J.S. Bach: Piano Transcriptions Kotaro Fukuma

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750):
• 1 Bach: Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd, BWV 208 "Jagdkantate": No. 9, Schafe können sicher weiden (Arr. E. Patri for Piano) 04:42
• Ferruccio Busoni (1866 - 1924): 10 Chorale Preludes, BV B 27 (Excerpts):
• 2 Busoni: 10 Chorale Preludes, BV B 27 (Excerpts): No. 2, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme [After J.S. Bach's BWV 645] 03:06
• 3 Busoni: 10 Chorale Preludes, BV B 27 (Excerpts): No. 3, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland [After J.S. Bach's BWV 659] 04:20
• 4 Busoni: 10 Chorale Preludes, BV B 27 (Excerpts): No. 5, Ich ruf zu dir Herr Jesu Christ [After J.S. Bach's BWV 639] 02:54
• Johann Sebastian Bach:
• 5 Bach: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, Pt. 2: No. 10, Jesus bleibet meine Freude (Arr. M. Hess for Piano) 03:31
• 6 Bach: Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir, BWV 29: No. 1, Sinfonia (Arr. C. Saint-Saëns for Piano) 03:22
• Franz Liszt (1811 - 1886):
• 7 Liszt: Preludes & Fugues by J.S. Bach, S. 462: No. 1 in A Minor (After J.S. Bach's BWV 543) 10:15
• Johann Sebastian Bach:
• 8 Bach: Flute Sonata in E-Flat Major, BWV 1031: II. Siciliano (Arr. W. Kempff for Piano) 03:41
• Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897):
• 9 Brahms: 5 Studies, Anh. 1a/1: No. 5, Chaconne nach J. S. Bach (After J.S. Bach's BWV 1004) 15:40
• Johann Sebastian Bach:
• 10 Bach: Matthäuspassion, BWV 244, Pt. 2: No. 39, Erbarme dich (Arr. K. Fukuma for Piano) 06:37
• 11 Bach: Passacaglia in C Minor, BWV 582 (Arr. E. D'Albert for Piano) 11:48
• 12 Bach: An Wasserflüssen Babylon, BWV 653 (Arr. S. Feinberg for Piano) 05:14
• Total Runtime 01:15:10

Info for J.S. Bach: Piano Transcriptions

The new album 'Bach Piano Transcriptions,' released in June 2021, is the latest recording of the Japanese pianist Kotaro Fukuma. For many years now, he has often played transcribed pieces for the piano as a part of his recital programs. Fukuma has been fond of playing J.S.Bach's transcriptions in particular, such as those included in this album.

During the prolonged “stay at home” period in 2020, he asked via social media what kind of piano music people wanted to hear most, and a large number answered the music of J.S. Bach. He says, "Strangely enough, I also felt at the time that I wanted to play Bach.....I would like to thank everyone involved in this recording. If this music can bring the listeners some solace and spirit of love, it would be a great joy for me."

Kotaro Fukuma, piano

Kotaro Fukuma
born in Tokyo, Kotaro Fukuma started learning piano at the age of 5 and has obtained many high awards in such international competitions as Tel Aviv (Rubinstein), Santander (Paloma O’Shea), Helsinki (Maj Lind), Rio de Janeiro (BNDES) and Salt Lake City (Gina Bachauer). In 2003, at the age of 20, Kotaro won both First Prize and the Chopin Prize at the 15th Cleveland International Piano Competition. Since then his concert career has developed on five continents.

He has performed in major concert venues, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York, Wigmore Hall in London, Philharmonie and Konzerthaus in Berlin, Gewandhaus in Leipzig, Salle Olivier Messiaen in Paris, Victoria Hall in Geneva, Auditorio Nacional in Madrid, Teatro Municipal in Santiago de Chile, Suntory Hall and Opera City in Tokyo. His performances with orchestras include the Cleveland Orchestra, Finnish Radio Symphony, Israel Philharmonic, Dresden Philharmonic, Île de France National Orchestra and New Japan Philharmonic. Passionate about contemporary music, Kotaro has performed world and national premieres of works by Toru Takemitsu, Mutsuo Shishido, Renaud Gagneux, Thierry Escaich, Thierry Huillet, Peter Klatzow and Francesco Milita.

He studied music at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris with Bruno Rigutto and Marie-Françoise Bucquet, then at the Univeristät der Künste Berlin with Klaus Hellwig and at the International Piano Academy Lake Como in Italy. He has also studied with several great masters of the piano, including Leon Fleisher, Mitsuko Uchida, Richard Goode, Alicia de Larrocha, Maria João Pires, Leslie Howard and Aldo Ciccolini.

Kotaro has released six CDs for the labels Naxos (Schumann, Takemitsu), Accustika (Liszt, Toppan Live Recital), Harmony (Albéniz, reedited by Éditions Hortus) and Denon (Debussy), and has received critical praise in such music magazines as Gramophone, Diapason, American Music Records, Monde de la Musique, Bayern 4 Klassik and Classic Today.

Booklet for J.S. Bach: Piano Transcriptions