Mitsukuri, Syukichi : HANA NI CHINANDA PIANO KYOKU Op.16
Work Overview
Instrumentation：Piano Solo
Genre：Various works
Copyright：Under Copyright Protection
Commentary (2)
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Last Updated: April 19, 2018
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Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
It is composed of "Nocturne Rhapsody," "Sakura Sakura," and "Haru no Yayoi." These three pieces were originally independent works. They were later combined by the composer and published as Piano Pieces Inspired by Flowers.
The first piece, "Nocturne Rhapsody," was composed from a recollection of peonies blooming profusely at the Kanda Myojin night festival. Smooth triplets gently undulate. This piece is included in the sheet music series "Tcherepnin Collection," published by the Russian pianist and composer A. Tcherepnin. The second piece is in sonata form, with a well-known Japanese ancient folk song as its single theme. According to the composer, the third piece is a work where "the treatment of ancient folk songs in the Miyakobushi hexatonic scale is advanced." Inversion and retrograde of the theme are incorporated.
Akiyoshi Mitsukuri had been publishing treatises on "Japanese Harmony" since the 1930s. Piano Pieces Inspired by Flowers can be understood as a practical example reflecting Mitsukuri's assertions. Furthermore, the composer acknowledged being influenced by French Impressionism. Mitsukuri's eagerness to incorporate Western music and pioneer composition as a Japanese artist is evident in this work.
Piano Pieces Inspired by Flowers holds an important position among Mitsukuri's works, both in terms of compositional technique and in the fact that all three pieces were later used in his own orchestral works.
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Last Updated: April 19, 2018
[Open]
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
This work consists of 3 small pieces such as ‘Night Rhapsody’, ‘Cherry blossom’ and ‘March of spring’. These pieces were at the beginning composed independently, and later Mitsukuri reconstructed them as one suite in later years. It is published as “Three Piano Pieces Associated with Flowers”.
The first piece of the suite ‘Night Rhapsody’ was composed looking back on the flower of Peony which bloomed profusely at the night festival in Kanda Shrine in Tokyo. Legato triplets in the piece sing comfortably. This piece is included in ‘Tcherepnin Collection”, a collection of music scores published by A. Tcherepnin who was a pianist and composer. The second piece of the suite is written in sonata form which has one main subject: a famous Japanese old song. According to the composer, the third piece of the suite was written by ‘Miyako-bushi’ scale ( Japanese traditional scale). The piece includes inversion and retrograde of the theme.
Shūkichi Mitsukuri published some discussions about ‘Japanese harmony’ from 1930s, and “Three Piano Pieces Associated with Flowers” reflects his arguments in practice. As well as his ideas about ‘Japanese harmony’, Mitsukuri was aware that he was affected by French Impressionists. Mitsukuri was eager to accept western music and open up the compositional field as a Japanese.
“Three Piano Pieces Associated with Flowers” has an important position in the Mitsukuri’s works, in terms of both his compositional technique used to this piece and the fact that these three pieces in the suite were each used in his later orchestral works.
Movements (3)
Es ist Marz, Der Fruling Op.16-3
Total Performance Time: 3 min 50 sec
