September 25th, 2016: Performance of "Three Poems by Tanikawa Shuntaro (2002)" in Houston, TX

My song cycle for soprano and piano, entitled Three Poems by Tanikawa Shuntarō (2002) will be performed in Houston, TX by Julia Fox http://www.juliafoxsoprano.com and Keith Weber.

[ update video posted here from the concert ]
http://martyregan.com/en/media/three-poems-by-tanikawa-shuntaro

WHERE: Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church, 4930 W Bellfort St, Houston, Texas 77035

WHEN: September 25th, 2016, 4:00PM~

Admission: FREE

Program notes:  

In 1997 I discovered the poetry of Tanikawa Shuntarō, arguably the most widely read and highly regarded of living Japanese poets. Many of his poems are written in hiragana rather than in Chinese characters and intended for children. Hence, as a student of Japanese it is relatively easy for me to read and understand his poetry. Together, the three poems chosen for this song cycle represent three core aspects of the human experience; love, play, and nature. The first song in the cycle, Kiss, is an evocative, sensuous musical setting of the emotion of love. It is set in a profoundly expressive, hyper-chromatic harmonic language to express passion and ecstasy. The second song in this cycle, Koro, koro, is the shortest and most playful of the three. Moto perpetuo sixteenth notes in the right hand of piano are offset by a bouncy rhythm in the left hand. The piano accompaniment spins, rocks, and sways, reflecting the movement in the poetry. As the poem becomes more introspective the piano accompaniment becomes less dense and more expressive. Towards the end of the movement a Japanese pentatonic scale is used to reflect the national identity of the poet and reinforce the Japanese language. The third song in the cycle, Haru (‘spring’) is a deeply introspective setting of a protagonist being so inspired by nature that he/she feels connected to a higher spiritual power. The forward movement and sense of looking beyond each element in one’s field of vision in the poem is musically reflected in ascending melodic vocal lines that come to a breathtakingly dramatic climax. In the final measures, a gentle falling gesture in the piano is intended to evoke the image of a cherry blossom gently swaying back and forth as it slowly drops to the ground.

September 17th, 2016: Performance of "In Remembrance... (2005)" in Houston, TX

My 2005 work for piano trio and shakuhachi, In Remembrance... (2005) will be performed by the Trio Oriens in Houston, TX on September 17th, 2016. Please see the attached flyer for more information:

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In Remembrance... is an elegy composed for the victims of September 11, 2001. While certain sections of the piece are mournful and express a sense of loss, there is also a sense of hope and beauty. The combination of different aural soundscapes, reflected by the representative Japanese end-blown flute, the shakuhachi, and three Western instruments, suggests a coming together of disparate cultures. The cadenzas for shakuhachi invoke traditional shakuhachi honkyoku, the repertoire of “original pieces'” that have been orally transmitted over the past 500 years within the context of Zen Buddhism, sacred pieces that are considered “sonic meditations.” Specifically, excerpts from the honkyoku entitled Tamuke (a Requiem piece) are used to remember those who lost their lives on this tragic day.

In Remembrance... was commissioned by the Hawai‘i Music Educators Association and premiered on November 10, 2006 by Marty Regan (shakuhachi), Ignace Jang (violin), I-Bei Lin (violoncello), and Thomas Yee (piano) in Orvis Auditorium at the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa. 

Duration: ca. 12 minutes

この曲は、9.11の犠牲者のために作曲した悲歌である。曲中、いくつかの部分では死を悼み、喪失感を表現しているが、将来への肯定感、美しさ、希望といった思いも表している。日本の代表的な縦笛楽器である尺八、そして３つの西洋楽器によって、異なる聴覚の音風景が映し出される。これは、本質的に異なる文化が互いに寄り沿うことを意味する。曲中における尺八のカデンツァは、日本伝統音楽の「本曲」を想起させる。本曲とは、禅仏教の歴史において、５００年以上も前から口承で受け継がれてきた音楽作品のことを指す。それらは宗教的な音楽であり、ある種の吹善と考えられている。具体的には「手向け」（鎮魂曲）という題名の本曲の一部が、2001年の9.11にて命を失った方々を覚えて、曲中で使われている。「In Remembrance...」 はハワイ州の音楽教師協会(HMEA)の委嘱によって作曲され、０６年１１月１０日にハワイ大学マノア校で初演された。

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。