Sunday, September 11, 2016

September 11th, 2016: Performance of "Soundscapes of the Seasons / 四季の音風景" in Tokyo, Japan

My work Soundscapes of the Seasons / 四季の音風景 for shakuhachi, shamisen, and koto will be performed in Tokyo, Japan.

WHEN: September 11th, 2016, 2:30PM~
WHERE: Brick Hall, Tokyo

As the title implies, in Soundscapes of the Seasons, for shakuhachi, shamisen, and koto, I seek to express the core essence of the seasons through music. The first movement, Fall, is elegant and austere. The second movement, Winter, begins with a quiet, spacious koto solo, but gradually increases in intensity to represent a the coming of a light snowstorm. The third movement, Spring, was inspired by Minoru Miki's The Young Sprout for 21-string koto solo. The koto provides a sprightly, buoyant ostinato in compound meter over which the shakuhachi plays a lyrical, carefree melody. In the middle section of this movement, every possible instrumental combination is explored in a series of duets. A whirlwind of energy from start to finish, in Summer the koto and shamisen provide a lively, syncopated ostinato over which that shakuhachi soars.

「四季の音風景」(尺八、三味線、箏)において、タイトルが示すように、私は音楽を通して季節の本質を表現しようとした。第一楽章「秋」は優美で渋い。第二楽章「冬」は箏の広がりのある音によって静かに始まり、次第に吹雪きの予兆を感じさせる激しさを増していく。第三楽章「春」は三木稔氏作曲による二十絃箏独奏のための「芽生え」に感化された。箏が軽快な楽句を繰り返す中、尺八は叙情的で伸びやかな旋律を奏でる。この楽章の中間部では、様々な二重奏の楽器の組み合わせによって構成される。始まりから終わりに向けて快活なエネルギーに満ちる「夏」は、尺八が高音で歌い上げる中、箏と三味線が生き生きとしたシンコペーションの楽句を繰り返す。