Miki Minoru

Miki Minoru ( Japanese 三 木 稔 ; born March 16, 1930 in Tokushima Prefecture , † December 8, 2011 in Tokyo ) was a Japanese composer . He was known for having traditional Japanese instruments alongside the (European) classical orchestra. In 1991 the Gewandhausorchester performed a work commissioned by it on the occasion of its 200th anniversary for the first time worldwide.

He was also known as an interpreter on the pipa (a type of lute, in Japan Biwa 琵琶 ) and founded the Pro Musica Nipponia Ensemble in 1964 .

Works

Japanese History Cycle ( 日本史 オ ペ ラ 連 作 )

• Shunkinshō (春 琴 抄 ) (1975)
• Ada, An Actor's Revenge (あ だ ) (1979; with Geoffrey Tozer )
• Jōruri (じ ょ う る り ) (1985)
• Wakahime (ワ カ ヒ メ ) (1991)
• Shizuka to Yoshitsune (静 と 義 経 ) (1993)
• Sumidagawa / Kusabira (隅田川 ／ く さ び ら ) (1995)
• Genji monogatari (源氏物語 ) (see The story of Prince Genji ) (1999)
• Ai-en (愛 怨 , To Die for Love) (2005, premiered 2006 Tokyo)

Stage works

• The Monkey Poet (1983)
• Yomigaeru 読 み 蛙 (1992)
• From the Land of Light 光 の 国 か ら (Ballet)

Choir with orchestra

• Requiem (1963)

Choir

• The Mole's Tale (1966)

Film music

• In the realm of the senses 愛 の コ リ ー ダ (1976), - Director: Nagisa Ōshima

Orchestral works

• Trinita sinfonica (1953)
• Symphony Joya (1960)
• Symphony from Life (1980)
• Beijing Requiem (1990)
• MAY 舞 (1992)
• Den Den Den (1994)

Orchestral works and singing

• Marimba Concerto (1969)
• Eurasian Trilogy 鳳凰 三 連 (1969; 74; 81)
• Koto Concerto N. 1 (1974)
• Koto Concerto N. 2 (1978)
• Koto Concerto N. 3 (1980)
• Koto Concerto N. 4 (1984)
• Koto Concerto N. 5 (1985)
• Z Concerto (1992)
• Pipa Concerto (1997), dedicated to the Pipa virtuoso Yang Jing
• Requiem 99 (1998)
• Trio Concerto (2000)
• Shakuhati Concerto (2002)

Chamber music

• Piano Sextet (1965), fl, ob, cl, bn, hn, pf
• Piano Trio (1986), pf, vn, vc
• String Quartet (1989)
• Marimba Spiritual (1983) marimba solo with percussion trio

Web links

• Minoru Miki's Homepage (Japanese and English)
• Philip Flavin: Composing for Japanese Instruments. Minoru Miki's classic work on using Japanese, Chinese and Korean traditional instruments in concert music, translated by Marty Regan. University of Rochester Press, 2008; 256 pp. ISBN 1580462731 (English incl. 2 CDs)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Geoffrey Tozer Publications ( Memento of the original from December 27, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
2. ↑ Guy Rickards, Obituary of Geoffrey Tozer in The Gramophone