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I am happy to announce that I will be premiering my new "Concerto for Shakuhachi and Chamber Orchestra" next month in two performances in Manhattan. Both shows are with the SONOS Chamber Orchestra and the piece is for Shakuhachi solo, string orchestra, harp and three percussionists. The premiere is at Merkin Concert Hall and the preview is in upper Manhattan in Inwood. If you are in town I hope you can come hear it. Details:
http://kaufman-center.org/merkin-concer … orchestra/
http://www.sonoschamberorch.org/
There will also be a performance in Texas at the Round Top Music Festival on June 26.
http://www.festivalhill.org/index.php
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Maestro Schlefer has posted sound files of this:
http://www.nyoraku.com/
Did any of you NYC shakslingers have the opportunity to attend?
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I went.
It was very good. And it was exciting to hear the shakuhachi in a modern, more Western context (most his previous works, while modern, have been for koto and shakuhachi). In addition, he made interesting use of non-shakuhachi Japanese musical techniques like tone clusters from gagaku music (these are usually played on the sho, but in the Concerto were played on the strings, to outstanding effect). It seems that Schlefer-sensei's compositional style and outlook are maturing rapidly, and I look forward to his future compositional forays.
In addition to composing, Schlefer-sensei played the shakuhachi part (and played brilliantly). Plus, the orchestra that backed him was really good, as was the sound where I saw it (Merkin Hall), so the experience was really a fantastic one, and especially so for a lover of shakuhachi, Japanese, and classical Western music.
I also have to say that the crowd reaction was very strongly positive, so I wasn't the only one who really enjoyed it.
-Eric
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Makin' me homesick Eric!
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I was there also and I agree with Eric. It was very good.
Initially, I felt a bit jarred by the difference in the sound qualities between the western ensemble and the shakuhachi. Hearing the shakuhachi, played quite brilliantly by Nyoraku, within a chamber music context was a first for me. Plus, there were these powerful booming drum sections. Then, as the piece progressed, an underlying unity became increasingly vibrant and clear. It's a good sign if the player's are enjoying themselves. You could see these well-trained violinists and cellists start rocking there heads during the faster rhythms. Getting there groove on. The guys in the row in front of me starting doing the head rocking thing to, clearly getting into it. Evidence that the music was speaking to their bodies. The drums and the ensemble provided a strong foundation over which Nyoraku's melodies floated. A lot of sound. Pretty friggin' cool.
As a whole, the piece came off very well. It was powerful. I really dug it.
Kohl
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I was also at the concert, and enjoyed it very much.
One of the strengths of the concerto, I think, was the interplay of Japanese and Western musical traditions -- this is neither a piece in Western style featuring a Japanese instrument, nor a traditional Japanese piece played on Western instruments. Nyoraku was able to synthesize the two traditions, exploring a blend of Japanese scales and intervals with Western harmony, and making effective use of the rhythmic shifting often heard in gaikyoku. I also liked the use of harp to acknowledge what would be koto flourishes in a traditional Japanese piece, and the intricate, multi-layered use of percussion.
The 1st and 3rd movements are played on 1.8 shakuhachi, and the middle movement on a 2.4 -- with a very lovely and lyrical cadenza that has hints of both honkyoku and Western blues, probably as a result of the scale system used. Nyoraku was the shakuhachi soloist for this performance, as well as the composer -- and needless to say, it was a really fine performance.
This isn't the first piece Nyoraku has written which involves this synthesis of Western and Japanese traditions -- his Quintet for Shakuhachi and Strings was premiered by the chamber music ensemble SATORI, and he is currently writing additional works for that group, as well as other commissions. I'm definitely looking forward to more successful contributions to the shakuhachi repertoire from him as he continues to explore this musical interaction.
N.
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