Teizo Matsumura - Selected Works Vol II

Mitsuhashi Kifu
Camerata - 30CM-428
1996

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Shikyoku No 1	詩曲一番	14'21	Shakuhachi: Mitsuhashi Kifu Koto: Yoshimura Nanae
	Matsumura, who made his rather late debut as a composer with "Introduction et Allegro concenante" at 26 (1955), wrote "Poem I" when he was 40 (1969). It was composed as a result of his serious stand against the Japanese traditional music. A number of works had been produced out of the cooperation of players of "Japanese music" and composers of "Western music" beginning from about 1960 and in the 70s at its peak. It is nor too much to say that most of them are simple mixtures of classical "Te" (melody or melody pattern of instruments) and idioms of contemporary music. Works he composed, however, were never easily made like those. Unlike Western instruments which are consistently functional and rational, Japanese ones are therefore naked and reject sounds written irresponsibly. It is quite understandable that Matsumura was extremely cautious even approaching Japanese instruments, who has a consistent thoughts that "Music must sound to the depth of life. The beauty of music should give people who live today joy to listen to." And finally the moment of happy encounter of Matsumura and Japanese instruments came in 1969. When he was commissioned a work for Matsushita pavilion at "Expo '70" in 1970, he happened to hear and was deeply moved by the performances of "Rokudan" by Keiko Nosaka and "Akita Sugagaki" by Reibo Aoki and Goro Yamaguchi. Then he repeatedly listened to the tapes of these two pieces and opened his mind to the classical world he can be moved by. And he thought he would write as if he makes a pilgrimage to that world. He is said that he wrote the piece in only two days since "he frankly opened his mind to write it." "Poem I" begins with solo of koto then shakuhachi solo responds to it followed by duo of the two instruments. These phrases look Japanese at first glance, but they are not just quotations of "Te" itself. Very natural figurations of Japanese Music can be felt. Each motifs are combined like counterpoint, very naturally without any sense of artificiality. Matsumura humbly says "The highest state of composition would be to write freely and naturally with composer's mind open. In case of Poem I, the similar phenomenon may have happened because I was very immature then."
2	Uta Kyoku Ni Ban	詩曲二番	15'05	Shakuhachi: Mitsuhashi Kifu
	"Poem II", a piece for solo shakuhachi commissioned by Hozan Yamamoto, was written in 1972 and was premiered by him in November in that year. Matsumura says about the work "I wanted to confirm the subtlety myself where music is occasionally born by bringing shakuhachi back to the prototype of flute, supple movement of sound, drifting over bend. ........ So, this piece is written rather free from the world of Japanese classic music". Almost no natural phrases of Japanese music which could be found in "Poem I" can be heard in this piece. Let's take a look at the phrase in the beginning. It is a typical Matsumura way of motif, beginning with the soft lowest note, and a melody, which is composed of motif cells made of two or three notes and their multiplication, clings to its motif itself or rhythm motif, is repeated thoroughly and moves toward the high note gradually with free multiplication and deduction. The second motif, which goes up in a modal and anacrustic phrase accompanied by ornaments and goes down slowly, leads to the third motif which is a developed form of the second one. After another typical Matsumura phrase, the climax of music is built up. He made a success in constructing his own world of shakuhachi music totally free from traditional and conventional idioms of shakuhachi music. (To make sure, it does not mean it is not shakuhachi music.)
3	Shinobue to Biwa no Shikyoku		13'50	Shamisen: Tanaka Yukio Shinobue: Akao Michiko
	"Poem for Shinobue and Biwa," commissioned by NHK Osaka, was composed in 1979, and was premiered on broadcast by Suiho Tosha (shinobue) and Kyokusui Yamazaki (biwa). The piece, composed of one movement which is played with no break, can be divided into two main portions, stillness and movement. The first half begins with an extremely reflective monologue of shinobue, then it is passed to biwa with serenity and dignity. Shinobue takes solo again and the motif at the beginning is amplified and a new melody is also introduced. Then two instruments play together for the first time. Neither role of them is main or sub. they are equal here and each develops its own music concept, but the key points, where two players should keep time with each other, are fixed. In the latter half biwa begins to play ostinato and shinobue and biwa plays the same melody loud and clear. Then the beginning portion is recollected and music ends quietly.
4	Fantasy	幻想曲	11'27	Koto: Sawai Tadao
	"Fantasy" was commissioned by Tadao Sawai in 1980 and premiered by him in the same year. Let me quote what Matsumura says about this work. It was fairly difficult for me to realize the continuity of a piece, since koto, among plucked stringed instruments, has relatively bright high sounds. While koto has enchanting and beautiful reverberations and expressions, its notes are never self sufficient as notes of biwa or shakuhachi are. Notes of koto inevitably need the next ones, but once the chain of notes becomes excited and moves busily, there is a danger that its original charms tend to be lost and music turns to be a noisy talkativeness which goes round and round and gets nowhere. Of course the players are responsible to avoid the situation and composition is even more responsible to avoid it." Tuning of strings is almost the same as "Poem I." This work can be written only by those who experienced the world of classic, and the greatness of Matsumura lies in his success in establishing his own new ground beyond the classic world without relying on 'Te" or technique of the classic while applying the traditional tuning of strings.
5	Air of Prayer		14'37	Koto: Sawai Kazue
	"Air of Prayer" commissioned by Kazue Sawai was composed in between March and October of 1984. As "Fantasy" was produced by the collaboration of Matsumura and Tadao Sawai. "I and Kazue Sawai had heated discussions for several months on the numerous sounds we had been trying to fix. I could write this piece because I was so impressed and fascinated by her native musical talent and her strong passions to play every one of notes." Matsumura says. There sits a virgin and many singers around her to give occult prayer. They are surrounded by a large group of people. The vital song of prayer gushed out from the ground becomes uplift and they all dance madly in ecstasy. Then they all become tired and prostrate down on the ground. The music is so full of primitive and direct energy that those scenes can be imagined. Matsumura succeeded in composing "such an energetic piece which is Asian in concept and directly linked to the root of lire" using one of Japanese instruments which have never been related to that kind world. - Kurodo MORI (translation: T. N.)