Hosokawa: Two Japanese Folksongs

This 21st century piece so touched me in the way the composition is build. In the first song(Falling Cherry blossoms) so many different ways of playing are suggested for the harpist; from gong-like-strokes to very thin sound patterns that evoke extreme transparency.

The pedals are used to add even more effect to the sound, in this way not being a shortcoming for the harmonic possibilities but an added value in sonority.

The second song(Lullaby for Itsuki) is a declamation of tradition, using the possibilities of today’s techniques on the harp to make it very fresh but none the less intimate.

In this music you feel the serenity of nature, but also the power it has over us. Music of the 21st century rooted in Japanese tradition.

Playing these pieces addressed all my emotions. Every performance gave me new insights and connected me very strongly with the inexhaustible possibilities of my instrument, in this way abducting my listeners into the wonderful world of Toshio Hosokawa.

This worldwide praised Japanese composer has a large oeuvre of orchestral, chamber and solo music and wrote already quite a lot of pieces for harp (solo as well as chamber music with harp and a harp concerto), obvious that he should be included in my gps for harp repertoire.

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