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US Premieres of Shin-ichiro Ikebe's Tanada II and Hitomi Kaneko's Renga II

Oct. 07, 2013

US Premieres of Shin-ichiro Ikebe's <em>Tanada II</em> and Hitomi Kaneko's <em>Renga II</em>

The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music features a wealth of performances and lectures this month involving Japan’s foremost contemporary composers as part of the school's Japan New Music Festival. A highlight of the festival takes place on October 24, as David Dzubay conducts the IU New Music Ensemble in the US premieres of Shin-ichiro Ikebe’s Tanada II and Hitomi Kaneko’s Renga II. The program also includes a performance of Akira Nishimura’s Chamber Symphony No. 3 “Metamorphosis”.

Tanada II, for flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin and viola, was commissioned by the Mito Arts Foundation and premiered in 2004 with Norio Satoh leading the Ensemble Nomad. ‘Tanada’ is a Japanese term for a terraced rice field, which is often built into a steep slope. The work is a sequel to Ikebe’s Tanada I, which was written for the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra.

Kaneko’s Renga II, scored for a similar ensemble of flute, clarinet, percussion, violin, cello and piano, was composed for the Ensemble Musica Viva Hannover who premiered the work in 1999. The piece follows the structure of the traditional Japanese rhymed verse called ‘waka.’ Kaneko remarks:

I used a special process in the composition of Renga II based on the physical analysis of a human voice. Though I did not actually use the voice in the work, the data from the analysis was reflected in it, creating a kind of virtual human voice in the work, which ‘appears’ in various ‘invisible’ places.

Hitomi Kaneko visits the Jacobs School on October 23 and will give a guest composer lecture preceding the premiere. Additional festival performances include Toru Takemitsu’s Rain Tree for percussion ensemble on October 13, Joji Yuasa’s Projection for string quartet and Takemitsu’s Toward the Sea III for alto flute and harp on October 24, as well as Akira Miyoshi’s orchestral work, Fruits de blume, on November 6.

For more information on Shin-Ichiro Ikebe, Hitomi Kaneko, Akira Nishimura, and Akira Miyoshi, please visit www.zen-on.co.jp

Visit www.schott-music.com to learn more about Toru Takemitsu and Joji Yuasa.

A full list of events as part of the Jacobs School of Music Japan New Music Festival can be found at www.music.indiana.edu

Shin-ichiro Ikebe 
Tanada II (2004)
for chamber ensemble
fl, cl, perc, pno, vn, va
10’

Akira Nishimura 
Chamber Symphony No. 3 “Metamorphosis”(2005)
for chamber orchestra
1.1.1.1.-2.1.1.0-2perc-str
23’

Hitomi Kaneko 
Renga II (1999)
for chamber ensemble
fl, cl, perc, pno. vn, vc
14’

Toru Takemitsu
Rain Tree (1981)
for three percussionists
12’

Toward the Sea III (1989)
for alto flute and harp
12’

Joji Yuasa
Projection (1970)
for string quartet
13'

Akira Miyoshi
Fruits de blume (1997)
for orchestra
2(1.pic).afl.2.ca.2(1.Ebcl).bcl.2.cbsn-4.3.3.1-5perc-hp.pno-str
14’

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