Takashi Yoshimatsu - Threnody to Toki for Piano and String Orchestra Op.12 (1980)

• published: 10 Jan 2015
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Toki is a bird which belongs to the Toki family in the Stork order, whose zoology name is Nipponia Nippon. It inhabits Japan only (recently it has been confirmed that it also inhabits the interior of China). A special natural monument, and internationally protected bird. I set about composing in spring 1971, for the last Toki in the Japanese mainland which died in Noto. After having made various different version, I completed the first draft with the organization of 11 string instruments and piano in autumn 1971. In autumn next year, '80, a revised draft, the current version for a string orchestra and piano was completed thanks to an occasion to make it public, "Exhibition of Contemporary Music 1981", recommended by Mr. Sadao Bekku. At the tine when I began to write this composition as a threnody for dying out beauty, there still left 10 or over in Sado. But by chance this composition happened to be premiered on January 1981, a month after the last six Tokis had been caught to be grought up artificially, and Toki vanished from the sky of our country (only two of them still survive as of 1991). It was premiered on 19 February 1981 at "Exhibition of Contemporary Music 1981 / Orchestra Day" Shinjiku Bunka Center) by The Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra by Kazuo Yamada. It is organized for string orchestra (12-12-8-8-7) and piano. THe string instruments are arranged in wto groups on the left and the right (wings), the piano in the center (body) , the bass on the rear (tail) the conductor in the front (head), so that it is arranged to make bird's figure. - Takashi Yoshimatsu New Japan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (Michiyoshi Inoue) December 2, 1988 / Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Main Hall, Tokyo, Japan