Black Intention I (1976)

Basic Information
Japanese ブラック・インテンション I
German Black Intention I
Opus 027
Year 1976
Category Solo
Duration 8 min.
Instruments rec
Score information
Zen On Music Publisher
Address Shinjuku-ku Kamiochiai 2-13-3
J-161-0034 Tokyo
Japan
Phone +81 (0)3-3227-6283
Web www.zen-on.co.jp

Description by the Composer

«In 1977, I composed three pieces for the "Black Intention" series. Number (II) is for three wood instruments (Ob. Clr. Fig.), and Number (III) for a piano solo. What these three works have in common lies in the title, "Black Intention," and this signifies a special musical intent. Specifically, the intention has been to weave into the works some unique senses of rhythm and of form, sounds, styles of rendition, and so on—in other words, music that had not existed up to now.

«For example, in Number (II) the cyclic movement of the plural tone row translations, such as dodecaphonic, chromatic, diatonic, etc., is rendered with a singular method of breathing. Number (III) has been given the unusual subtitle, "Piano etude for breath," and the length and strength of the pianist's breath determine the major part of the tune's music time. This tune (III) contains at maximum of four cross rhythms of different speeds, and the musician must perform these four cross rhythms simultaneously with two hands.

«In "Black Intention," which was composed for the outstanding recorder artist Frans Brüggen, one recorder musician plays two recorders (soprano recorder/soprano recorder, after a baroque model, pitched a semitone lower) simultaneously. And to the special method of performing on the tenor recorder (similar to an imitation shakuhachi playing), voices and the Tam-Tam are played simultaneously or else in opposition. Herein exists the Black Intention that forms stratified sounds, etc.

«During the CD recording carried out at SFB (Sender Freies Berlin) on November 20 and 21, 2001, I got to hear Miss Gudula Rosa's performance of it. I wish to note that, as the composer, I was delighted not only with her high level of artistic stability but particularly by her performance that firmly grasped Black Intention's content.»

World premiere: December 3, 1977, New York, in a recorder solo by Frans Brüggen

European premiere 1978, Berlin Conservatory Hall, by Frans Brüggen

Maki Ishii, 2001