四季と雲海(Shiki tō Unkai) for Soprano Saxophone and Cello (2013, Tokyo)

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• published: 26 Dec 2013
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四季と雲海 (read Shiki tō Unkai), which translates to "The Four Seasons and a Sea of Clouds", was composed in 2013, and was premiered in December that year in Nogata Kumin Hall by Asagi Ito and Masateru Nishikata. 　June 22nd, 2013 is the day that Mt. Fuji was inscribed on UNESCO’s prestigious World Heritage list, not as a “natural” site, but as a “cultural” designation under the official title “Mt. Fuji: Object of Worship, Wellspring of Art”. Mt. Fuji has been depicted in works of art, and is known for its religious significance in Japan. People outside of Japan might have heard of Katsushika Hokusai and/or Utamaro Hiroshige - Ukiyo-e artists who depicted Mt. Fuji from many locations in their woodblock prints and paintings. 　Because of Fuji’s size and beauty from afar, most artworks depicting the mountain are from locations far from the base of Mt. Fuji. Japan’s symbol is no doubt Mt. Fuji, but what people perceive from “Fuji” is the Fuji seen from the Edo scenery, Fuji seen from Tōkaidō, and Fuji seen from Kōshū Kaidō. Therefore, as a person who climbed to the Summit of Mt. Fuji in all four seasons, I have decided to express Mt. Fuji in my composition, not from afar, but from the peak. 　This work is divided into four sections in response to the four seasons, and each explores the Shiki tō Unkai, or the Four Seasons and the Sea of Clouds, seen from the Summit of Mt. Fuji; reassuring its mightiness, expressed by the Cello, with the delicate elegance of the Sea of Clouds, expressed by the Soprano Saxophone. It was a rigorous task to express the Japanese aesthetics using Western instruments – unintended, pitch-less sound produced by blowing into an instrument, or by sliding the bow on the strings, is considered unnecessary noise in the Western classical values, whereas in Japan, they are considered part of the music. Also, instruments in lower registers, as well as a continuous sound, are not treasured in traditional Japanese music. Although ironic, I have chosen the lowest tone in cello (C2) to act as basso continuo, or a continuous bass, to merge the aesthetics and philosophy or Western and Japanese artistic values, and to reveal the properties of this liminal spot through a my own experience. Commissioned by A-EN Project 2013, this work is dedicated to Mt. Fuji; recognized as a World Heritage Site by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO. S.Sax: Asagi ito（伊藤あさぎ） Vc: Masateru Nishikata（西方正輝） Composition: Chatori Shimizu（清水チャートリー） First Performed: Dec. 23, 2013 "A-EN Project 3rd Concert" Venue: Nogata Kumin Hall／野方区民ホール For other works, please visit http://www.chatorishimizu.com. Twitter: @chabobobobobo