Wada Kaoru (1962- ), composed in 1995
The composer works in orchestra, wind band, and theatre music. This piece was designed as a synthesis of Western music, which is based on harmony, and traditional Japanese ensemble music, which aims for the coexistence of individual instruments.
Matsuo Yutaka (1959-), composed in 2008
This work is an arrangement of Yūkyū-no-Sho (Book of Eternity) for biwa and strings (2008), by the same composer, for biwa and violin. It was released as the second work in the Contrastrings series, which refers the 'contrast' of 'string' instruments. Riding the momentum from the composition and premiere of the concerto Yūkyū-no-Sho (Book of Eternity) for biwa and string orchestra, I immediately arranged and re-composed it as a duet for violin and biwa. I have been completely fascinated by the biwa in recent years, and I have been working on a series of biwa/i> pieces in which I explore things like the characteristics of instruments tuned in unison, the subtle effects created by the plectrum interacting with the strings, and left-hand playing techniques such as pizzicato, sometimes even inventing new notation. I would be very happy if the performers and the audience of this piece will enjoy both the unique sound of the biwa in which the traditional playing techniques can also be felt in a modern context and the smooth tone of violin, that is to say, string instruments from East and West ("strings") in poetic conversation ("contrast"). (from the composer)
Nishikawa Kōhei, Nishikawa Hiromitsu, improvised in 1995
Performed on shinobue, nohkan and ko-tsuzumi.
This piece is completely improvised, with both players listening to each other and conversing through sound. In the first half, the flute is a shinobue, sometimes performing with more emotional expression and sometimes more modern sensibility, to which the drum responds in kind. In the second half, the flute is changed to a nohkan, and the performance ends with a maiji (a standard pattern for noh dance) played by the two together.
Sawai Tadao (1937-1997), composed in 1983
The four parts are played attaca. The Spring section of Hyakkaryōran is a dazzling display of color created by the interplay between the irregular rhythms of the two performers. In the following summer section, the white blossoms of the Magnolia trees give off a fragrance that drifts along in the humid evenings. In the Autumn section, we hear the tapestry of insect voices and autumn colors that tugs at the heartstrings of the Japanese. In the final Winter section, the featherlike snow collects on the bright red camellias. (Summary of the composer's comments)