Villanelle

　　　　　　　　　　　　(for my daughter’s first birthday)

　　　　　　　　　　　　He places me upon his knee,
　　　　　　　　　　　　A princess on my pearly throne.
　　　　　　　　　　　　I am my father’s face of glee;

　　　　　　　　　　　　I am his heart sung joyfully.
　　　　　　　　　　　　With ribbons red and golden bows,
　　　　　　　　　　　　He places me upon his knee

　　　　　　　　　　　　And holds me as he merrily
　　　　　　　　　　　　Makes wish and on my candle blows.
　　　　　　　　　　　　I am my father’s face of glee;

　　　　　　　　　　　　I am his love shone graciously.
　　　　　　　　　　　　As ever did a daughter know,
　　　　　　　　　　　　He places me upon his knee,

　　　　　　　　　　　　And blesses me, his living tree,
　　　　　　　　　　　　As I to him am gift bestowed.
　　　　　　　　　　　　I am my father’s face of glee

　　　　　　　　　　　　Shone out for all eternity;
　　　　　　　　　　　　For even when my sorrows grow,
　　　　　　　　　　　　He places me upon his knee

　　　　　　　　　　　　Where joy dispels but endlessly
　　　　　　　　　　　　As light upon the shadowed soul.
　　　　　　　　　　　　He places me upon his knee;
　　　　　　　　　　　　I am my father’s face of glee.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　—Darcy Blahut

♫ The live recording of the performance by DUOroboros: Dagmar Bathmann, cello and voice / Omar Cecchi, vibraphone [4:15] mp3

‘Synapse’ for piano (eBook-music)

In the nervous system, a synapse is a structure that permits a neuron (or nerve cell) to pass an electrical or chemical signal to another neuron or to the target effector cell (Wikipedia).
The main subject of my work “Synapse” is “explosive octaves”. The beginning expresses a raw ore, so to speak. Then an eruption of repeated notes. Its fragments act as a gigantic precursor and signal…. And sobbing transfiguration follows. From the resulting whirlwind, a melody emerges.

This eBook is now available (complete audio file attached): studio recording by Edward Cohen, pf.
If you would like to make a purchase, be aware that the site is only in Japanese.
→ translation guide

‘Synapse’ for piano (2018) via YouTube

Satoru Ikeda “Synapse” / Edward Cohen, piano

“Villanelle” in Pistoia

Musica nel Chiostro
3×2: La voce, Il legno – Il metallo
New program of pieces written for DUOroboros

Thursday 17th September 2020, 9:15pm
Fondazione Luigi Tronci (outdoors), Pistoia, Italy

The programme includes
“Villanelle” for voice, cello and vibraphone (2019) [world premiere]
Satoru Ikeda
by DUOroboros
Dagmar Bathmann, cello and voice
Omar Cecchi, percussion

Daffodil

　　　　　　　　　Yours the grace that lights my temple’s light,
　　　　　　　　　and yours the consecrated fire grown,
　　　　　　　　　as patiently, at first, beneath the latticed ice,
　　　　　　　　　emerges earth’s first measure of its own.
　　　　　　　　　Here the green wrought bough’s reflected will,
　　　　　　　　　its understanding and its being unknown,
　　　　　　　　　holds that without which nothing can be stilled
　　　　　　　　　before love which is but God’s to know.
　　　　　　　　　But stays the course she does of winter come,
　　　　　　　　　and contemplates in dark the body tended;
　　　　　　　　　and having contemplated thus as one,
　　　　　　　　　the petalled sun on yellow face illumined,
　　　　　　　　　does she burst, at last, upon th’ eternal rush
　　　　　　　　　of all things risen and good in us.
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　—Darcy Blahut

♫ The live recording of the performance by the composer (Diego Pucci, pf.) [5:10] mp3

‘Superstring Theory’ for two pianos (eBook-music)

Two contrasting motifs develop together, and through tension and fusion grow in energy, developing into great waves.
Superstring theory is an attempt to explain all of the particles and fundamental forces of nature in one theory by modeling them as vibrations of tiny supersymmetric strings (Wikipedia).
This piece premiered by South Korean pianists in a concert of “The 46th Pan Music Festival 2018” in Seoul.
Afterwords, it premiered in Japan in “The 40th Edogawa City Music Festival”.

This eBook is now available (complete audio file of live recording attached).
If you would like to make a purchase, be aware that the site is only in Japanese.
→ translation guide

“Daffodil” in Torrita di Siena

CONCERT #7
Musica Prospettiva 2019-20

Sunday 23rd February 2020, 6:00pm
Fondazione Torrita Cultural Salon
Torrita di Siena (SI – Italy)
Ingresso libero – Free admission

The programme includes
“Daffodil” for voice and piano (2019) [world premiere]
Satoru Ikeda
Musica Prospettiva 2019-20 – International Call for Scores winner (ex-aequo)
Satoru Ikeda, guest voice
Diego Pucci, piano

▲Click → Slideshow

Musica Prospettiva 2019-20 – International Call for Scores

Norberto Oldrini and Mirco Rubegni
(Artistic Directors)

Results
This year we received 222 scores by 182 composers from 42 countries.
The very high quality of compositions made our selection very difficult, and we are proud that our call for scores is attractive to so many, various and gifted composers.
Many compositions deserve to be awarded and (above all) performed, but unfortunately our means are limited and we regret being able to program only few works.
Anyway, many thanks to all participating composers, again, for having shared their music, their valuable work, with us.
The Jury, in the Musica Prospettiva’s spirit of multiplicity, has decided to award works of very different style:

1° Prize EX-AEQUO
– Ari Ben-Shabetai (Israel) – ForteCelloPiano, for cello and piano (1993)
– Satoru Ikeda (Japan) – Daffodil, for voice and piano (2019)

Special Mention
– Zhuosheng Jin (China/Canada) – (in)somnia, for cello (2015)

DUOroboros Special Prize
– Valerio Rossi (Switzerland) – Beyond the Edge, for mezzo-soprano/cello and percussion (2019)The jury members of this year were:
– Dagmar Bathmann (Germany, mezzo-soprano/cellist of the DUOroboros)
– Omar Cecchi (Italy, percussionist of the DUOroboros)
– Norberto Oldrini (Italy, composer, pianist and artistic director)
– Mirco Rubegni (Italy, trumpeter, composer and artistic director)
– Diego Pucci (Italy, pianist and composer)
– Clara Salomon (U.S.A., soprano)

‘Who Rings’ for toy piano (eBook-music)

The title “Who Rings” is derived from the pronunciation of the Japanese “風鈴 (Fu-rin)” which means wind chimes. Wind chimes are constructed from suspended bells or other objects that are often made of metal or wood, which can strike when they are blown by the natural movement of air outside.
→@youtube

This eBook is now available (audio file attached).
If you would like to make a purchase, be aware that the site is only in Japanese.
→ translation guide

‘Who Rings’ for toy piano (2019) via YouTube

Satoru Ikeda “Who Rings” / David Bohn, toy piano

Composed for “The 100-Note Toy Piano Project” (which works consist of a maximum of 100 notes) : more than 50 pieces were selected from all over the world.