Umemoto, Yuri : One Stroke
Work Overview
Instrumentation：Piano Solo
Genre：Various works
Total Playing Time：1 min 00 sec
Commentary (2)
Author : Umemoto, Yuri
Last Updated: March 26, 2020
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Author : Umemoto, Yuri
◾️From the Composer
This work is a small 'calligraphy'.
I have been studying calligraphy since childhood. I regularly attended a small calligraphy class held within a venerable temple in Bunkyo Ward.
As a young child, my hand would tremble as I attempted to neatly replicate the teacher's model. In contrast, the teacher would execute strokes swiftly and effortlessly, without the superfluous force I applied.
Regarding performance, the key is to precisely execute the 'tome' (stop), 'hane' (hook), and 'harai' (sweep) as in calligraphy. Concurrently, the execution should be swift, as if with a single brushstroke.
I have no interest whatsoever in how to make a one-handed performance sound as if played by two hands, nor in 'transcending the limits' of a single hand.
The central point in my compositional process was how to effectively utilize this wonderfully distinctive characteristic of being one-handed, among its numerous inherent features.
The concept of 'one stroke' originated from this perspective.
Author : Sugiura, Nanako
Last Updated: March 26, 2020
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Author : Sugiura, Nanako
About the Piece and Performance Tips
Composed in 2020. It was premiered by Nanako Sugiura on March 13, 2020, at the PTNA Public Recording Concert "Evening of Japanese Works Vol. 6". This is the first piece in a series of short works for the left hand.
This one-minute composition possesses a quiet yet potent energy that seems to suspend time, from the initial attack to the final stroke. Approach it with a calm mind, focusing on the movement of the "brush" (arm and fingers) as one would in calligraphy. The pedal is marked "ad libitum," indicating freedom, but the composer, Mr. Umemoto, describes the amount of pedal as the "amount of water." The "amount of water" is left to the performer's discretion, allowing for a range of touches from the precise clarity of kaisho (regular script) to the nuanced fluidity of suibokuga (ink wash painting), enabling each performer to express a distinct aesthetic. According to Mr. Umemoto, from measure 15 onwards, the piece may be performed with a slightly more lyrical and relaxed tempo.
