Marunouchi Luminescence

Marunouchi Luminescence for Shô and Piano (2023)

- Premiere: October 22, 2023, at the Mitsubishi Estate Award Music Division Commemorative Recital (Marunouchi Building Hall). Performance time: approximately 10 and a half minutes.

Sho Nawa Marika Pf.Kana Furukawa

<Formation>

Shô , Piano.

<Program Notes>

When it was decided that I would be performing in this concert, I thought I'd like to write a new song that was related to the area around the Marunouchi Building, where the performance will be held, so I took a stroll around the Marunouchi area, which I hadn't visited much before.

Stepping off the brick building of Tokyo Station, you are greeted by a towering cluster of skyscrapers that exude an overwhelming presence. Just a stone's throw away are the greenery and moat of the Imperial Palace, and a gentle breeze sweeps through the gaps between them. At night, the silence is a stark contrast to the daytime hustle and bustle, and the streetlights of Gyoko-dori Avenue shine brightly...

I was reminded once again that this is the heart of Japan, where two identities coexist: Japanese tradition and innovation, exemplified by office buildings that combine Western modern technology.

The sho, a traditional Japanese instrument that was introduced from China around the Asuka and Nara periods, and the piano, a relatively newer, massive sound device in Western music that originated around 1700.

I composed this piece to reflect on Marunouchi, a place where tradition and innovation coexist and evolve, much like the luminescence of fireflies, where males and females respond to each other.

After repeatedly checking the tone with Nawa Marika, the sho player, we have decided that she will be performing with a classical wind instrument that has a uniquely warm sound.