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Toshio Hosokawa's O Magnum Mysterium Premiered in Hiroshima

Dec. 19, 2023

On November 23, Toshio Hosokawa’s O Magnum Mysterium was premiered by the female chorus of Elisabeth University of Music nd conductor Nozomi Terasawa at the “75th Anniversary Concert Vol. 2" at Cecilia Hall of Elisabeth University of Music.

Each year since 2015, the Elisabeth University of Music in Hiroshima has commissioned one religious choral work with a Latin text from a composer within and outside of Japan. O Magnum Mysterium, for which there are two versions (mixed chorus or female/children’s chorus), was commissioned to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the university and is included in the “Religious Choral Works Vol. II” which was published internally by the university for this occasion.

Hosokawa describes O Magnum Mysterium:

“Short melodic fragments in modes are shifted and repeated. Amid the repetition, the harmonic brilliance and the dissonant darkness fluctuate little by little, as though walking in the sunlight through the trees. Ultimately, they converge into the harmonic triad of E-flat minor (major).”

Additionally, on December 2, Hosokawa's Japanese Songs were premiered at Suntory Hall by sho players Mayumi Miyata, Hideaki Bunno, and Ko Ishikawa.

Japanese Songs for two shos and U/3 shos was composed for a sho recital featuring Mayumi Miyata. It is a part of the Japanese folk songs arrangement series, which Hosokawa regards as his lifework, and it will be the fourth premiere this year following his Japanese Songs for guitar which was premiered in February, Two Japanese Lullabies (from Japanese Folksongs) for voice and piano which premiered in April, and Two Japanese Folk Songs for children’s (or female) chorus, which premiered in July.

Miyata has greatly influenced Hosokawa’s creative activities, and Hosokawa has written many works for her such as Wie ein Atmen im Lichte for solo sho, Sakura − for the 80th birthday of Dr. Otto Tomek − a Japanese folk song for sho, Utsurohi for sho and harp, Birds Fragments Ⅲ for sho and flute, and others.


Alter Ego performs Hosokawa's Birds Fragments III

The premiere of these new Japanese Songs by Miyata along with Hideaki Bunno and Ko Ishikawa, was an opportunity for Hosokawa to express his feelings about Japanese music in an even deeper way. Japanese Songs consists of three pieces based on traditional songs: Itsuki no Komoriuta, Sakura, and Yamadera no Osho-san.

To learn more about Toshio Hosokawa, visit schott-music.com.

Toshio Hosokawa
O Magnum Mysterium
for mixed chorus / female (children's) chorus

Japanese Songs
for two shos and U/3 shos

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