Hashimoto, Qunihico : SANMAI E
Work Overview
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:Various works
Total Playing Time:9 min 50 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Last Updated: January 20, 2015
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Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Sanmai-e (Three Pictures)
“Sanmai-e” (Three Pictures) consists of “Ame no Michi” (Rainy Road), “Odoriko no Keiko-gaeri” (Dancer’s Return from Practice), and “Yakyoku” (Nocturne). Each piece was composed based on the impressions Kunihiko Hashimoto gained from viewing Kiyokata Kaburaki’s Japanese paintings: “Shintomicho,” “Hamacho,” and “Akashicho,” respectively. While Hashimoto used the term “impression” to describe his own works, the richly colored melodies and harmonies that evoke a sense of floating are indeed reminiscent of French Impressionism. Kaburaki’s paintings all depict the standing figures of graceful women, and their delicate line drawings are transformed in Hashimoto’s works into a superposition of individual notes, creating three-dimensional and vivid “sound paintings.”
Compositional Context and Study Abroad
The preface to “Ame no Michi,” published by Kyoeki Shosha Shoten in December 1934 (Showa 9), states: “For me, who will soon depart for Europe within a few days, these three pieces are an incomparable memento.” (A similar passage is also found in the score for “Odoriko no Keiko-gaeri.”) This preface was written by Hashimoto in Tokyo in November of the same year. Subsequently, he studied abroad in Europe and America until 1937, where he studied under Charles Lautrup, Ernst Krenek, Arnold Schoenberg, and others.
Performance and Related Works
“Sanmai-e” was performed at the Kabuki-za on October 26-27, 1934, with choreography by Sumi Hanayagi. Kunihiko Hashimoto composed several works for Japanese dancers, including “Tennyo to Gyofu” (The Celestial Maiden and the Fisherman) and “Yoshida Goten” (Yoshida Palace). The piano piece “Odori” (Dance), composed in the same year as “Sanmai-e,” was also dedicated to Sumi Hanayagi.
Publication History and Editions
“Ame no Michi,” “Odoriko no Keiko-gaeri,” and “Yakyoku” were published in 1969 as “Zen-On Piano Piece” Nos. 267, 243, and 266, respectively. However, these scores from Zen-On Music Company Ltd. are based on the first edition from Kyoeki Shosha Shoten and do not correct parts that appear to be misprints. Pianist Chiharu Hanaoka performed “Sanmai-e” on the CD “Karin, Ame no Michi: Piano Works by Kunihiko Hashimoto, Kiyoshi Nobutoki, and Ryosuke Hatanaka” (Bellwood, 2007), stating that she “corrected parts that appeared to be clear misprints.”