Masataka Matsuo - graduate of Tokyo University of Arts; First prize Asian Composers League (ISCM) 1988; First Prize by Impressions of Hong Kong Orchestral Compositions Competition (1989); First Prize by The Japan Society for Contemporary Music (1984); Special Prize Japan/France Composition Contest (1985); selected for ISCM World Music Days '92 (Warsaw, Poland); currently Lecturer at Senzoku Gakuen University and Shoubi Conservatory (Tokyo).
Before talking about my new piece that will be performed at the concert tomorrow, I'd like to talk about the ethics and psychology that I always think about when I compose. Human beings, animals, insects, and plants are all small parts from the earth. The earth is a part of the solar system, which is a part of the galaxy, which is a part of the universe. Therefore, we human beings have physical existence. But human existence is not only physical - it is also spiritual. We have consciousness. If I may digress a little, here - since I was a child, I have been interested in physics and astronomy. And even now, I also read books by Carl Sagan and Einstein. On the other hand, many great physicists also love music. Now, back to the main subject.
Changes of notes are similar to physical motion. I classify these changes into five cases. Here we assume that only the pitch, not the tempo or dynamics of notes, changes. The five cases are: Case 1 - progress on the same pitch level; feeling of drag and tedium. Case 2 - release energy with a little tension - come back from curved position (from leading tone to tonic). Case 3 - a little down; a most natural feeling. Case 4 - jump up; big power; big energy excitement; high tension - fastest case (beginning of Strauss Zarathustra). And, Case 5 - fall down; high tension - for example, if we were to jump from the top of a tall building, we would be very nervous; the feeling is similar (opening of Beethoven Symphony No. 5). Therefore, when we listen to music or melody it is as if our heart is riding on a jet coaster on rails of musical intervals. Tomorrow, please listen to my new piece with your heart on a jet coaster.
Now, I'm going to talk about my new piece - Hirai V - to be performed at the concert tomorrow. This work is written for the Hamilton College Orchestra, E. Michael Richards, and Kazuko Tanosaki.
"Hirai" is a Japanese word which means "come flying." I have not failed to visit the top of Mt. Norikura and its surrounding area these past several summers. There is a great snowfield where one can enjoy skiing even in the summer, and that is a fine location to command a view of all the mountains in Japan. But what I like better than this wonderful scenery is its space itself that expands high up in the air through the stratosphere finally into the universe, or the color of its sky, and the sound of its wind.
This is the fifth piece named Hirai based on the image written above. I am sure that you will find what this image is like when you listen to the opening. But the work is not an aim at descriptive music, but, rather, at the expression of human sentiment, the soul of Asia, and passions in the face of Mother Nature.
What I took notice in, while composing this work, was to take full advantage of the piano as a resonator, and to make the most of microtonal systems, multiphonics, and fingerings on which Mr. E. Michael Richards has long been working. I also used some of them in my other work, Distraction for clarinet and piano that was written for the Tanosaki-Richards Duo in 1987.
The first four minutes are the "prologue." At its end is climax I. The music starts on D and moves to G-sharp - D is the central tone, and G-sharp is the upper leading note. I used the tone cluster technique in this section. The next part is the harmonic theme and mini cadenza - but there is a special one minute between the prologue and this part. It has high tension, as in kabuki (that is, traditional Japanese theatrical performance). This short part is ritualistic and leads to the entrance of the clarinet soloist. The harmonic theme and mini cadenza is a representative part from my Hirai III. In the harmonic theme, not only notes, but rests are important - it feels like respiration or a big wave whenever it appears. The mini cadenza shows many special delicate techniques of the clarinet that I learned from Professor Richards. The next two minutes is a cadenza by the two soloists (clarinet and piano) - with very strong passion. Almost all of this cadenza is taken from a part of my work, Distraction. Since I composed Distraction (clarinet & piano), this double concerto has been alive in my mind. The following part is a continuance of harmony and a metallic scherzo. The harmony is made by a mysterious six-tone scale (G, F-sharp, E-flat, D, B, B-flat). Many accents are very important in this part because they outline one long melody. The metallic scherzo presents various images - for example, slow ringing for gamelan (Souteast Asian music), or sunshine on the seashore. These two elements are mixed, and the music goes to climax II. I am sure that you will find climax II similar to climax I. Reappearance is a very important factor for bringing excitement. The final part after climax II is "reverberations." This is very quiet music, with high tension - similar to noh. This part is not only the coda, but also the most important part of this piece. All the other parts of this concerto exist for this final part. The total duration is about 18 minutes. The premiere of this piece at this symposium is a big honor and very memorable for me.At last, I will introduce two other pieces of mine for comparison. The first one is an orchestra piece - Lively Scenes: Impressions of Hong Kong. This won a prize in 1989. The following is from the program notes at the premiere by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra - April 12, 1991. This score was just published this past February.
Lively Scenes was the result of a week spent in Hong Kong during the 1988 World Music Days. It was a very exciting experience for me to be surrounded by the sights and sounds of Hong Kong - the crowds of people, the bustling markets, the high-rise buildings and the atmosphere of the city. I also had a chance to listen to the attractive sounds of the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra. I was impressed by the incredible vitality and human energy. As I walked through these lively, busy scenes my mind seemed to reverberate with the sounds of traditional Japanese festival music - Awa Odori (festival of Tokushima Prefecture in Shikoku).
Lively Scenes begins with a prologue which features the traditional bass drum (Odo) after which the music is divided into three sections. In the first, the composer experiences bewildering change while the following scene represents chaos and resolution. The third and final scene is full of vigor, represented by an energetic rondo and coda. For the sake of time, I'll just be able to play the prologue and first scene now.
TAPE (Lively Scenes)
The last work, today, is for shakuhachi and organ. These instruments were developed in two different and distant cultures - yet, the mechanism of tone production is almost the same. This is exploited in some parts of Beautiful City for shakuhachi and organ, composed in 1991.
TAPE (Beautiful City)
The fade out, at the end, is created by turning the organ key off - the air dies away.
Q: What about the shakuhachi notation. Is that traditional or Western?
A: It is European-style notation.
Thank you very much.
[transcribed and edited by E. Michael Richards]