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Soloist brings Brahms’ end-of-life piano music to UVic

Oak Bay's Shoko Inoue performs piano solo at the University of Victoria on Feb. 9
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Shoko Inoue performs a full memorized selection of Brahms in the Phillip T. Young Young recital hall at the University of Victoria on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m.

Oak Bay resident Shoko Inoue is busily memorizing Brahms’ late works in anticipation of sharing them with the public prior to a recording session.

She’ll perform Johannes Brahms opus 76, 116, 117, 118 and 119, all written for piano, during a solo concert in Phillip T. Young recital hall on Feb. 9.

“[They are] late works by him, near the end of his life. It reflects a very deep profound, sacred part of the soul,” said Inoue, who has lived all over the world but still bears her native Japanese accent. “I think this is one of the most poetic pieces written.”

She’s excited about sharing the 28 intricate pieces.

“I really think this is a core of poetry. It’s up to anybody to feel the purity of this combination. Rhythmically it’s intricate,” she said. “I don’t’ think people usually play this much because these pieces can be played separately. … I wanted to respect the set as a whole.”

She plans to record a CD in early February and thought she’d share her knowledge the day before with a concert.

“I would love to share real sound, not the CD, but in the concert it would be wonderful to share,” Inoue said.

“This kind of music is beyond our personal feelings. Music makes me very aware of my spiritual, pure bliss of being able to listen. It’s very primal and at the same time something so sophisticated.”

A lifetime piano player and world traveller, she current lives in Oak Bay and teaches piano at Sunny Lane Music.

“I love the association with nature and animals [here]. The big sky and big ocean, just so much inspiration,” she said.

Shoko Inoue performs the piano solo at the Phillip T. Young Young recital hall at the University of Victoria on Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $25/$35 available at Ivy’s Books in Oak Bay and Russell Books on Fort Street in Victoria.

 

cvanreeuwyk@oak baynews.com