The Edge – Beginnings and Horizons

Vivid, and profoundly earnest.
Ryo Mikami—returning to his origins, and venturing into new challenges.

Active across a wide range of settings, from orchestral work to chamber music, Mikami here confronts the pure solo repertoire head-on. His approach spans an impressive spectrum—from works demanding breathtaking virtuosity to pieces of relaxed, inward character—revealing not only exceptional technical command but also a powerful sense of artistic integrity. At the core of his playing flows the tradition of violin performance cultivated over centuries; grounded in this firm foundation, his music achieves a depth that goes far beyond surface brilliance.　[From the liner notes by Keisuke Tsushima]

• [1]　Aram Khachaturian/Jascha Heifetz: Sabre Dance from Ballet “Gayne” (1942/1948)
• [2]　Pablo de Sarasate: Romanza andaluza – from Spanish Dances (1879)
• [3]　Pablo de Sarasate: Zapateado – from Spanish Dances (1880)
• [4]　Fritz Kreisler: Caprice Viennois (1910)
  
• [5]　Fritz Kreisler: Tambourin Chinois (1910)
• [6]　Claude Debussy/Arthur Hartmann: La fille aux cheveux de lin – from Preludes (1910)
• [7]　Claude Debussy/Gaston Choisnel: Golliwogg’s Cake-walk – from Children’s Corner (1908/1909)
• [8]　Manuel Ponce / Jascha Heifetz: Estrellita (1913/1923)
• [9]　Tomaso Antonio Vitali/Léopold Charlier: Chaconne in G minor (1660)
• [10]　Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst: The Last Rose of Summer – from Six Polyphonic Etudes (1850)
• [11]　Antonín Dvořák/Fritz Kreisler: Humoresque No. 7 – from Humoresques (1894/1910)
• Benjamin Britten: 3 Pieces – from Suite Op.6
  
  • [12]　I. March
  • [13]　II. Lullaby
  • [14]　III. Waltz
• [15]　Pyotr Tchaikovsky/Leopold Auer: Andante Cantabile – from the String Quartet No.1 (1871)
• [16]　Eugène Ysaÿe: Rêve d’enfant (1894)

Ryo Mikami, Violin
Motoi Kawashima, Piano

Recording Engineer & Music Editing: Jun Kawanami
Assistant Engineer: Takako Yanagisawa
Piano Technician: Kaname Manabe
Notes: Keisuke Tsushima
Translation: ALM RECORDS
Cover Photo: Chie Yoshida
Cover Design: Hitoshi Nagasawa [papier collé]
Booklet Editing: Kensuke Fujii