The seven prints I chose from Hokusai’s immenseoutput of Ukiyo-e, or “pictures from the floatingworld”, represent landscapes, seascapes and scenesfrom Japanese town and country life around the iconicMount Fuji. Whereas some movements are inspired bya single picture, others are composites of many scenesor visual variations on a theme. In responding musically to Hokusai’s genius forcapturing the essence of an image I concentratedmainly on pictures that evoke movement anddynamism (II A Sudden Gust of Wind: III Waterfalls: VIA Wild Sea at Choshi). By contrast, the centralmovement A Friend Departing In Snow has a stillnessthat is only broken by the yearning for the departingfriend. Thematically the set of seven miniatures areframed by the two outer movements devoted to theeternal fascination of Mount Fuji. The Fuji theme, likean idee fixe, recurs in the inner movements, especiallyin A Sudden Gust of Wind. Similarly, other themes suchas the rising cello theme in II, appears in extended formin VI and the elegiac viola theme of III is developed asa principle countersubject to the Fuji theme in VII. Seven Hokusai Miniatures attempts musicalexplorations of Hokusai’s flair for stylisation, humour,parody, the grotesque and calm. Although somemovements incorporate formal musical structures(rondo, variation, hocket, canon, inversion) my hope isthat they display a lightness of touch and freedom thatis reflected in the incomparable mastery of image bythe great Japanese master
- ISMN: 9790708167020 (M708167020)
