high school,and was so impressed by the beautiful sound of the "Unfinished Symphony" that he really wanted to play in the orchestra. This experience inspired him to start playing the Violoncello.

Bizet died at the young age of 36, seems to have the some playing difficulties as Schubert and Mozart, who died at the ages of 31 and 35, and Mendelssohn, who died at the young age of 38.

As mentioned above, Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony and Bizet's Symphony are Nishiwaki's musical origins, while Wagner's Siegfried idyll is one of the achievements of the Der Ring Tokyo Orchestra.

8th CD

BRUCKNER:Symphony 7 (Haas Edition)

 This CD was recorded at the occasion of second concert of Der Ring Tokyo Orchestra in 2019. Bruckner’s Symphony No.7 is my best favorite symphony, and as the performance of this symphony was one of the aims of the orchestra since its foundation, my dream has come true.

Moreover, the date of the concert, the 4th of September was the 195th anniversary of Anton Bruckner, and the next, the 5th, is the date when the Symphony No.7 was achieved by the composer at Stift St. Florian. It has come that the recording was done on these memorable days.

We have adopted the Haas edition, but added cymbal and triangle in the second movement.

In the previous year, 2018, at the orchestra’s debut concerts, the program of Mendelssohn Symphony “Italian” recorded live as well, the musicians played standing in the lines. It was favorably commented, and so this time even the musicians wanted to play standing.

Trial of our concerts over the two years has become the opportunity to prove that the orchestra is not necessarily formed in semi-circle, but in other formations it may be possible to create a new sound and new presentations.

Translation: Akiko Takahashi

7th CD

MENDELSSOHN:Symphony No.4 “Italian”

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No.7

Spacious power !

Der Ring Tokyo Orchestra conducted by Yoshinori Nishiwaki had concentrated on the recording activities until they gave the debut concert on the 31st August, 2018. And this seventh CD of DRT is the live recording of the memorial occasion.

The musicians of orchestra are conventionally ranged in a semi-circle, each facing to the conductor, but in DRT all the members are ranged facing to the audience.

Moreover, in the Symphony “Italian”, every instrumentalist, besides violin-cello, stands to play independently next to a different instrument from his own. Therefore in the fanfare played by horns and faggots, of the trio of the third movement, two horn players are situated in the different sides of the stage and two faggot players are separated as well. Standing in the same horizontal line, it is impossible for them to make direct contact each other. Consequently the fanfare resounds spaciously in the hall and fills the space with the sounds never experienced before.

All sorts of compliments have been received from the audience who attended the concert, namely: “I have never listened to such a soft and transparent sound and it has filled me with happiness. ”

“Each member of the orchestra positively commits to the music and seemingly feels the joy of creating a good music.” “ It was a revolution of orchestra, a remarkable matter!”

And one of the orchestra member tells of the joyful experience: “It was almost like a miracle that the young musicians carefully listened to each other and played as if they were making a conversation with the sound.”

Translation: Akiko Takahashi

6th CD

MOZART: Le nozze di Figaro, Overture

HAYDN: Symphony No.104 “London”

MOZART: Symphony No.31 “Paris”

London & Paris

The Der Ring Tokyo Orchestra conducted by Yoshinori Nishiwaki started with the recording of Wagner, and for this sixth CD of the recording series the orchestra has chosen Mozart <Paris Symphony> and Haydn <London Symphony>as the main program . The two symphonies share the two factors in common. London and Paris in the late 18th century were the most progressive cities in music as well, where existed the orchestras consisted of the double winds such as flute, oboe, clarinet and bassoon.

<Paris> was written in 1778 by Mozart 22 years of age, and <London> in 1795 by Haydn 63 years of age to be performed by the orchestra of the respective city.

Another factor in common is that the both symphonies were respectively produced by the excellent producer. The composition of <Paris> was assigned by Joseph Legros (1739~1793), the general manager of Le Concert Spirituel ,for the debut concert of Mozart in Paris. Legros was as well a successful opera singer of the time.

On the other hand, Johann Peter Salomon (1745~1815), a big impresario, invited Haydn

to London twice, where he consequently wrote twelve symphonies, from <No.93> to <No.104: London>,<String quartet No.74> and <Piano trio No.25>. Salomon was also an excellent musician, successful in violin, chamber music and composition.

Haydn was 24 year older than Mozart, and two years after finishing <Paris Symphony>, the two composers, 25 year old Mozart and 49 year old Haydn , met for the first time in Vienna. In the following two years after the encounter Mozart completed the masterpiece <Haydn Quartet>.

Mozart was the first composer who made the best use of the quality of clarinet, as especially known with the masterpieces in the late years, <Quintet for clarinet and strings> and <Concerto for clarinet and orchestra>, and the instrument is also used for <German dances>, <Grand Partita K.361> and divertimenti. But as for the symphonies the clarinet is used in only four titles: <No.31 Paris>, <No.35 Haffner>, <No.39> and <No.40>, although it is interesting that the clarinet is used in all eight opera works from <Idomeneo> (1781) to <Magic Flute>(1791) including 〈The Marriage of Figaro>(1786) in due course.

Translation: Akiko Takahashi

5th CD

MOZART: Violin Concerto No.5 “Turkish”

    JOSEPH LIN, Violin & Conductor

Symphony No.29

    YOSHINORI NISHIWAKI,Conductor

“It is a child, a ‘divine’ child to be sure, who speaks to us in his music.”

– Karl Barth, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

It has been a joy to come back to Mozart’s A major Violin Concerto, to delight in its youthful spirit, marvel at its beauty, and explore its intriguing possibilities. With a burst of energy, the door is opened – Allegro aperto, inviting all to join in music making. In typical Mozart fashion, there is an unceasing flow of musical ideas: some playful, some songful, and all so pure that they are never self-consciously thematic or motivic. With a reassuring smile, Mozart draws out the inner voice that resonates in each of us: “You know the tune, just sing it ! ”

Mozart’s smile comes with a wink, too. From the unexpected Adagio entrance of the solo violin in the first movement to the canon recapitulation of the second movement, from the “Turkish” section of the third movement to each playful variation of the Rondo theme, the A major Concerto is full of surprising turns. With each masterful stroke, Mozart heightens the drama of the piece, expands its narrative, and sets the stage for a deeper emotional journey than would be possible in a more conventional work. Furthermore, the sheer variety of musical material offers the soloist much to explore – and to reimagine with numerous opportunities for improvisation.

We are fortunate to have Mozart’s manuscript for the A major Concerto, and in beholding the handwritten score, what begins as a solemn act gives way to curiosity and questioning. The energy and fluidity of Mozart’s hand form an image entirely different from the perfectly aligned, lifeless black-and-white of a printed score. Rather than provide simple answers, the manuscript seems to suggest possibilities; it invites us to follow the lead of Mozart’s playful freedom. Modest steps gradually become bolder explorations, and one realizes that interpretation and creation are ultimately inseparable. To play Mozart’s music is to become part of it.

Happily, this journey of exploration has been a shared one, and my immense gratitude goes to the wonderful musicians in Der Ring Tokyo Orchestra and the dedicated recording team led by Yoshinori Nishiwaki and Suenori Fukui.

Joseph Lin

4th CD

MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No.3 “Scottish”

The characteristic of the formation for “Scottish”:

1. The strings are positioned in the parallel rows of 6 players in the order of Va−Vn1−Vn2−Vc,

    facing to the audience. Bowing is free.

2. The wind section is in one row, but it is concerned that the same instruments would not be seated    

    next to one another.

3. In the brass section, the first players are seated in the both ends of the row, and the trumpets and

    the timpani are positioned far apart in the right and the left end.

Translation: Akiko Takahashi

3rd CD

BEETHOVEN: Symphony No.3 “Eroica”

Recording Systems

The recording system of CD(NF25803) is the application of the system exploited by Onno Sholtze in his late years (Recording System A). Sholtze, who passed away in 2012, was the maître of Fukui of N&F.

As for the Hybrid disc SACD(NF55803) released simultaneously, the usual Recording Systems B-1 and B-2 have been adapted for the SACD layer, and the above-mentioned System A for the CD layer. Additionally, the monaural recording (by Recording System M) of the whole work is contained in the latter part of SACD 2ch layer. In the CD (NF25803), the monaural recording of the first movement only is contained.

Translation: Akiko Takahashi

2nd CD

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No.5

1st CD

BRUCKNER: Symphony No.3

Cutting-edge, but back to basics

DER RING TOKYO ORCHESTRA

      The orchestra was established in 2013 by Y.Nishiwaki, Artistic Director, with the aim of creating a new sound from Japan without being bound by the conventional wisdom of orchestras.

 　The name "Der Ring" is an allusion to Wagner's masterpiece "Der Ring des Nibelungen", which swept the world with its progressive, original and pioneering spirit.

　　It may look Advanced, with everyone looking forward, quartets arrangement, and standing up, but it also return to basicsae.

  　The orchestra is composed of young professional musicians who graduated from Tokyo University of the Arts, Toho Gakuen School of Music,  Kunitachi College of Music, Musashino Academia Musicae, Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, and others.

  　The orchestra's debut concert was held on August 31, 2018, and in the Mainichi Shimbun's "This Year" (retrospective) of the same year, the orchestra's sound at the public concert was described as "a marvelous revolution in softness, color, and musical richness.

YOSHINORI NISHIWAKI   Conductor                        

　Born in 1948 in Nagoya, Japan, Yoshinori Nishiwaki began learning the xylophone at the age of four and the cello at the age of 15. At university, he played cello in the Keio Wagner Society Orchestra.

　In 1971, he joined the Nippon Phonogram Corporation (now Universal Music).and during the period he worked for Philips Classics in Nippon Phonogram he served as a recording producer of such artists as Lola Bobesco (violin) and Antonio Meneses (cello).


　In 2001 he established N&F Co.,Ltd. in partnership with Suenori Fukui who had also served for Philips Classics as a recording engineer.
Since then they have produced the recordings of Joseph Lin (violin), Dai Miyata (cello), Saito Kinen Orchestra, Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, Mito Chamber Orchestra, Nagaokakyo Chamber Ensemble among many.


　In 2001, he received conducting and vocal training from Michel Corbo in his master class held in Abbaye de Noirlac.

　In 2013, he founded the Der Ring Tokyo Orchestra, for which he serves as both recording producer and conductor.

　In 2020, he received the 7th JASRAC Music Award.  

The orchestra's debut concert was held on August 31, 2018, and in the Mainichi Shimbun's "This Year (retrospective)" of the same year, "The orchestra's sound at the public concert was described as a marvelous revolution in softness, color, and musical richness".