Toshio Hosokawa's complete works for guitar have now been released as a CD on the BIS records label, recorded by Jacob Kellermann with soprano Ilse Eerens and the Tallinn Chamber Orchestra under Christian Karlsen.

Toshio Hosokawa's affinity for the guitar stems from his familiarity with popular songs accompanied by the guitar and from his knowledge of the koto, a traditional Japanese instrument from which he has adopted certain playing techniques. 

Although the works gathered here call for a variety of forces – guitar solo, guitar and voice, guitar and instrumental ensemble – they all present a fundamental aspect of Toshio Hosokawa’s output: the music seems to be born like a calligraphic line at the limit of time and space.

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© Irmeli Jung

In 2019, Wergo released a portrait CD including Anssi Karttunen’s recordings of Hans Werner Henze’s English Love Songs with the BBC Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Oliver Knussen.

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