The Temples of Kyoto (2010) N.2: Tetsugaku no michi (The Philosopher’s Walk) 哲学の道

Performed by Mehmet Okonsar. A series of three piano pieces inspired from my visit in Kyoto and dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Yasuko Fukuda. The pieces are not descriptive. The Golden Pavillion (n.1) is more “melody and chordal accompaniment“-type while the Philosopher’s Walk (n.2) is more in a “harmonic“, somewhat homophonic type. Yet it develops that into some resonance effects (which use the middle - sostenuto - pedal of the piano) and suggest the “Philosopher’s“ mind during the “Tetsugaku no michi“. The Silver Pavillion (n.3) returns to the melodic piano writing but unlike the Golden Pavillion (n.1) here, right from the beginning there are two melodic lines which intersect and multiply. N.2: Tetsugaku no michi (The Philosopher’s Walk) 哲学の道 A path along Kyoto temples. Unlike any “scenic tour“, this pathway turns into an introspective journey to be experienced rather than described. Mehmet Okonsar, pianist, composer, conductor and musicologist is the First Prize Winner at the International Young Virtuosos Competition, Antwerp, Belgium, 1982 and laureate of other prestigious international piano competitions such as the Gina Bachauer, Sixth Prize, Salt Lake City-UT, 1991 and J. S. Bach, Second Prize, Paris, France 1989. He is graduated from the Brussels Royal Conservatory of Music on piano, composition and orchestration. He studied with Jean-Claude Vanden Eynden and Madame Jacqueline Fontyn. He has been a pupil of Alexis Weissenberg. Mehmet Okonsar performed in major concert halls in Europe, North America and Japan both solo and orchestral. He was special guest judge for the National Piano Competition of Japan (1999) . (To-On). His researches in music related technologies were broadcast in a series of documentaries presented by the artist on the National Broadcast of Turkey (TRT). Mr. Okonsar is a prolific composer of orchestral, chamber, choral and piano music. His composing line is highly avant-garde and complex. Also a musicologist, writer and lecturer, Mr. Okonsar’s writings are published in English and French and he is lecturing on music, composing and related technology. His recital programs are usually highly eclectic and often thematic mixing works by A. Webern, A. Berg, I. Stravinsky, K. Stockhausen, P. Boulez and L. Berio with the more traditional piano repertoire. ............................................................ Album available at: SPOTIFY - ITUNES / Apple Music - SOUNDCLOUD - AMAZON-MUSIC Licensing: POND5