Emerging from improvisation,
The trajectory of contemplation, exploration, and imagination,
Eventually, the visage of the world.

 

Views from a Piano

by 

Manabu Nakura

 

 

Artist's Note

1. Explosive Civilization
The piece that started quietly and gently, gradually increasing in speed (Civilization's development draws a gentle curve from ancient times to the Middle Ages. However, after the Industrial Revolution, it heads towards the explosion of scientific civilization, and beyond that...)

2. The Germ of Spoken Words
Recreating the conversation from an era without words (codes or melodies) with piano and bass (When did humanity learn to use language? Expressing the communication of humans before the use of language by replacing it with codes and melodies)

3. The Roots of Mankind
Chaos gives birth to the sound of the piano, originating from African rhythms, which eventually evolves into music (Humanity is said to have originated in Africa. Where did it originate, and how did it lay the foundation for its development?)

4. Vice Versa
Truth and lies blend together and enter our ears. Piano phrases, guitar phrases - which one is the truth? (Humans have a duality of truth and lies. They can lie with a straight face, but the truth can sometimes be seen beneath the lies.)

5. The Final War
Reproducing the intense and destructive scene of war with a piano trio jazz (Human history has been a history of wars from recorded times. If wars were to disappear, then...)

6. Reversed Justice
Playing the piano from the reverse side of the sheet music, adding melodies according to the score (The Earth has a front side with day and a back side with night. While the northern hemisphere may have summer, the southern hemisphere may have summer too. Everything is interconnected, yet...)

7. Looks aren't Everything
What we see, is it really what it seems to be? Something we thought was a piano produces such a sound? (In the world, there are many things whose appearance does not match their essence. If we judge solely based on appearances...)

8. Differences in Perception
The same melody sounds bright when played only on the piano, but becomes dark when the guitar joins in (The disparity between the rich and poor emerged among humanity. The same melody can sound different depending on whether it's played by the wealthy or the poor.)

9. The Seventh Path
The piano's unexpected journey into becoming a drum (It is said that when people die, they are reborn into one of the six realms. If there were a seventh transmigration destination...)

10. On the Other End
A beautiful melody, yet in the distance, there are intense drums playing (People living in peace. However, on the other side of the Earth, wars and famines are happening.)

11. Harmonious Diversity
All instruments playing different rhythms come together to form one piece (The world consists of various races, professions, religions, etc. Each seems to be living in chaos, but in the intricate parts, the world maintains order.)

 

Manabu Nakura (Composer/Pianist)