Moroi, Makoto : IROHA TATOE HACHIDAI
Work Overview
Instrumentation：Piano Solo
Genre：Various works
Copyright：Under Copyright Protection
Commentary (2)
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Last Updated: April 24, 2018
[Open]
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
The "Iroha Tatoe" (以呂波譬喩) in the title refers to phrases in the form of tanka or proverbs found in karuta cards. Iroha Tatoe Hachidai was composed based on eight such themes: "I" represents "Issun saki wa yami" (One inch ahead is darkness), "Ro" represents "Rongo yomi no rongo shirazu" (One who reads the Analects but does not understand them), and so on. It consists of eight parts: <I>, <Ro>, <Ha>, <Ni>, <Ho>, <He>, <To>, and <Chi>, but their performance order is not fixed.
In <Ha>, which is based on "Hari no ana kara tenjo nozoku" (Looking at the ceiling through a needle's eye) and is conceived as a cantilena, the left and right hands follow the same notes in contrary motion, creating an ironic effect that aligns with the proverb's meaning. <He> is "Heta no nagadan-gi" (A clumsy person's long speech), characterized by frequent use of ornaments and continuous repetition of the same motif. This <He> was composed inspired by shakuhachi techniques such as "yuri," offering a glimpse into Moroi's facet as the composer of Chikurai Gosho and Taiwa Godai. <Chi> represents "Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru" (Even dust, if accumulated, becomes a mountain), and thus is a collection of small fragments. <Chi>, which serves as a cadenza, can be optionally inserted and performed between any of the other seven pieces. Since it consists of eight small fragments, one may play all of them at once or play them separately. Moroi, showing his playful spirit, stated, "It is not necessary to play all eight phrases (partial omission is possible). It is also perfectly fine not to play them at all."
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Last Updated: April 24, 2018
[Open]
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
The Iroha-tatoe are phrases consisting of Japanese poems and proverbs used in the Japanese card game called karuta. Moroi's Iroha-tatoe 8 Questions was composed based on eight hiragana characters and their accompanying short phrases from the Iroha-tatoe. For instance, the character I followed by Issun saki ha Yami (Nobody knows what may happen tomorrow) and Ro followed by Rongo-yomi no Rongo shirazu (a person reading The Analects does not understand their true meaning) served as musical themes. The Iroha-tatoe 8 Questions consists of eight sections, including I, Ro, Ha, Ni, Ho, He, and To. The order of their performance is not designated.
The section based on Ha and the proverb Hari no ana kara tenjō nozoku (looking at the ceiling from the eye of a needle) is presumed to be a Cantilena. It possesses an ironic quality, as the left and right hands follow the same melodic contour while moving in contrary motion, a musical gesture that parallels the meaning of the proverb. Another section, based on He and the phrase Heta no Nagadangi (Being keen on something although one is not good at doing it), progresses by repeating the same tonal pattern with grace notes. The musical idea for the He section was derived from a technique called Yuri in Shakuhachi playing, which can be related to Moroi's works for Shakuhachi, Chikurai Goshō and Taiwa Godai. The section Chi, based on the phrase Chiri mo tsumoreba yama to naru (Many a little makes a mickle), is a collection of small fragments. This Chi section functions as a cadenza and can be performed alongside the other seven pieces at the pianist's discretion.
Since Iroha-tatoe 8 Questions consists of eight sections, they can be performed either entirely or in divisions. Moroi, known for his pleasure-loving nature, humorously remarked that it is not even necessary to play all eight sections (some parts may be omitted), or indeed, to play the piece at all.