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It was a beautiful, profoundly sad farewell.
But it was his to give, and to share.
As Sakamoto communes with his music, we feel like we might be intruding on a private requiem.
At times, he seems to be playing for himself.
Are those reflections in his glasses tricks of the light, or are they tears?
Its all intentional, of course.
This self-awareness runs throughout his late works.
And thus, another instrument for him to play with.
Sakamoto doesnt seem particularly frail during his performance inOpus.
Hes gaunt, but he was always pretty gaunt.
In that sense, too,Opusrepresents the culmination of a lifelong journey from effusive maximalism to gentle simplicity.
This was the era of World Music, defined by its geographic multivalence.
One of his best-known works is El Mar Mediterrani, composed for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in Spain.
Artistically, he saw himself as something of a man without a country.
Maybe that was his secret.
As played in Oshimas film, the central theme is loud, brash, and alien.
Reduced to its essence, its a love song.
Thats probably the most transfixing aspect ofOpus, particularly for those unfamiliar with Sakamotos later solo performances.
Sometimes in concert, it wasperformedwith slashing drums and swirling, dissonant improvisation that buried its plaintive main theme.
Later, Sakamoto would perform it as a staccato piano piece with string accompaniment and low electronic beats.
As he transformed, the song transformed, seemingly fitting with whichever new direction had struck his fancy.
