Commentary
Nostalgia of the Future – Japonism
Nostalgie du Futur “Le Japonisme”
This is a commentary by pianist Mana Fukui on the musical compositions found in Nostalgia of the Future – Japonism.
We hope this will help listeners find even deeper enjoyment from these works.
Vol. 1 Nostalgia of the Future – Japonism
Claude Debussy
From Images II
Bells Through the Leaves
And the Moon Sets Over the Temple That Was
Goldfish
Debussy’s 1907 composition, Images II, has bells, the moon, and goldfish as major motifs, which show a deep interest in the Orient reflected in his works.
Debussy wrote to Durand, his contact at his publishing company, “Without false pride, I feel that these three pieces hold together well, and that they will find their place in the literature of the piano… to the left of Schumann, or to the right of Chopin… as you like it.” This is a sign that Debussy released this collection of pieces to the world with confidence. “Bells Through the Leaves” repeatedly uses pentatonic harmonies, while “Goldfish” is a piece inspired by koi painted on Japanese lacquered trays.
Maurice Ravel
Jeux d’eau
This piece was composed by Ravel in 1901 while he was studying at the Paris Conservatory. It was dedicated to his teacher, Gabriel Fauré, and was first performed on April 5, 1902, by Ricardo Viñes. On the music score was a line by Henri de Régnier that reads, “Dieu fluvial riant de l’eau qui le chatouille (River god laughing at the water that tickles him).”
“The piece I published in 1901, ‘Jeux d’eau,’ is where the pianistic innovations in my works all began. This piece… This piece is inspired by the sound of water and the musical notes played by the fountains, waterfalls, and creeks. It may be based on the sonata model with two motifs, but it’s not attached to classical tonal plans.”(Autobiographical Sketch by Maurice Ravel, 1928)
The piece begins with a pentatonic sound, which was highly praised by Fauré. However, Saint-Saëns dismissed this work as “nothing but a cacophony.” Despite this, “Jeux d’eau” quickly reached great success, decisively cementing Ravel’s musical individuality, while also having a big impact on Debussy and other composers of that generation.
Ma mère l’Oye Suite: Little Ugly Girl,
Empress of the Pagodas
“Ma Mère l’Oye” is a suite based on children’s stories by Charles Perrault (Sleeping Beauty in the Wood, Little Thumb), Leprince de Beaumont (Beauty and the Beast), and Madame d’Aulnoy (The Green Serpent). At first, it was written as a four-handed piano piece for the two children of his dear friends, the Godebskis. Then, Jaques Charlot (composer, killed in action during WWI), created a solo piano arrangement.
This score has an excerpt from one of the stories: “She undressed herself and entered the bath. The pagodas and pagodines—small porcelain dolls covered in gold and jewelry—began to sing: some had oboes made of walnut shells, and the others had violas made of almond shells.” The piece frequently incorporates Oriental sounds suitable for the story—that of an imperial princess who now lives in a land of flowers and fountains, exotic woods, and dolls made of porcelain and jewels.
Claude Debussy
Préludes, Book 2
Bruyéres
Préludes, Book 1
La fille aux cheveux de lin
La cathédrale engloutie
Claude Debussy’s book of preludes was composed from December 1909 to April 1913 as a homage to Frédéric Chopin’s 24 Preludes. This collection could be considered the culmination of Debussy’s career as a piano composer. As Debussy said himself, “If one cannot afford to travel, one substitutes the imagination.” This collection can be interpreted as an invitation to a vacation or daydream, rather than the representation of an artwork.
“Bruyéres” is not so much a show of Oriental interest, but is rather inspired by wide open plains in which beautiful flowers bloom in the landscapes of Europe. Alongside “La fille aux cheveux de lin,” it has the quality of a Scottish folksong, in which you can hear a pentatonic consonance.
“La cathédrale engloutie” means “a cathedral submerged (in the sea),” which reminds me—and surely others—of Mont Saint-Michel floating in the water of Normandy.
The gentle sea begins to foam gradually before it swirls. And before long, a magnificent temple appears, only to be swallowed whole again, which is expressed by sound.
Debussy uses a pentatonic sound at the beginning of this piece, successfully creating a mysterious atmosphere.
This is a masterpiece that spectacularly expresses the eloquent silence and harshness of nature unfettered by time.
Vol. 2 Nostalgia of the Future – The Orient and Japan
Alexander Scriabin
Deux Poèmes, Op. 32 No. 1
Five Preludes, Op. 16 No. 1
Scriabin (1871-1915) was a composer, born and laid to rest in Moscow. He is from the same generation as Debussy and Ravel and was also active in France. He would use sound to express philosophical and religious aspects found in the symbolism of poets like Baudelaire and Balmont. He himself was a mystic who was devoted to theosophy. He often stacked fourths to create harmonies, establishing his own unique harmonic syntax called the mystic chord. Tonal music continued to grow and became saturated, putting late 19th-century European music in danger of collapse. However, when composers from that time worked on breaking free from tonality and establishing a new harmonic syntax, Scriabin was the one who established a new syntax alongside pentatonic harmonies.
In “Deux Poèmes” and “Five Preludes,” he musically expresses emotion, sensuality, and his view of the universe. They reflect a deep influence from the philosophy of mysticism, symbolist poets, and his adoration of the Orient, which was a great cultural trend alongside Japonism at the time.
Claude Debussy
Arabesque No. 1
The word Arabesque refers to the Arabian art style, particularly in the region spanning from northern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. In this famous piece, the harmonic progression and flowing melodies intertwine, with symmetrical movement that reminds the audience of geometric patterns. These movements closely resemble geometric patterns reminiscent of Arabian arabesques and Islamic architecture. As this is one of Debussy’s earlier works, you can still see traces of late romanticism.
Karol Szymanowski
Mètopes Op. 29
Island of the Siren
Calypso
Nausicaa
This piece was composed by Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) in 1915 for the piano.
“Mètopes” was inspired by a Selinunte temple in the collection of Palermo’s archaeological museum, and the suite depicts three episodes from Homer’s Odyssey. Szymanowski was well-versed in Oriental philosophy and lived for extended periods of time in Sicily and northern Africa. During this time, he composed many pieces while also immersing himself in research on Islamic culture, ancient Greek theater, and philosophy. He was greatly influenced by Debussy’s symbolism and Scriabin’s harmonic syntax, and thus characterized his work with diverse, original, and colorful harmonies. He would continue using melodic styles rich with expression while also incorporating atonal material, and was one of the composers who played an important role in the 20th century.
Toru Takemitsu
Closed Eyes II
Toru Takemitsu’s work has beauty and clarity born from calculated restraint, coupled with sensuality, which strongly convey the influence he received from Debussy, Messiaen, and French music, just as he often said during his lifetime.
This piece was inspired by 19th-century French painter Redon’s work, “Closed Eyes.”
Rain Tree Sketch
Rain Tree Sketch was influenced by Kenzaburo Oe’s short collection, Women Listening to the “Rain Tree”.
In this piece, the vivid details reminiscent of leaf veins, along with the occasional echoes of water droplets that come and go like fragments of dreams, are woven together to create music that flows through the stillness of nature without rest, gently audible to the person’s ears.
“The sound is already there, and we are in what is called ‘a river of sounds.’ The act of composing music simply consists of feeling that flow with the palm of your hand.” —Toru Takemitsu.
Rain Tree Sketch II, In Memoriam Olivier Messaien
Takemitsu, who is almost completely self-taught, masterfully combines aesthetics and philosophy, creating an extraordinary world of sound. His love and respect for Debussy and Messiaen had a tremendous impact on him, which led him to compose “Rain Tree Sketch II” in memory of Messiaen after his death. This piece was inspired by Kenzaburo Oe’s short story, “The Clever Rain Tree,” imagining a miraculous tree that gathers water in its tiny leaves, only to continue letting droplets fall even after the rain stops. Abundantly overflowing with dreamlike colors and shadows, the score includes “Celestially Light” and “Joyful” as selections while carrying metaphysical qualities. The piece became Takemitsu’s final piano composition.
For Away
Before composing “For Away,” Takemitsu visited Bali, where he saw an impromptu performance of traditional Balinese music called Gamelan. The performance deeply moved him and inspired this piece. “For Away” is a spectacular piece that combines innovation with an exotic, mysterious sound. As with Debussy, who was greatly influenced by Gamelan music at the Paris Expositions in the late 19th century, this piece could also be considered the culmination of one facet of Japonism.
Vol. 3 Nostalgia of the Future – A Collection of Little Masterpieces
Claude Debussy
Claire de Lune
A poetic fragrance has always been abundantly present in French music, from Lully, Couperin, Rameau, and Fauré to Debussy.
Debussy’s music in particular was calm and delicate, while also overflowing with sensual bliss. He encouraged us to listen to the sound of the moon—his sound being that of light and shadow, as well as depth and density. This could be attributed to Debussy’s own unique musical sense as someone who has been deeply involved with Mallarmé, Verlaine, and other poets.
“Claire de Lune” is a piece from one of Debussy’s earlier works, Suite bergamasque, reminiscent of Albert Giraud’s poetry collection, Pierrot Lunaire.
Lili Boulanger
D’un vieux jardin
D’un vieux clair
Lili Boulanger, the first woman to be awarded the Prix de Rome in 1913, lived at the Villa Medici in Rome and composed pieces about it in 1914 while she was still only 20 years old. They overflow with her soft, sublime poeticism and make her listeners keenly aware of her genius.
Lili, who died of a severe illness at the age of 24, developed a unique harmonic syntax that later had an influence on jazz music. “D’un vieux jardin” (Of an Old Garden) features a kind of nostalgia and tenderness that may remind you of Frances Burnett’s novel, The Secret Garden, published in 1911.
“D’un jardin clair” literally translates to “a bright garden,” which I personally interpret to mean “a garden lit brightly by the moon.”
Dèodat de Sèverac
Baigneuses au soleil
Debussy praised Sèverac, saying, “Sèverac’s music smells very good. It fills every corner of one’s heart with life.” Sèverac, a descendant of old nobility belonging to the kingdom of Aragon in Spain, was a composer who worked in southern France. He is considered the pinnacle of French Impressionist music.
“Baigneuses au soleil” was composed in 1908, dedicated to pianist Alfred Cortot. The audience can feel the essence of French music: shimmering light reflecting off of water, along with an elegant and gorgeous style reminiscent of the style used by Rameau and Couperin.
Las Naïades et le faune indiscret
This piece comes from the same timeframe as “Baigneuses au soleil,” and comes with a subtitle: “Danse Nocturne (Nocturnal Dance).” In contrast to “Baigneuses au soleil,” which is music about a bright day filled with sunshine, this is a magical piece that portrays the naked body dancing gracefully while bathed in moonlight, filled with the dreamlike beauty of a summer night.
György Ligeti
Ligeti’s Piano Etude No. 5 “Arc-en-ciel”
Ligeti is a 20th-century Hungarian-Austrian composer, also known for often having his music used in Kubrick’s films.
He composed three piano etude books from the 1980s to around 2000 and continued working on this project for the entirety of his life. This collection of piano etudes was Ligeti’s greatest musical achievement.
Ligeti’s intellectual curiosity covered a wide range, and he was well-versed in music culture spanning from Africa to Asia. Not only this, but Ligeti was deeply knowledgeable about rock, reggae, salsa, and other musical genres, as well as painting, construction, chemistry, fractal geometry, and more. His piano etude collection was born from his overflowing knowledge.
Maurice Ravel
Pavane pour une infante dèfunte
“Pavane pour une infante dèfunte” is a piano piece that was dedicated to Princess Polignac in 1899, and the piano arrangement was first performed in Paris by pianist Ricardo Viñes on April 5, 1902.
This piece was composed while Ravel studied under Gabriel Fauré at the Paris Conservatory and is a vivid reminder of the Spanish court’s elegant, refined dances. Ravel himself said of this piece, “This piece is not meant for mourning the princess’s recent death, but rather it reminds us of the pavane that the princess may have danced to at the Spanish court long ago.” He also spoke critically of this early piece of his by saying, “Chabrier’s influence is too strong,” but this work is filled with grief and kindness, and the beauty of the theme’s embracing nature is beyond words, earning the love of people worldwide.
Erik Satie
Gymnopèdie No. 1
Erik Satie was a nonconformist who spent his whole life challenging and defying established artistic and academic rules. The themes raised by Satie later had a tremendous influence on 20th-century music.
After reading Flaubert’s Salammbô, he had an idea for a piano piece based on ancient Greek dance. It is also said that he was inspired by the poetry of his poet friend, Patrice Contamine de Latour (1867-1926).
A blinding torrent diagonally cuts through the shadows
A stream of gold flows onto polished flagstone
Particles of amber shimmer in the flames
The sarabande and gymnopaedia mix together
Mana Fukui (Pianist and Curator of this Collection)
