Kazuhito Yamashita (born 1961 in Nagasaki) is a Japanese classical guitarist. Especially during his formative years, Yamashita was well-known for not limiting himself to "existing guitar technique" or "ways of playing". Yamashita has recorded for BMG (RCA), Crown Classics, Japan Victor, King Records and Alfa Records. Recordings include 16 CDs comprising the complete works of Fernando Sor (on Japan Victor), and a collection of 5 CDs containing J. S. Bach's sonatas and partitas for violin, cello, lute and flute, which Yamashita transcribed for the guitar (on Crown Classics). His recording of Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition, released in 1981, was awarded the Deutsche Grammophon Award. In 1990, he recorded his own transcription of Bach's six suites for violoncello.
Controversy
Yamashita's choice of repertoire frequently divides guitarists - both professionals and enthusiasts (as detailed in the Ophee chronicles below). His early arrangements of "Pictures at an Exhibition", Stravinsky's "Firebird Suite", Dvorak's "New World Symphony no. 9 in E Minor", and others, caused some controversy. There were those who argued that his performance was truly artistic and broke boundaries in terms of solo guitar expression and virtuosity. Others saw the projects as either mere technical showpieces with little musical value, or failed attempts to communicate works that were perceived as too large-scale in conception to be faithfully conveyed on a solo guitar. Despite the fact that "Pictures at an Exhibition" was arranged from the solo piano score, and solo piano arrangements for guitar are very common (see Granados' Spanish Dances, or Albeniz's Leyenda/Asturias), some see the work as too complex and grand to be conveyed as Mussorgsky would have wished on a solo guitar. Nonetheless, even many detractors of the concept agreed that in performance, Yamashita was more than able to entertain and even stun an audience with his phenomenal and highly idiosyncratic technique.
External links
- Kazuhito Yamashita Art Circle (includes biography)
- The Yamashita Chronicles (by Matanya Ophee)
- On hearing Yamashita (by Matanya Ophee)
- photos
- Kazuhito & Koyumi Yamashita
- photo
- Video of Kazuhito Yamashita playing Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition
- Interview mit Kazuhito Yamashita 1985 - by Tadashi Sasaki (German version by Thomas Müller-Pering) (German)
- Some photos of LP covers (Oviatt Library Digital Collections)
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