Advisory: todays selection needs to be played on your good speakers.
At first I thought this didn’t fit into my vision of Sunday Serendipity and then I heard composer Viet Cuong’s composition, Water, Wine, Brandy, Brine, played on tuned wine glasses. I don’t have the words to describe it, if you don’t listen to any other part of this concert, at least go to 6:12. and listen. Truly remarkable.
Sandbox Percussion, a unique group playing some unique music composed just for them by Andy Akiho and Viet Cuong, two of the most important voices in contemporary classical music.
I had to do some research for this piece and will link to some of it.
First the instruments, The Shakuhachi or Japanese flute, the string instrument accompanying the woman vocalist is the Shamisen
The performers are Teruhisa FUKUDA on shakuhachi and his wife Kineya SHIHO on shamisen and vocals.
An explanation of the music in the first video from the comment section:
The flute Mr. Fukuda is playing is a 1.8 shakuhachi, pitch of D with all holes closed. The first piece he plays is Shika no Tone (Distant Cry of Deer), a traditional Zen piece from the Kinko school. This piece is often played by two shakuhachi placed far apart on the stage, or even different parts of the hall, to emulate the sound of deer in the forest. The second piece (after the excellent Jiuta piece by his wife) is a modern piece written for shakuhachi in 1996 by Kaneta.
This is a very different style of music from any European derived music, simple sounding but complex and beautiful.
After yesterday’s demonstrations, I was thinking about what makes this country great. I thought of a few of the great patriotic songs that have been passed down but none seemed to fit my mood. Then I remembered today’s selection, Rhapsody In Blue by George Gershwin. Jazz, music born of African American struggles in the Mississippi delta, composed by a child of Russian working class immigrants, European style, for a large orchestra.
That is the country I have lived in all my life. Not any single group but all adding their influence to our music, food, art and so much more. It is what makes us a great nation. As I put on our neighborhood web site in Kansas City.
“Some view diversity as a challenge, for us it is our life and our strength.”
Culturally we are a very rich nation, our diversity is our strength with each group borrowing from the other, then adding their own vision to the stew. For today’s Serendipity I have 3 different Native American composers each with a different vision.
First is Connor Chee composition Weaving from his collection of piano pieces called Scenes from Dinétah.
Chee is a Diné (Navajo) composer and pianist known for blending Western classical music with the rich cultural heritage of the Navajo people. His compositions often draw inspiration from traditional Navajo stories and beliefs, creating a powerful and evocative sound that speaks to both his heritage and his classical training.
The video features a weaver working with the piano accompanying her work. I put this one first for you Renee.
Second is R Carlos Nakai a Ute-Navajo flutist composer. This is probably my favorite for today
He began playing a traditional Native American cedar flute after an accident left him unable to play the trumpet. Largely self-taught, he released his first album Changes in 1983, and afterward signed a contract with Canyon Records, who produced more than thirty of his albums in subsequent years. His music features original compositions for the flute inspired by traditional Native American melodies.
Third is a concerto for bassoon and orchestra , Ghost of the White Deer by Jerod Impichchaachaaha’ Tate. , a member of the Chickasaw nation
classical composer and pianist.[1] His compositions are inspired by North American Indian history, culture and ethos.
He has had several commissioned works, which have been performed by major orchestras in Washington, DC; San Francisco, Detroit, and Minneapolis, among others. When the San Francisco Symphony Chorus performed and recorded his work Iholba’ in 2008, it was the first time the chorus had sung any work in Chickasaw or any American Indian language.[
