Breaking Heaven 破天

DONALD REID WOMACK ドナルド・リード・ウォマック WWW.ALBANYRECORDS.COM TROY1517 ALBANY RECORDS U.S. 915 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12207 WORKS FOR JAPANESE INSTRUMENTS 邦楽器のための作品 TEL: 518.436.8814 FAX: 518.436.0643 ALBANY RECORDS U.K. BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD TEL: 01539 824008 © 2014 ALBANY RECORDS MADE IN THE USA DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. A faculty member at the University of Hawai‘i since 1994, Dr. Womack has chaired the music The Composer department and presently serves as professor of composition and theory and head of the composition Donald Reid Womack is the composer of more than 90 works for orchestra, chamber program, which he has helped guide to a position of world leadership in the burgeoning field of ensembles, solo instruments, and voice. His music has been performed and broadcast extensively intercultural composition. He also serves as a faculty member of the Center for Japanese Studies. throughout the United States, as well as Europe, Asia, Oceania, and South America, and is recorded on the Albany, Equilibrium, CMC, and Akdang Iban labels. His major works include a symphony, a violin concerto, a double concerto for shakuhachi, koto, and orchestra, and an oratorio for chorus and chamber orchestra. Performers of his music include the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony, the Louisville Orchestra, the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble, Contemporary Music Ensemble , Asia The Music Ensemble, the Salzburg Mozarteum String Quartet, Kyo-Shin-An Arts, the Cassatt Quartet, conductors An American in Tokyo Naoto Otomo, Kazuhiro Koizumi, Samuel Wong and David Stock, and renowned virtuosi Yang Jing Japanese instruments have been a major part of my musical world since 2003, when I was invited (), Ji-young Yi (gayageum), Parry Karp (cello), I-Bei Lin (cello), Ignace Jang (violin), Thomas to write a piece for Asia Ensemble, a group founded by the eminent late composer Minoru Miki. Rosenkranz (piano), and soprano Tony Arnold. A longtime collaboration with the Honolulu Symphony I was honored to call Miki a friend, and privileged to have benefitted from the many opportunities (now Hawai‘i Symphony) has produced five commissions, including three large-scale works. he gave me. It was Miki who first encouraged me to explore the possibilities of composing for His work with Asian instruments has placed him at the vanguard of intercultural composition, and has traditional Asian instruments. It was Miki who gave me the confidence to believe that I might enabled him to make a significant contribution to the body of new literature for Asian instruments. actually have something unique to say through these instruments. And it was Miki who introduced The subject of critical acclaim, his music has been described as “moments of raw energy alternating me to the excellent musicians of AURA-J, another group he founded, with which I’ve been fortunate with a brooding potentiality” by the Honolulu Advertiser, and his work has been hailed as “original, to form an on-going musical collaboration. I dedicate this CD to him with gratitude. creative, and ingenious” by the Shimbun Akahata (Tokyo), “wonderfully mellow” by the Buffalo But what is an American composer to do with Japanese instruments? To me it makes no sense (New York) Daily News, and “distinctive, stirring, and exciting” by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, which to write music that “sounds Japanese” (whatever that means). I’m not Japanese, and my music also described his Violin Concerto as “a powerful work, impressively crafted, that impacts listeners shouldn’t be either. At the same time, when dealing with the instruments – of any culture – one on a visceral level.” must be attuned to writing idiomatically for their natural capabilities, which are, of course, the very Organizations that have honored his work include ASCAP, Meet the Composer, the American thing that makes one associate the music of a culture with that culture. For a composer writing for Music Center, the Foundation, and the National Center for the Korean Traditional Performing the instruments of another culture, it’s a trick to find the right balance between what’s traditional Arts (National Gugak Center) in Seoul, among many others. He was also the recipient of a and what’s not. Too much of the former and you’ve merely imitated another culture. But too much Fulbright Research Fellowship to Japan in 2007-08, where he served as guest composer-in- of the latter and you lose the essential characteristics of the instruments, the things that make them residence with AURA-J. beautiful in the first place. My music for Japanese (and other Asian) instruments finds that balance in the connections that 太刀花 (Sword Flower) exist between my background as a proud American and the rich sounds that are available to me The title (pronounced Tachibana) is an invented word derived from the name of the shakuhachi through these instruments. I grew up loving both rock music and the Western classical canon, and player for whom the piece was written as a gift. Looking for a title in honor of Tachibana-san, have long combined elements of both in my music. When I began writing for Japanese instruments I took characters from different words that are not normally combined and put them together to more than a decade ago, I realized that, surprisingly, they were an ideal complement, as the pitch create a new word (a particular poetic license to which Japanese well lends itself). The characters bending, sawari buzz and “noisy” sounds they so naturally produce fit perfectly with the gritty, literally mean “sword” and “flower,” and the piece itself reflects this duality, as the first half is rhythmically energized style that characterizes much of my music. Likewise, they work equally well sharp, angular and violent, in contrast to the quiet and graceful second half. at the other end of my stylistic spectrum, as their unique characteristics so effectively enrich the plaintive melodic lines that make up my lyrical side. In other words, Japanese instruments enhance my musical core, offering a means of expression that would otherwise not be possible. To this Off Balance point I’ve written more than 20 works for Japanese instruments, yet I continue to discover some- thing new with each piece. As its name implies, Off Balance is constantly searching in vain for solid footing. From the opening gestures the music jerks back and forth unevenly, with frequent and sudden shifts of Ironically, it is through these instruments of Japan that I have truly found my voice as an American rhythm, dynamics, pitch, and register. The piece settles down a bit in the middle, before resuming composer. To paraphrase another displaced American, I got rhythm, I got sawari, I got great its energized but teetering drive to the finish. performers. Who could ask for anything more? —Donald Reid Womack, May 2014 Three Trees 三木 Three Trees 三木 was written in honor of the late Minoru Miki, one of Japan’s most well-known composers Bend of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Taking its inspiration from Miki’s name (三木), the characters The title refers both to the extensive use of pitch bending and to the form of the piece, which is of which literally mean “three” and “tree”, the piece is a triple concerto for koto, shakuhachi, and biwa. irregular or “bent” in its shape. The piece is angular, driving, and rhythmic, with a fast first section Each solo instrument is prominently featured in one movement, with each movement reflecting the followed by a slow ending. Along the way there are cadenzas for each instrument, including an characteristics of the wood from which the featured solo instrument is made. Thus, the work presents extended cadenza for 21-string koto near the end. a musical embodiment of three trees (or, in the case of shakuhachi/bamboo, a tree-like grass). Commissioned by Erina Matsumura, Bend was originally released on her CD dragoneyes (Tokyo CMC). The first movement, Tree of Life 生命の木, refers to Paulownia (桐), the genus of tree from which koto is made. Paulownia is known for its ability to regenerate from its existing root system after being harvested. As such it makes an apt metaphor for Miki’s lifework of internationalizing Japanese instruments, which will continue to grow and flourish even after his passing. The movement begins with solo koto playing a gently flowing pattern, which seems to regenerate itself repeatedly. Shakuhachi enters with a long-breathed lyrical melody, introducing a motive that will return The Performers throughout the three movements. The ensemble takes over and gradually builds to a climax, Seizan Sakata studied shakuhachi under Seizan Jinno and Living after which koto plays a cadenza. Beginning slowly and quietly, the cadenza grows into a fast and National Treasure Hanzan Shimabara. Awarded the bronze medal at the 1969 energetic conclusion that leads directly into the next movement. World Music Festival Competition, he has performed extensively throughout Japan, the United States and Europe, including solo appearances with the The heart of the piece, Shimmering Bamboo Sea きらめき揺れる、竹の海, suggests a beautiful Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo bamboo grove, shimmering as sunlight and shadows combine with a gentle breeze to create an ephemeral Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Honolulu Symphony, and Opera Theatre of and magically serene effect. Throughout the movement, the music moves in and out of measured St. Louis. In addition to serving as President of AURA-J he directs the Chiba time, with solo shakuhachi playing numerous short cadenzas in alternation with the full ensemble. H¯ogaku Ensemble, Tokyo H¯ogaku Ensemble, and Kanagawa H¯ogaku Ensemble. Hardwood 堅木, refers to the various hardwoods from which biwa is made, and has a hard-edged quality that contrasts with the first two movements. It begins quietly, emerging from the end of OF SAKATA’S PLAYING, CRITIC TOGASHI YASUSHI WRITES: the second movement as if from a mist, with a cadenza for biwa. As it becomes more active, the “It can be said that Seizan Sakata stands out among the many shakuhachi performers in Japan. The ensemble joins in and the music progresses through a range of ideas, including a section featuring sound quality of his playing is outstanding, sophisticated, and simultaneously rough but smooth. funky, syncopated lines that disintegrate into a quiet exchange of sounds between the soloists. Even when he plays with a strong breath, the sound is not unrefined, but soft. In the high register The opening idea returns and builds to a final brief cadenza featuring all three soloists, eventually the sound is rich and bright, while his middle register is sweet enough to melt the listener’s heart. leading to to a wildly fast coda that finally explodes and dissipates into a hazy finish. Furthermore, the sound of his low register fascinates the listener with great power and dignity.”

破天 Breaking Heaven After studying jiuta and Ikuta Style koto music at Seiha Ongakuin, Reiko The title refers to the seeking of balance amidst disruption and inevitable change. It is about finding Kimura received First Prize in the 1979 Pan Musique Contemporary Music a balance of natural harmony between the familiar and the unknown, which must, at some point, Competition and was awarded the Agency for Cultural Affairs Arts Prize for her become the (new) familiar. Throughout much of the work the koto presents a gently undulating 1994 recital. She has played in more than 20 countries, including a performance figuration over which the shakuhachi and cello sing long, lyrical lines. Tension gradually builds for the 50th anniversary of the United Nations and a solo recital at the Freer Gallery and discord enters as “Heaven is slowly broken.” In the middle section the instruments struggle for in Washington, D.C. She has been featured as a soloist with many groups, including amity, exchanging various ideas, sometimes in accord, sometimes in opposition. The final section the New York Philharmonic, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Japan Philharmonic sees a return to the opening material and a settling into a new balance in the “broken Heaven.” Orchestra, Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, Honolulu Symphony, Nikikai Opera Foundation, Opera Theatre of St. Louis, Pro Musica Nipponia and Asia Breaking Heaven 破天 was commissioned by Kunihiro Ohta for his concert series on Bushid¯o, the Ensemble. In addition to performing both contemporary and traditional Japanese music, Kimura has moral code of the samurai class. adopted into her repertoire many pieces that combine koto with Western instruments. Tetsuya Nozawa studied shamisen with Akiko Nishigata and graduated for such dignitaries as the South Korean President and the King of Bhutan. She studied at the NHK from the Institute for Contemporary-Traditional Japanese Music at Senzoku Japan Broadcasting School of Traditional Music, and successfully passed the NHK H¯ogaku audition. Gakuen College of Music, where he currently teaches. He has won numerous Active in various musical genres, she has released six compact discs to date, collaborating with a awards in various competitions, including first prize in the Tokyo Traditional wide range of artists. In addition to performing on stage and for television and radio broadcasts, Japanese Music Competition in 2005. He has released 14 recordings to date, with groups such as AURA-J and Orchestra Asia, she teaches and manages her own koto schools including a three-CD set titled Collection of Solo Shamisen Works, with funding in Tokyo and Kochi prefecture. from the TY Support Program. In 2008 he premiered Minoru Miki’s Shamisen Concerto, and in 2012 he gave a performance with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra that was Kenji Yamaguchi studied shakuhachi with national living treasure Reibo Aoki subsequently broadcast on NHK. He has appeared on both NHK Television and NHK-FM Radio, and and Seifu Sasaki, and also studied performance technique with Norihiro Ishikawa. in 2013 he provided the theme music and soundtrack for the NHK-E Television Program Japanese He graduated in 1995 from the NHK Japan Broadcasting School of Traditional Performing Arts. Music and from the Japanese Traditional Music Institute in 1999, and in 2000 passed the NHK H¯ogaku audition. In addition to being an active performer and Akiko Sakurai graduated from Tokyo College of Music studying Satsuma member of AURA-J, he also supervises a shakuhachi studio and is an instructor biwa with Yukio Tanaka. In 2008 she received First Prize in the nationwide at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music, where he oversees the Japanese Traditional Japanese Biwa Competition, and has also been honored by the Japan Minister Music Institute affiliated with the college. of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. She is an instructor at the Kagashima Prefecture Satsuma Biwa Popularization Society, and is well- Shakuhachi player and maker Rohouzan Tachibana known as an active practitioner of traditional biwa music throughout Japan, studied Tozan style music under Narita Rokuzan, as well as as well as a performer of contemporary music with AURA-J and other groups. classical Kinko style and Huke (Zen) music under master She has also appeared abroad, with performances in the United States — including concerts at teacher Kifu Mitsuhashi, one of the most prominent shakuhachi New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asia Society, the Juilliard School, and the Massachusetts performers in Japan. Among the numerous competitions Institute of Technology — as well as in Italy, Hungary, and Indonesia. Tachibana has won are the “Breeze” Young Musicians Competition, the nationally broadcast “Zenkoku H¯ogaku” competition, and the prestigious NHK A graduate of the renowned Tadao and Kazue Sawai school of koto playing, Competition, where he earned distinction in the performance of both modern and traditional Erina Matsumura has performed extensively throughout the world, shakuhachi repertoire. Yuuzan Tachibana studied traditional sankyoku music and Tozan presenting concerts in the U.S., France, Switzerland, Spain, Israel, UAE, style shakuhachi at Iwate University under Sh¯ozan Oda and Sh¯ozan Tanabe, where she graduated Oman, India, Singapore, and Korea, as well as touring China under the with high honors. She performs frequently with her husband Rohouzan Tachibana. auspices of the Japan Foundation. She has also been invited to perform Asako Hisatake graduated from Toho Gakuen School of Music in Tokyo under the tutelage of Akira Sato and Masaharu Karita, and continued her studies Acknowledgments at the Bordeaux Conservatory in France, where she worked with Etienne Bend recorded at Rin Studio, Tokyo. Peclard. While there she earned First Prizes in the violoncello and chamber Sword Flower, Off Balance and Breaking Heaven recorded at Shirakaba Studio, Tokyo. music programs, as well as an Incentive Award. In addition to Japan and France, she has appeared in the United States, where she performed at the Three Trees recorded at Meguro Persimmon Hall, Tokyo. Third World Violoncello Congress in Washington, D.C. Apart from performing, Producer: Donald Reid Womack she also teaches as an instructor at the Sh¯owa Academia Musicae and the Naomi Music College Vocational School in Tokyo. Recording Engineer: Hiroyuki Misaki, Shirakaba Studio (Sword Flower, Off Balance, Three Trees, Breaking Heaven); Dai Takemoto, Rin Studio (Bend)

AURA-J is a professional musical ensemble Editing: Donald Reid Womack (Sword Flower, Off Balance, Three Trees, Breaking Heaven); dedicated to performing and promoting new Dai Takemoto, additional editing by Donald Reid Womack (Bend) music composed for Japanese instruments. Mixing and Mastering: Pierre Grill, Rendez-Vous Recording, Honolulu Based in Tokyo, the ensemble is comprised of some of Japan’s finest musicians, and Liner notes: Donald Reid Womack performs both as a large ensemble and in Cover photos: Donald Reid Womack smaller groups of one to five instruments. Since its founding by composer Minoru Miki in 1998, AURA-J has presented numerous Support provided by University of Hawai‘i Music Department and Center for Japanese Studies concerts and lectures in Tokyo, as well as in various rural areas in Japan. In addition, AURA-J Thanks to: Laurence Paxton, AURA-J, Seizan Sakata, Reiko Kimura, Akiko Sakurai, Erina Matsumura, participates in the Honmono no Butaigeijutsu Taiken Jigyô (Authentic Stage Arts Experience) cultural Tetsuya Nozawa, Kenji Yamaguchi, Rohouzan Tachibana, Yuuzan Tachibana, Asako Hisatake, Kakuzan program, sponsored by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The group is also active in educational Mori, Kunihiro Ohta, Yoko Sato, Masaki Hasabe, Colleen Schmuckal, Marty Regan, and Minoru Miki. activities, giving lectures and concerts at public schools. AURA-J served as host ensemble for the Hokuto International Music Festival from its inception in 2006. In order to cultivate multicultural All works © Akamai Music, ASCAP approaches to music, AURA-J frequently collaborates with composers from outside of Japan in creating pieces that incorporate Japanese, Western and other Asian instruments, as well as voice. In 2010 the group made its first appearance in the United States, performing at artistic residencies at the University of Hawai‘i and Texas A&M University. Donald Reid Womack Breaking Heaven 破天

TROY1517 DONALD REID WOMACK ドナルド・リード・ウォマック

1 Bend (2006) [12:10] Kenji Yamaguchi, shakuhachi 山口検事、尺八 Tetsuya Nozawa, shamisen 野澤徹也、三味線 Breaking Heaven Erina Matsumura, koto 松村エリナ、二十絃箏

2 太刀花 (Sword Flower) (2009) [5:54] Rohouzan Tachibana, shakuhachi 立花呂萌山、尺八（D-管） Yuuzan Tachibana, shakuhachi 立花柚山、尺八（A-管）

3 Off Balance (2008) [6:20] 破天 Works for Japanese Instruments 邦楽器のための作品 Tetsuya Nozawa, shamisen 野澤徹也、三味線

Three Trees 三木 (2013) In memory of Minoru Miki [22:56] 4 Tree of Life 生命の木 [6:05] 5 Shimmering Bamboo Sea きらめき揺れる、竹の海 [10:16] 6 Hardwood 堅木 [6:35] Seizan Sakata, shakuhachi 坂田誠山、尺八 Akiko Sakurai, biwa 櫻井亜木子、琵琶 Reiko Kimura, 21-string koto 木村玲子、二十絃箏 Donald Reid Womack, conductor ドナルド∙リード∙ウォマック、指揮者 AURA-J オーラJ 破天 Works for Japanese Instruments 邦楽器のための作品 7 Breaking Heaven 破天 (2010) [13:05] Seizan Sakata, shakuhachi 坂田誠山、尺八 Asako Hisatake, violoncello 久武麻子、チェロ Reiko Kimura, 21-string koto 木村玲子、二十絃箏

Breaking Heaven Total Time = 60:46

WWW.ALBANYRECORDS.COM TROY1517 ALBANY RECORDS U.S. 915 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12207 TEL: 518.436.8814 FAX: 518.436.0643 TROY1517 ALBANY RECORDS U.K. BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD TEL: 01539 824008 © 2013 ALBANY RECORDS MADE IN THE USA DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. Donald Reid Womack