As you approach the venue, the first thing you hear is the deep, resonant sound of a cello that gently shakes the earth. That sound is the "prelude to the spirituality of sound," something that only someone who has walked with music for many years can possess. Its heavy, warm, and somehow nostalgic resonance gently reaches out to the depths of the hearts of the attendees, urging them to "prepare for the journey that is about to begin."
Beside it, the harp begins to weave a clear light. With each note, the air loosens, the scenery softly wavers, and a narrow path opens at the boundary between reality and story. Its transparent sound gently illuminates the musical map that will unfold, as a "prelude to a new world."
The cellist and harpist are not just veteran musicians. The cellist is dressed as a Komuso (a wandering Buddhist monk), and the harpist wears clothing reminiscent of ancient musicians. The Komuso are not known for their eccentric attire, but for being seekers of truth who refine their spirit through sound. They are carrying on the spirit of the Komuso, who sought to encapsulate the universe in a single note of the shakuhachi (bamboo flute) and hear the truth in silence, and are trying to pass it on in a different form as contemporary musicians.
Today's stage is filled with young soloists. They are pioneers of a new era of sound, yet they are also inheritors of the spirit built up by their predecessors. That is why the "modern-day monk" standing before the venue quietly speaks to the attendees.
"Sound embodies the spirit that lies beyond technique. We offer that spirit to young musicians, and to you."
The cello's sound symbolizes the "weight of sound" entrusted to the younger generation, while the harp's light illuminates the "possibilities of sound" opening up to the future. And the moment an audience member is touched by these sounds, a small excitement arises deep within their heart. A premonition that "something is about to begin." That very moment is already the first step on the journey.
[Date and Time] Tuesday, May 19th, 18:30-18:45
[Venue] Dai-ichi Life Hall Lobby
【program】
R. Vaughan Williams: Six Etudes on English Folk Songs
R. Vaughan Williams: Fantasia on Themes from Greensleeves
C. Debussy: Arabesque No. 1
*The performance starting at 19:00 is a pre-concert for "Soloists' Melodies". A ticket for the "Soloists' Melodies" performance is required for entry.