These five short pieces were written in 1974 for a concert that was subsequently cancelled. (I never did know whether there was any correlation.) They represent my one and only excursion into minimalism. After all these years I no longer remember just what I was observing, though I do know that each movement was inspired by Japanese haiku. Only the last of the five still contains the haiku text with which it was associated, and that solely because it was to be sung. The haiku by Basho reads:
With the scent of plums
on the moutain road — suddenly
sunrise comes!
Scored variously for recorder, flute, koto, guitar, piano, voice, and windchimes, these pieces are mercifully short. (The score of this work may be viewed at the American Music Center website. Note that the Scorch plug-in is required for viewing the scores.) The windchimes do not sound on the MIDIs below, which are the 2003 revision. A version for four mandolins and piano is also available. Contact me for further information.
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Observation No. 1 (2:23) |
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