Yamada, Kōsaku : Suite "YUME NO MOMOTAROU "
Work Overview
Instrumentation:Piano Solo
Genre:suite
Total Playing Time:7 min 20 sec
Copyright:Public Domain
Commentary (1)
Author : Imazeki, Shiori
Last Updated: April 13, 2018
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Author : Imazeki, Shiori
Since the autograph manuscript does not exist, the exact composition date is unknown, but it is presumed to have been composed around this time, as it was dedicated in March 1921 to Azuma Moriya (who majored in violin at the Tokyo Academy of Music), a senior alumnus and old friend of Yamada. The first edition was published by Osaka Kaiseikan in September 1921. The formal names appended in brackets [ ] after the title of each piece were added by the composer himself. It consists of six movements, forming a suite based on the fairy tale 'Momotaro'. The first movement, 'Yumeji [Prelude]', is based on the melody of the Edo lullaby 'Nennen Kororiyo Okororiyo'. The second movement, 'Nagare no Momo [Minuettino]', is written in ternary form. Section A, consisting of a vibrant rhythmic melody including 32nd notes, and Section B, comprising a smooth melody and a variation of A, possess contrasting characters. In the third movement, 'Tanjo no Yorokobi [Waltz]', a typical waltz accompaniment pattern can be observed in the left hand. In the fourth movement, 'Mori no Tawamure [Rondinetto]', chords articulated in eighth notes dominate the entire piece. A pentatonic scale appears in the middle section of the fifth movement, 'Onigashima [Scherzino diabolo]'. In the sixth movement, 'Gaisen [Marcia trionfante]', a march in F major appears following a four-bar prelude.