When this virtuoso moved to New York City from Japan, he also moved the marimba into the stratosphere. Long an instrument for popular music, in his hands, or rather, beneath his mallets, the instrument becomes a thing of wonder.
At a concert at Holy Trinity church on East 88th street, Nakura astonished the audience with his virtuosity and sensitivity on an instrument that is usually played fast and hard at full throttle. He coaxed nuances out of the high notes that sounded like musical cotton candy as they melted. His low counterpoint (with two mallets in each hand this can be quite complex) rivaled Bach at times. In fact, he recorded five Bach transcriptions on his CD “Bach Beat.”
Clearly his most astonishing feat was his playing of “Five WAKA by Saigyo,” a piece composed by Akemi Naito. This classical Japanese poetry, sung to Ms. Naito’s melodies by the Cantori New York choir of Holy Trinity church, provided a reflective, introspective text for Mr. Nakura’s energetic yet thoughtful playing.
He would jump to the low notes then jump back a good eight feet to the high counterpoint. Then at times he sounded as if he were riffing between poems like Thelonious Monk. Many modern compositions leave the audience cold, wondering at the disjointed feel of the music. This piece was truly moving, and in fact may be destined for a very wide audience.
That audience will result in part from Nakura’s tireless championing of his instrument. He has played in 41 of the 50 states, played at Washington’s Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, London, Tokyo, Seoul, Sao Paulo and Buen0s Aires. He was featured on CBS Sunday Morning and received the National Arts Festival New Artist Award from the Japanese Agency of Cultural Affairs. His interview for this piece was delayed because he had to rush off to the Rocky Mountains.
Upon his return, look for an in-depth interview of this pioneer, virtuoso and tireless champion. “New” music has so often been anything but new. It is refreshing to hear something both innovative and accessible in Nakura’s playing.
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