Karura
Item
-
Score title
-
Karura
-
Composer
-
Akira Nishimura
-
Program note
-
This work for oboe solo composed in 2007 is based on the solo part of my oboe concerto KARURA Concerto for Oboe and Chamber Orchestra written in 2000 (published by Zen-On, CD released by CAMERATA/ 28CM-523). The two KARURAs for solo and concerto are dedicated to Thomas Indermühle, one of the most prominent oboists in the world today. Both works are premiered and recorded by Thomas.
The piece consists of a lot of technical playing such as double trill, portamento, microtone, and multiphonics. I took Thomas's advice about those techniques.
The title KARURA is the name of a statue that is a national treasure in Kofuku-ji, a Buddhist temple in Nara city. Karura is one of the Devas of the Eight Classes who have different appearance and power than human beings and protect Dharma, the teachings of Buddhism. In Kofuku-ji, the most famous statue of the Devas is Ashura but Karura has a very impressive figure as well.
The statue of Karura has almost life size. It has the firm body of a human and the head of a bird. The face wears a serious expression locking its big bill. The statue never utters a word. It has been in the silence for hundreds of years. In the vast silence Karura has kept watching life and death of human beings. I don't think I can compose music that can correspond with his big bill with heavy silence. Nevertheless, I just wanted to talk to and tried to stir the silence with the oboe which sounds like Karura's voice I imagine.
Akira NISHIMURA
Akira Nishimura