Printed set (Score & Parts)
I. La danse des grues (Tancho cranes' mating dance)
II. La riviere enneigee (Snowy river)
III. Le fete du feu (Nebuta festival)
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1
Oboe 2 (doubling English Horn)
Bassoon 1
Bassoon 2 (optional)
Eb Clarinet
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2
Bb Clarinet 3
Eb Alto Clarinet
Bb Bass Clarinet
Bb Contrabass Clarinet
Eb Alto Saxophone 1 (doubling Soprano Saxophone)
Eb Alto Saxophone 2
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone
Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
F Horn 3
F Horn 4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
String Bass
Harp (optional)
Timpani
Suspended Cymbal
[Percussion 1] Claves, Snare Drum, Triangle, Bamboo Wind-chime, 4 Tom-toms, Bass Drum
[Percussion 2] Small Sleigh Bell, Bongos, Bass Drum, Crotales, Iron Block, China Cymbal, Triangle,
[Percussion 3] Tam-tam, Suspended Cymbal, Vibraphone, Crash Cymbals, Tam-tam, Bass Tom
[Percussion 4] Xylophone, Glockenspiel, Marimba, Vibraphone
This suite, written for the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, consists of three pieces of music that express my Japanism. It is composed in Western scale and harmony for Western musical instruments, and the title means "three pieces of Japanism".
The first tune, "La danse des grues", portrays the courtship of Tancho Cranes. These cranes show a beautiful contrast of white feather-covered bodies, red heads and accents of black feathers. A male bird calls "coo", then a female answers "coo-coo". Descriptive flaps and calls are heard in the middle of the tune.
The second tune, "La rivière enneigée", describes a scene of a snow and a river ravine in winter.
The third tune, "La fête du feu", is a collage of summer festivals from regions of Japan. The middle part presents scenery of high summer in Japan, followed by drums sounding the rhythms of the Nebuta Festival in Aomori, hometown of my mother.
This suite was premiered on April 27, 2001 by the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, conducted by Douglas Bostock, and performed in Germany and Switzerland the following month of May.
(Toshio Mashima)
