Sœgaharat, Méireaux : *in preparation*
Work Overview
Instrumentation：Piano Solo
Genre：suite
Total Playing Time：15 min 00 sec
Copyright：Under Copyright Protection
Commentary (2)
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Last Updated: May 12, 2015
[Open]
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Publication Notes
The autograph manuscript of Hakuhō no Uta (Song of the White Phoenix) was destroyed by fire due to war damage. Sugawara's first piano works, Mittsu no Onshi (Three Tone Poems) and Minuet, were premiered at the residence of Motō Ōtaguro, with whom he had a close relationship. However, their scores were also destroyed by fire and are not extant today.
Of Hakuhō no Uta, "I. 﨟纈 (Rōketsu)" was published in Ongaku Sekai (Music World) Vol. 3, No. 3 (Ongaku Sekaisha, 1931), and "II. 和琴 (Wagon)" was published in Ongaku Sekai (Music World) Vol. 4, No. 4 (Ongaku Sekaisha, 1932). "III. 水煙 (Sui'en)" was published in Gekkan Gakufu (Monthly Score) Vol. 23, No. 1 (Matsumoto Gakki, 1934), and was also included in Nihon Piano Meikyokushū (Collection of Famous Japanese Piano Pieces) (Sekai Dai Ongaku Zenshū: Kigakuhen 33, Ongaku no Tomo Sha, 1957).
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
Last Updated: May 12, 2015
[Open]
Author : Nakatsuji, Maho
In 1919 (Taisho 8), Akio Sugawara moved to Takahata and established his base of operations in Nara. His exploration of classical Japanese art led to writings such as "A Comparison of the Hōkiji Pagoda and the East Pagoda of Yakushiji" (Buddhism Art, Vol. 1, No. 1), and compositions like the piano piece "Song of Hakuhō" and the orchestral work "Festival Story". "Song of Hakuhō" consists of three movements: I. Rōketsu, II. Wagon, and III. Suien. Movements I and II were composed in 1931 (Shōwa 6), and Movement III in 1933. Rōketsu is a dyeing technique attempted from the Nara period to the Heian period. The wagon, an indigenous Japanese folk instrument, is also considered the oldest instrument in Japan. Initially a five-stringed, board-shaped instrument, it transformed its appearance under the influence of East Asian instruments. Both are artifacts preserved at the Shōsōin. Suien refers to the decorative metalwork at the top of a Buddhist pagoda, featuring openwork celestial beings (hiten) with flowing robes playing flutes. Among the movements of "Song of Hakuhō", "Suien" is likely the best known. Sugawara showed interest in Gagaku and Japanese scales, employing unique melodies in this work, but unlike his contemporary Akiyoshi Miwa and others, he did not attempt to theorize Japanese harmony. The pentatonic scales in his works belong more to the lineage of modern French music than to Japanese musical idiom. His works, which foreground form and matière (texture), possess an elegant and fragrant quality. Furthermore, the 1930s, when "Song of Hakuhō" was composed, marked a period of intense activity in Sugawara's life. Not only did he produce a large number of works, but he also spearheaded the formation of the Shinkō Sakkyokuka Renmei (New Composers' League) and published major original and translated works, including "Essentials of Harmony" (by R. Korsakov, Shunyodo, 1931) and "Orchestration" (Gakugeisha, 1933). While he was proficient in orchestration and authored works such as "Illustrated Guide to Musical Instruments" and "Encyclopedia of Musical Instruments", it is also noteworthy that he published "Harmony for Piano" (Ongaku no Tomo Sha, 1964). This book was written by Sugawara, who regarded the piano as "an instrument characterized by its expression of harmony," to encourage pianists to master the principles of harmony.
