This week we will be listening to music from the island country of Japan.  There is a rich and varied musical tradition of Japanese music and the first clip will be the very well-known song – Sakura- played on the koto.  The Koto is a stringed instrument from the family of zithers and it came to Japan from China in the 7th and 8th centuries.  It is the national instrument of Japan.  If you play just the black keys on the piano you will create what is called the pentatonic scale.  This scale is used in the music from many asian countries including Japan and also is found in many spirituals.  The number of strings on a koto can vary; this particular one has 25 strings.  That would require a lot of skill and patience just to tune it!

Joe Hisashi is a contemporary (born in 1950) Japanese composer and musical director.  He is a prolific composer having written over 100 film scores and also piano music. He has been associated with the animator Hayao Miyazaki for many years creating the music for nearly all of his films.  Here is a clip of him playing  One Summer’s Day from the anime film Spirited Away.

What better way to begin 2014, musically speaking, then to become better acquainted with the music of Ludwig van Beethoven?  Even after 187 years since his death (1770-1827) his music still draws us in and speaks a language we can understand.

The selection for this week is the Sonata No. 8 Op. 13 in c minor, also known as the Pathetique.  The word “pathetique” as used to describe this sonata, does not mean pitiful or weak, as our word “pathetic” means today.  But rather the word is meant to convey the sense of grandeur and drama that is created by this sonata.

This work has three parts or movements: the first- Grave;Allegro di molto e con brio. The second – Adagio Cantabile, and the third- Rondo.  Think of it as three different chapters of a book, each telling a different part of the story.

As you are listening to each of these movements, what atmosphere or character is presented?  Is it peaceful, energetic, suspenseful, joyful, inspirational, angry, triumphant, passionate, calm, resigned?  Music delivers an emotional message, often several, and can speak to the deepest parts of our emotions.  But it takes more than just one or two times to understand the message and that is why well written music can be listened to over and over again and we come away with something new each time.  Translate the words of the titles to each movement as they are also clues to the musical message.

As you listen to this Sonata over the next week, see if you can sing any of the melodies by the end of the week, or try playing them by ear on the piano.  Make this incredible piece of music part of your life-long journey.  You won’t regret it!

Sonata No. 8 Op. 13- Grave – played by Aya Nagatomi

Sonata No. 8 No. 13 – Adagio cantabile – played by Daniel Barenboim

Sonata No. 8 No. 13 – Rondo- played by Freddy Kempf

A concerto is a composition written for orchestra and a solo instrument, most commonly the solo instrument being piano or instruments of the string family.  The relationship between the orchestra and soloist is not one of master/servant but rather they meet together on equal terms sharing the thematic material of the composition.

This week’s listening assignment is the Piano Concerto of Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) which was written when the composer was twenty-four years old.  It is the only piano concerto that Grieg completed and remains one of Grieg’s most popular works as well as being one of the most popular piano concerto written by any composer.

The distinctive opening theme uses a descending minor second followed by a descending minor third.  Grieg uses that musical idea in other compositions and it is a motif found in Norwegian folk music.

Julia Fischer pianist with the German Youth Orchestra