Playing The Piano

Ryuichi Sakamoto reached an international audience in the ’70s as a member of the electronic art-pop trio Yellow Magic Orchestra. He started a solo career while still a member of YMO, and also wrote soundtracks for such films as Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, The Sheltering Sky and The Last Emperor. On Playing the Piano, a solo Sakamoto reinterprets several of his previous compositions, including some of his unforgettable movie themes. He’s clearly influenced by Debussy, but listening to these pieces, it’s hard not to think of another singular French composer, Erik Satie. Like Satie, Sakamoto can create magic with just a handful of delicately placed notes. Austrian electronica wiz Christian Fennesz, Icelandic bassist Skúli Sverrisson, the English early-music group Fretwork and others make contributions to the bonus tracks. One of the most gripping pieces is the closer, “Composition 0919”, a wildly energetic minimalist duet for piano and player piano.