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Preface to my music (1)

♪The Ugly Duckling

~ From “Fairy Tales” small piano pieces with mottos, Op.107
Composed by Ludvig Schytte/ Arranged by Ayuko Nanase (2Flutes)
(Muramatsu Original Series No.44)

Many Japanese people must have amused themselves by the fairy tales such as “The Little Match Girl” or “The Little Mermaid” of H.C.Andersen on books or in movies in their childhood. However, having known them as simplified versions for children, they have hardly taken a chance to appreciate that the original complete works of Andersen have profound and somber world in a sense.

Equally, I came to read his original complete translations recently, because I wanted to know the root of Danish mature society, when I had to face the facts of nursing care and activities of welfare.

“The Ugly Duckling” is one of his masterpieces, which has been regarded as an autobiography in the style of fairy tale. Although it is a short story, you can find much wisdom from it which has a rather shocking climax.

The composer Ludvig Schytte (1848～1909) is well-known in his homeland Denmark as he made a lot of works for piano, and had the estimate of an excellent pianist.

“Fairy Tales” are made of ten small piano pieces for beginners added several sentences written by Andersen which would lead players to the image of the tale.

As for “The Ugly Duckling”, there are some phrases from the beginning of the tale that describe the scene of beautiful summer in the countryside where a stork is chattering in Egyptian, and the music also has an impression of the representation of the scene.

I guess Schytte leads us to the profound world of the story giving us the beginning image of it by his music, as if we Japanese connected the tale of Momotaro’s ogre extermination hearing the word “domburako”.

In making good ensemble of flutes, please get into the rhythm of six-eight time well, and you can find the clear summer mood of this music. It is important for the first flute to play actively and briskly at the beginning phrases, in order to reach that world effectively.

♪Endless Medley from British and Irish Folksongs
Arranged by Ayuko Nanase (2Flutes)
(Muramatsu Original Series No.41)

British and Irish area has become to attract increasing attention from people all over the world recently, because it is a great mine of folkloric songs, poems, and tales. Like so many other folksongs, they have been sung by so many people for long time, sometimes having changed its melodies little by little, therefore it is difficult to make clear the origin of them, or it may make no sense to be strict to do so. At any rate, they have penetrated into various types of music by their strong musical life forces.

This medley is made of 4songs, adding one rather rare song to well-known 3songs. This endless medley can begin at anywhere you like and may finish at any place written “Fine”. For performance, please try to give various kinds of musical taste to each song like plain or rich as you like.

~Londonderry Air~

Londonderry is the name of county that exists in British-ruled Northern Irish, and this song has been so familiar to British people that it is called as another national anthem. In addition, it has really made Irish Emigrant people get nostalgic.

Although it has over hundred types of words, it must be the most famous one that begins with “ Oh Danny boy…” which describes wistful feelings of a woman who are going to send her loved one to the battlefield. Let us look at the contents briefly, “I will wait for you my dear, but I will have already died when you come back to me. My tomb will be filled with warmth of affection by your praying for me…”.

Melodies have some kinds of variation, and this version adopts the one which begins the same note as the following.

~The Foggy, Foggy Dew~

There are some songs having title similar to this song. Contrary to its light musical mood, the words continue sadly like that “Now I lonely remember the old days when I guarded her from foggy dews holding her tight …”.

~Scarborough Fair~

The title means a kind of bazaar in Scarborough(name of the city in northeast part of England). This song has become very famous sung by Simon and Garfunkel, and the origin of this song is said to be an England folksong “Elfin Knight” which is heavily tinged with Celtic music. Words tell a fairy-tale-like story as follows “you could be a lover of your loved one, if you fulfill an impossible dream…”.

~Water Is Wide~

We recently hear this melody from a TV commercial in Japan, but it has been sung from long ago by such as Peter, Paul and Mary. Some kinds of words it also has, and its story tends to be rather introverted in general as follows “I think about the importance and the nature of my love, feeling overwhelmed by the broad scenery of wide water in front of me…”. Please try to play in somehow archaic style, imaging the sound of recorders.

--- Let me show my appreciation for the thoughtful advice from Yoshio Saitoh (→ more information ) as a flutist.

Muramatsu Original Series No.53 ～ Composed and Arranged by Ayuko Nanase (2Flutes,3Flutes) ～

This booklet has a little casual taste of music that includes Canzone, differently from former series. Canzone has been widely known as popular songs of Italy what we call “the country of song”. Especially from the 1950s to the beginning of the 1970s many worldwide hits appeared from Canzone, which had come to be used in films, or become world-famous popular songs with English words. Therefore we may know some familiar tunes which really have their origins in Canzone.

The following two pieces are famous and typical Canzone songs which have beautiful melodies with clear and cheerful mood and passionate feeling that is characteristic of Italian works. It is certain that they have been regarded as masterpieces.

As for playing, you can try if you are rather a primary flutist, and you will enjoy the partial leading role even though you don’t play the first part, because every part has somewhere the leading melodies.

♪Come Prima (2Flutes)

This song became to be known all over the world sung by a singer Tony Dallara. The title of this song means “for the first time” and the words follow in a sweet mood of love.
Though many people know in Japanese words which mean “For the first time I know the love that is worth dedicating my life”, this song originally expresses the pleasure of meeting the former sweetheart again. It may be rather a mature song, because it tells that people might love again vividly only after they had tasted the rough with the smooth.
To make an effective performance, catch the rhythm of the “rock a ballad” with two flutes, whereas it is written by twelve-eight time. Animato at the beginning means the nuance of inner excitement rather than lively mood.

♪Mamma (3Flutes)

Mamma is an old famous canzone that contains the feeling of a lot of love to the mother who has been far away, and the praise for her beauty and affection. It is a touching story that many Italian soldiers in World WarⅡcrooned this song at the front longing for their mother.
Amoroso at the beginning just represents the feeling of typical Italian deep affection. Canzone has been said to be the song of love, therefore you can perform more dramatically than usual being invited by the affectionate mood and such refreshing rhythm in this song, even if we Japanese may feel a little embarrassed. I hope that the young group who has not been familiar with Canzone will enjoy this piece.

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Preface to my music (2)

Muramatsu Original Series Vol.18 ～ Arranged by Ayuko Nanase (2Flutes, Flute & Piano) ～

Following Vol.16, we introduce three arrangement works from William L. Gillock (1917~1993) whose works have attracted widespread popularity as spartan-chic piano pieces. We expect that the pure and transparent mood that is characteristic of Gillock's music will fly high into the more abundant musical world by means of flute music and interacting with the inspiration of players.
Gillock's original pieces in this booklet are the works written in 60's and 70's as a mature composer, and represent his typical style that is to the point because of having established his own writing.

♪Medley of Fairies (Pixies~Elfin Pranks) W.L. Gillock (2Flutes)
Gillock devoted himself to make educational pieces through which he conveyed the basics of music that is feeling and enjoying it to the learners.
The multi-key piano method is the way to make a chance for learners to get used to the sense of tonality, using music with many key signatures from elementary level, and it has become a mainstream in U.S.A. now. Gillock also adopted it in his music book "Accent on" in which the original pieces are included, so these arrangement works are made in original keys.
Gillock was not only a composer but also a great reader, and he had a plenty of images of various stories. Fairies in the title mean mystic creatures that appear in folk tales of the U.K., Ireland and north Europe that have the roots of Celtic culture, and Gillock's paternal ancestor is said to have come from Scotland. Pixies and Elfin are categorized as the fairies that have small bodies.
They are mischievous, short temper, capricious and optimistic, then they like festivals on the field of grass singing and dancing in the moonlight…you seem likely to imagine the practical visualization in your mind.
Gillock didn't adapt music to the title that had been made previously, but make music by the inspiration drawn in an instant. In a similar way, the world of fairies played by flutes should require a sense of tension accompanied with concentration.

Muramatsu Original Series Vol.35 ～ Arranged by Ayuko Nanase (2Flutes, 3Flutes) ～

As 2007 is the centennial of Edward Grieg’s death, I chose the pieces of him as the works of the ensemble. From over 10 years ago I have made some arrangement works for flute from Grieg’s piano music, because I felt flute should go well together it. About these pieces, rather a primary flutist would be able to enjoy playing technically.Northern Europe is separated by a great distance from our country; however music there has some feelings that touch us at a deep level. Take a flute in your hand, and your travel in mind to Northern Europe could be eloquent in expressing across time and space.

♪At the Cradle Edward H. Grieg / A.Nanase (2Flutes)

The original piece is the work of the Norwegian composer Grieg (1843～1907) at the age of 55 which is included in the “Lyric Pieces” the works of his as it were lifework written in from his 20th to his last days. The arrangement piece for orchestra was written by him and the refrain of the middle part of this ensemble is based on it. With each phrase the music has a nuance of taking a breath in a relaxed sense, therefore flute duo could create Northern European atmosphere if you catch the flavor of the music.

♪To the Spring Edward H. Grieg / A.Nanase (3Flutes)

The arrangement work from the most famous piece which Grieg wrote at the age of 43 also included in the “Lyric Pieces”. After the winter of Northern Europe withstanding the bitter cold and snowy weather, and passing away the darkness resulting from high degree of latitude, the spring there should have much more lively impression than that of the cold climates in Japan, enjoying the breath of new spirit all at once. Feeling a subtle presence of spring, this music gradually invites us to the world of full-scale thunder of being alive, that would suite the tone of flute.
“I used to play this music in my dark days with the thought that time will change, because a light always come after the darkness.” A man told me before that connected the world of Grieg and flute music for me, digressions aside I think this music should contain the deep essence of being alive.
As to the balance of the ensemble, the leading melodies in lower range are apt to be masked by upper parts because of harmonics to which I recommend you to pay attention.

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