A Song of Edo

for koto solo and orchestra (2021)

9 mins

I studied art history and East Asian studies in college, and one of the most fascinating classes was on Japanese art of the the Edo Period (1603-1867). For me, the Edo period is a spectacular lens to look at and understand Japanese culture, especially imperial families and elite traditions. The Edo period marks an end to the country’s chaotic civil wars, and a gradual return to a stable and flourishing society before breaking into turmoils of Meiji Revolutions with Westerners' intrusion. The art in the Edo period tends to be decorative works on castle walls, folding screens, and handscrolls, with unrestrained use of gold leaves. The luxury is remarkable. The transformation of the Kano School, one of the most prestigious painting schools in Edo Japan that lasted from the late 15th century to the end of Edo, can be seen as a counterpart of the country’s rise and fall.

The three painters and paintings that I mainly drew inspiration from are Kano Eitoku (Part I), Kano Tanyu (Part II), and Ocean Encounter between Japan and the West (Part III). Kano Eitoku (1543-1590), impressive for his works’ strong life force, rhythm, vitality, and wilderness, opened up a vivid picture of the society’s burgeoning urban culture. Kano Tanyu (1602-1674), rather elegant and preserved, shows a more stabilized life, mythic and glorious fantasy enclosed in the castles of the imperials, which also gives an early hint of the decaying culture and overly stressed attention on preserved beauty. Lastly, Scenes in and around the Capital (17th century) by painter unknown, takes one into a bird view of the city of Kyoto, the cultural and political center of Edo Japan. Embedded in golden clouds, the city is full of vibrant people engaging in leisure activities, trades and events, and festivals. Noticeable on the left is the river, which may be connected further with the ocean. I am thinking about the Westerners, like the Portuguese and Spanish, whose ships aggressively headed to the East during the 17th to 18th century and forced a cultural encounter between the East and the West on the ocean and beyond. Thus, the music ends with the echos of the strings that imitate the strides of waves and the horns on the ships, leaving the audience with an imagination of the Marine Encounter.

In this piece, I focused on encountering different sounds and the collision of ideas and cultures. I also aimed to give the koto more voice amidst all of the “Western” instruments. I hope the music not only takes us to the court of the elite, and the castles, but also to the open air of Kyoto and a city and culture that was shocked, attracted, overwhelmed, and called into rebirth by the new cultural encounters.