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Concerto for Shakuhachi and Chamber Orchestra

[Жанр]Современная музыка
[Сочиненная]James Nyoraku 如楽 Schlefer - Сякухати - 2009

История:

Concerto for Shakuhachi and Chamber Orchestra was commissioned by and premiered in May of 2009 at Merkin Concert Hall (NYC) with the Sonos Chamber Orchestra. It has been performed in Texas (Round Top Festival) and in the UK with the Orchestra of the Swan, and was recorded by them.

The premiere performance is available at youtube/nyoraku.

The Concerto for Shakuhachi and Chamber Orchestra is a three movement work that follows a classic fast-slow-fast concerto form. The work is indicative of my on-going fascination with bringing together the traditional musical instruments of Japan with those of the West. Steeped in both musical traditions I aim to create a sound that successfully highlights the textures, colors, and emotions of both traditions in a way that is neither obvious nor casuistic (pedantic), yet still portrays my personal energy and love of life.

In the Concerto, the shakuhachi is presented as both soloist and team player, interacting with and against the orchestra. The first movement, Hazy Awareness, opens with a brooding, somewhat unsettled section, punctuated by fast, irrepressible rhythmic utterences. Following the shakuhachi cadenza which opens the second movement, Crystal Solitude, a chord cluster based on the chords found in Gagaku music, slowly unfolds in a brocade of sound in the upper strings. Except for the brief intrusion of a fast breakthrough of sunlight, the movement forswears a sense of pulse, allowing room for contemplation. The final movement, Outside, is a kind of free for all where restlessness competes with anxiousness, a humorous harp melody interrupts, a section alternating solos between 1st and 2nd violin and shakuhachi, and the whole thing comes to a crashing halt at the end.

Of particular interest to me in writing music for mixed Japanese and Western instruments is the element of harmony. Functional harmony doesn’t exist in traditional Japanese music, yet is such an important element in Western music. In addition melodic patterns in Japanese music are based on a completely different set of intervals than Western diatonic scales, and since Western harmony derives from its scales, I identified an opportunity to create a harmony based on Japanese scale patterns. This harmonic language is heard throughout the Concerto.