I take Marvin's point about contemporary or near contemporary Japanese
composers.  Perhaps I should have made reference to this too.  Apart from
Takemitsu whose music was widely recorded by western record companies (to
the exclusion of almost every other composer from Japan) the label which
has done more to promote Japanese music is Fontec.  This promotion has been
almost entirely within Japan and there lies the rub.  I understand a small
number of Fontec's recordings have found their way into the US, but they
are almost unknown here in Europe.

Fontec has just sent me a ten page (!) list of such CDs and I'm in the
process of negotiating with them for review copies for IRR.  Traditionally
Fontec has been somewhat inward looking - I think they believe that there
is no interest for this music outside of Japan.

I can't agree about the old tired warhorses.  Japan has, arguably,
the liveliest Classical market in the world and many important releases
of standard repertoire (and Russian recordings in particular) will
increasingly become available only from that country.  With the growth of
the web and globalisation of markets I believe it will become increasingly
important for non Asian-based collectors to keep a close eye on what is
happening in Japan.

At IRR, we knew that it was necessary to push our foot firmly into the
Japanese door.  Please understand that this was by no means as easy as it
sounds.  We trust that after a few IRR issues covering important releases
of standard repertoire, the point will be taken in Japan- the door will
suddenly open wide and a whole world of hidden gems will become available
to us.  I can only add that IRR seems to be leading the way in this
respect.

In September or October IRR reviews two CDs from the small Japanese label
Altus of Mravinsky's 1973 Leningrad Philharmonic concert in Tokyo taken
from radio tapes and authorised by Mravinsky's widow (Shostakovich 5,
Beethoven 4, + Liadov and Glazunov).  These are first releases.  In their
way they appear to be akin to BBC Legends in importance.  I personally
haven't heard them yet.

(On a legal note, all magazines and web based review sites can be sued if
they review CDs that were bought, or in any other way not obtained from
the originating record company, specifically for review purposes) [In the
U.S., at least, this claim is nonsense.  In this country we have something
called the Bill of Rights.  -Dave]

Simon Foster      [log in to unmask]