Hometown

"In July 2025, I, Nanako Sugiura, visited the composer Tsuneya Tanabe, who had just turned 90. What brought me there was the deep emotional resonance I felt with his work, “Windows – 29 Pieces for Piano.” There is a kind of quiet solitude in these pieces— yet within that stillness lies a gentle beauty, a gaze filled with warmth and tenderness. As I played through each piece, I felt as though that spirit was breathing softly within every note. This collection consists of 29 educational pieces that are accessible even to beginners. Given that Mr. Tanabe taught for many years at Musashino Academia Musicae, I initially imagined him in the image of a thoughtful, intellectual educator. But when I met him in person, I encountered someone far beyond what I had imagined. He is a true artist—one who has lived through the hardships of wartime and the postwar era, and who has always reflected on life through the lens of music. What I saw in him was a quiet strength, and a profound artistic spirit. This collection, Windows, is not merely a set of teaching materials. I believe it represents one of the artistic culminations of Tanabe’s lifelong journey in music— a body of work that should rightly be called art. I would like to share with you Mr. Tanabe’s own words about this collection. If they help you connect to the source of his music, I would be deeply grateful. What is seen through a window, what appears within the window, what lies beyond it, what is reflected in the window of the heart… what returns again in that inner window… Each of these pieces captures a personal, familiar world. These works were written primarily as teaching materials for piano lessons, especially for children. As such, they are not technically demanding pieces that only professional pianists can play. Nor were they composed with the aim of dazzling an audience at large concerts or recitals through technical brilliance or dramatic effects. What I value most is that the performer can resonate with the music itself in each piece. Of course, a performance that reaches a high level of refinement and is celebrated by many as universal art is a wonderful thing. But the true starting point lies in the performer’s own sensitivity to music that arises from within. With this in mind, each piece in this collection contains what I consider to be the origin of my own musical expression.

"In July 2025, I, Nanako Sugiura, visited the composer Tsuneya Tanabe, who had just turned 90. What brought me there was the deep emotional resonance I felt with his work, “Windows – 29 Pieces for Piano.” There is a kind of quiet solitude in these pieces— yet within that stillness lies a gentle beauty, a gaze filled with warmth and tenderness. As I played through each piece, I felt as though that spirit was breathing softly within every note. This collection consists of 29 educational pieces that are accessible even to beginners. Given that Mr. Tanabe taught for many years at Musashino Academia Musicae, I initially imagined him in the image of a thoughtful, intellectual educator. But when I met him in person, I encountered someone far beyond what I had imagined. He is a true artist—one who has lived through the hardships of wartime and the postwar era, and who has always reflected on life through the lens of music. What I saw in him was a quiet strength, and a profound artistic spirit. This collection, Windows, is not merely a set of teaching materials. I believe it represents one of the artistic culminations of Tanabe’s lifelong journey in music— a body of work that should rightly be called art. I would like to share with you Mr. Tanabe’s own words about this collection. If they help you connect to the source of his music, I would be deeply grateful. What is seen through a window, what appears within the window, what lies beyond it, what is reflected in the window of the heart… what returns again in that inner window… Each of these pieces captures a personal, familiar world. These works were written primarily as teaching materials for piano lessons, especially for children. As such, they are not technically demanding pieces that only professional pianists can play. Nor were they composed with the aim of dazzling an audience at large concerts or recitals through technical brilliance or dramatic effects. What I value most is that the performer can resonate with the music itself in each piece. Of course, a performance that reaches a high level of refinement and is celebrated by many as universal art is a wonderful thing. But the true starting point lies in the performer’s own sensitivity to music that arises from within. With this in mind, each piece in this collection contains what I consider to be the origin of my own musical expression.

"In July 2025, I, Nanako Sugiura, visited the composer Tsuneya Tanabe, who had just turned 90. What brought me there was the deep emotional resonance I felt with his work, “Windows – 29 Pieces for Piano.” There is a kind of quiet solitude in these pieces— yet within that stillness lies a gentle beauty, a gaze filled with warmth and tenderness. As I played through each piece, I felt as though that spirit was breathing softly within every note. This collection consists of 29 educational pieces that are accessible even to beginners. Given that Mr. Tanabe taught for many years at Musashino Academia Musicae, I initially imagined him in the image of a thoughtful, intellectual educator. But when I met him in person, I encountered someone far beyond what I had imagined. He is a true artist—one who has lived through the hardships of wartime and the postwar era, and who has always reflected on life through the lens of music. What I saw in him was a quiet strength, and a profound artistic spirit. This collection, Windows, is not merely a set of teaching materials. I believe it represents one of the artistic culminations of Tanabe’s lifelong journey in music— a body of work that should rightly be called art. I would like to share with you Mr. Tanabe’s own words about this collection. If they help you connect to the source of his music, I would be deeply grateful. What is seen through a window, what appears within the window, what lies beyond it, what is reflected in the window of the heart… what returns again in that inner window… Each of these pieces captures a personal, familiar world. These works were written primarily as teaching materials for piano lessons, especially for children. As such, they are not technically demanding pieces that only professional pianists can play. Nor were they composed with the aim of dazzling an audience at large concerts or recitals through technical brilliance or dramatic effects. What I value most is that the performer can resonate with the music itself in each piece. Of course, a performance that reaches a high level of refinement and is celebrated by many as universal art is a wonderful thing. But the true starting point lies in the performer’s own sensitivity to music that arises from within. With this in mind, each piece in this collection contains what I consider to be the origin of my own musical expression.

"In July 2025, I, Nanako Sugiura, visited the composer Tsuneya Tanabe, who had just turned 90. What brought me there was the deep emotional resonance I felt with his work, “Windows – 29 Pieces for Piano.” There is a kind of quiet solitude in these pieces— yet within that stillness lies a gentle beauty, a gaze filled with warmth and tenderness. As I played through each piece, I felt as though that spirit was breathing softly within every note. This collection consists of 29 educational pieces that are accessible even to beginners. Given that Mr. Tanabe taught for many years at Musashino Academia Musicae, I initially imagined him in the image of a thoughtful, intellectual educator. But when I met him in person, I encountered someone far beyond what I had imagined. He is a true artist—one who has lived through the hardships of wartime and the postwar era, and who has always reflected on life through the lens of music. What I saw in him was a quiet strength, and a profound artistic spirit. This collection, Windows, is not merely a set of teaching materials. I believe it represents one of the artistic culminations of Tanabe’s lifelong journey in music— a body of work that should rightly be called art. I would like to share with you Mr. Tanabe’s own words about this collection. If they help you connect to the source of his music, I would be deeply grateful. What is seen through a window, what appears within the window, what lies beyond it, what is reflected in the window of the heart… what returns again in that inner window… Each of these pieces captures a personal, familiar world. These works were written primarily as teaching materials for piano lessons, especially for children. As such, they are not technically demanding pieces that only professional pianists can play. Nor were they composed with the aim of dazzling an audience at large concerts or recitals through technical brilliance or dramatic effects. What I value most is that the performer can resonate with the music itself in each piece. Of course, a performance that reaches a high level of refinement and is celebrated by many as universal art is a wonderful thing. But the true starting point lies in the performer’s own sensitivity to music that arises from within. With this in mind, each piece in this collection contains what I consider to be the origin of my own musical expression.

The bountiful melodies of Viennese Classicism, carried on the sound of the piano. This album, "The Bountiful Melodies of Viennese Classicism – Hummel & Giuliani Piano Works", features a selection of captivating works by two composers who flourished alongside Beethoven: Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Mauro Giuliani. Hummel’s elegant and refined polonaises and sonatas showcase the brilliance of the late Classical style, while his "Six Very Easy Pieces" offers charming and approachable miniatures written for beginner pianists. Also included is Giuliani’s "Guitar Sonata Op. 15", arranged for piano by Genta Takaku—a bold reinterpretation that preserves the idiomatic character of the original guitar writing while reimagining it for the keyboard. It provides a unique opportunity to experience one of the guitar repertoire’s masterpieces through the expressive possibilities of the piano. These sparkling gems resonate with the spirit of their time, allowing listeners to rediscover the rich and nuanced beauty of Viennese Classicism in a fresh and engaging way.

The bountiful melodies of Viennese Classicism, carried on the sound of the piano. This album, "The Bountiful Melodies of Viennese Classicism – Hummel & Giuliani Piano Works", features a selection of captivating works by two composers who flourished alongside Beethoven: Johann Nepomuk Hummel and Mauro Giuliani. Hummel’s elegant and refined polonaises and sonatas showcase the brilliance of the late Classical style, while his "Six Very Easy Pieces" offers charming and approachable miniatures written for beginner pianists. Also included is Giuliani’s "Guitar Sonata Op. 15", arranged for piano by Genta Takaku—a bold reinterpretation that preserves the idiomatic character of the original guitar writing while reimagining it for the keyboard. It provides a unique opportunity to experience one of the guitar repertoire’s masterpieces through the expressive possibilities of the piano. These sparkling gems resonate with the spirit of their time, allowing listeners to rediscover the rich and nuanced beauty of Viennese Classicism in a fresh and engaging way.