MunakataNagi(2019)forshakuhachisolo
Rei
Instrumentation Shakuhachi in D (一尺八寸）solo
Dirty air noise Notated graphically with many small shaded glitters around the main wavy vibrato line.
Air noise with occasional whistle tone Gently play relaxed and slow air noise with specified fingering. Dull and thick like a relaxing summer breeze in heat, hot and lazy in sweat, but only in the memory of the past. Every once a while (not all the time) let the harmonic partials to faintly emerge like a very light whistle-tone.
Time passes endlessly, and it is getting faster. The colour of Summer faded away from the beach, but its vividness remains in the air. The colour of Wheat faded away from her arm, but its brilliantness remains where she was.
A blink of time, extremely concentrated.
Introduction Contemporary Music Festival in South Concert Hall, South Korea
Nagi (2019) should be performed with a great sense of concentration and sophistication in character. By default, all sound/noise effects should be produced at ease without being overly violent (except fff loud passages) or pretentiously theatrical.
Sound / noise quality
Program Note
Choose different techniques (ex. Muraiki in Shakuhachi technique) to achieve a dirty sounding air tone/noise with complex air colour and harmonic partials. Rough and dramatic.
Korea. First performance: Teruhisa Fukuda on shakuhachi, June 28th 2019, Daegu
Air noise without tone
Relax and enjoy the hot breeze in the summer.
Nagi (2019) for shakuhachi solo is commissioned by Daegu
Performance Notes
2019
+ Quarter tone higher # Half tone higher (Circular¨Mawashi-yuri¨motion) Continuously change the angle of the airstream in circular motion to change the pitch of a note/phrase up and down. The visual aspect of the physical movement is also an important factor. Move very slowly with a sense of friction.
Embouchure vs vibrato
In addition, add a light ¨muraiki¨ (indicated with shaded glitters) to add dirty air noise.
Similar to the embouchure angle, the vibrato technique also influences the pitch. But the purpose of vibrato is to colour different kinds of expression and musical timbre. The vibrato is notated graphically with different sizes and thickness of a wave line, and the performer is free to interpret the graphics to decide which kind of vibrato techniques to be used. Meri Change the angle of the air-stream (ex. by tilting the chin inward) to lower the pitch of a note/phrase.
d Quarter tone lower b Half tone lower bb Whole tone lower bbb Minor third lower Ordinary position Ordinary position Kari Change the angle of the air-stream (ex. by tilting the chin outward) to higher the pitch of a note/phrase.
1) The embouchure sign is natural, therefore, the sounding result is: F# gliss. to G#.
The example shows 3 different fingering-embouchure combinations to play the same pitch.
The example shows a gesture consisting of both the embouchure-change and the vibrato The general shape of the phrase should follow the embouchure-change: Glissando up (¨+¨ to ¨#¨). Within the frame, add a passionate vibrato (with pitch bending if necessary) to colour the expression of the music.
The specified pitches on the 5 line staff with corresponding fingering sound as written if the embouchure is in the ordinary position ( ). Otherwise, the sounding pitches or the whole phrases are transposed according to the embouchure sign.
The angle of the air-stream is indicated with bold and big accidental signs above the 5-line staff.
The example shows the contradicting relationship between the embouchure and the fingering. The fingered notes are 1) F# gliss. to G#, and 2) F natural to G natural.
2) The embouchure sign is #, therefore, the notes are transposed half tone higher, and the sounding result would be: F# gliss. to Ideally,G#.1)and 2) sound exactly the same. However, the compositional idea is to explore different types of timbral bisbigliando, and it is encourage to give slightly different nuances of pitch and sound character.
Embouchure vs Fingering
Embouchure
The upper line Quarter note = 60 when rhythm is indicated. The tempo stays constant throughout the section.
The lower line Quarter note = 80, slowly and gradually make ritardando until quarter note = 30 in the end of page 5.
The performer follows two systems with independent musical materials that interrupt each other.
¨Multi-memory flash back¨ Page 4, 3rd line - the end of Page 5:
The lower line consists of an ostinato figure that is repeated (but always poco a poco rit. and very slow glissando down). Repeat until the comma and immediately start to follow the upper system without any break. When the given musical figure in the upper system is complete, immediately go back to the ostinato in the lower system. Keep track the tempo and the embouchure angle of the ostinato in the lower system in order to achieve a sense of one long ritardando and glissando throughout the whole section.
The emboushure angle changes slowly and gradually from # to bbb in the end of page 5.
Copyright © 2019 Rei Munakata
