AKIRAIFUKUBE.ORG - Chant de la sérinde

CHANT DE LA SÉRINDE
(1997)

Woman playing a traditional 13-string koto during the early 1900's

Chant de la sérinde was commissioned by the koto virtuoso Keiko Nosaka and premiered on March 11, 1997. The title refers to the song of the non-Chinese peoples who lived on the north and west of China in ancient times. Ifukube seems to have had in mind the West-Asaian peoples who dwelled west of China, from Dunhuang to Kashgar, at the time when the ancient Silk Road was at the peak of its prosperity.

This piece in built up from an interplay between a slow, exotic melody in West-Asian style (adapted from the Sacred Fountain theme used in the 1964 film Godzilla vs. Mothra) and a section in rapid toccata style.

Chant de la sérinde was composed for the 25-string koto, an instrument that was invented by Keiko Nosaka in 1991.

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Acknowledgments:

Pipa Xing - Works by Akira Ifukube by Motohide Katayama.