JoHaKyu for cello and piano
Moto Osada
About this work:
I wrote JoHaKyu for cello and piano during the summer of 1999. Jo Ha Kyu is a tripartite form commonly employed in traditional Japanese performing arts. It is a concept of order i.e., the arrangement or sequence of objects or of events in time. In his writings, Zeami, the master of Noh Theater from the 14th century, talks about how the concept can be applied to the form of a composition, programming of a Noh performance event, and the skill development of a performer. Jo means “introduction.” The translation of Ha is “to break,” meaning to break away from what is started in Jo. The literal translation of Kyu is “fast,” implying that the final section should be faster than the previous two.
JoHaKyu for cello and piano is one of my early attempts to explore the concept above. One interesting structural aspect of Jo Ha Kyu is that, as opposed to A-B-A forms such as the sonata form commonly found in Western music, it is a form with a linear concept (A-B-C). Sonically, this piece aims to exploit the overtone-rich timber of the cello, which has the widest sound color palette among the string instruments.
Year composed: 1999
Duration: 00:08:24
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Keyboard plus One Instrument
Instrumentation: 1 Piano, 1 Cello