Ryuichi Sakamoto Releases Final Solo Piano Concert Work Entitled “Opus”

The final solo piano concert work by Ryuichi Sakamoto, “Opus”, currently screening and streaming worldwide, will be released in physical format on December 11. While pre-orders for the CD, vinyl, DVD, and Blu-ray have already begun, the highly anticipated deluxe box set pre-order date has finally been announced. The first-come, first-served pre-orders will be held twice on November 1 (Friday) at 12:00 and 24:00 JST via commmonsmart.

A deluxe box set, allowing fans to relive the final solo piano concert, will be released as a limited edition of only 1,000 copies. The set includes a three-sided slipcase, vinyl records, booklet, a complete replica of the sheet music used by Ryuichi Sakamoto during the recording, and a specially curated incense sachet.

The text booklet contains unabridged interviews (feat. director Neo Sora, recording and sound engineer ZAK, video editor Takuya Kawakami, and piano tuner Takeshi Sakai), explanatory commentary for all 20 tracks, and behind the scenes photographs taken on set.

The actual sheet music used by Sakamoto during the filming of Opus has also been reproduced in facsimile, offering intimate insight into his thought processes at the time, replete with annotations in his own hand.

Upon unboxing the set, audiences will be greeted with the aroma of incense specially blended for Ryuichi Sakamoto by KAORI, a Parisian “pharmacy of scents” launched by Ryuichi Sakamoto Art Box Project 2020 art director Shinichiro Ogata to reinterpret oriental olfactory culture for the modern age. Appropriately named “SAKAMOTO,” the fragrance is from the brand’s “YOKA” series and was created when Ogata visited Kyoto’s venerated incense purveyor Shoyeido (est. 1705) together with Ryuichi Sakamoto in August 2022. Sakamoto turned to the incense for calm in between takes during the shooting of “Opus”, and the fragrance was a close companion in his private life. The incense sachet’s packaging features the “for Jóhann” manuscript score.