Sylvan Lay and Pastoral Air for marimba solo
Moto Osada
About this work:
Sylvan Lay and Pastoral Air for marimba solo was commissioned for Makoto Nakura by the ISGM New Music Commissioning Fund in 2007.
The title is drawn from the English translation of the Chinese/Japanese expression shoka bokuteki, Shoka meaning “woodman’s song” or “sound heard in the forest” and Bokuteki denoting a “song you hear in the countryside.” In classical Chinese/Japanese poetry, shoka bokuteki is an expression which refers to the natural, ambient music inherent in hermits’ pastoral lives.
Sylvan Lay and Pastoral Air is a tribute to the great Japanese Haiku poet Basho. In the latter part of his life Basho is said to have retired not only from teaching but also from the trappings of the exuberant Haiku social circle to dedicate his life to composing poetry. Accompanied only by his loyal disciples and often traveling to the sound of sylvan lays and pastoral airs, the otherwise hermit poet would travel across Japan in search of inspiration.
Year composed: 2007
Duration: 00:10:00
Ensemble type: Solo instrument, non-keyboard:Marimba
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: Composed for the 5-octave marimba