Cleveland Orchestra

Duration: 20 minutes
Premiere: 30 October 1963, Odïon, Paris (Yvonne Loriod, piano; Domaine Musical; Pierre Boulez, conductor)
Dedication: “à Yvonne Loriod, à Pierre Boulez, à Madame Fumi Yamaguchi, à Seiji Ozawa, à Yoritsuné Matsudaïra, à Sadao Bekku et Mitsuaki Hayama, à l`ornithologue Hoshino, aux paysages, aux musiques, et à tous les oiseaux de Japon.” [“To Yvonne Loriod, to Pierre Boulez, to Mrs. Fumi Yamaguchi, to Seiji Ozawa, to Yoristune Matsudaira, to Sadao Bekku and Mitsuaki Hayama, to the ornithologist Hoshino, to the landscapes, to the music and to all the birds of Japan.”]

Movements: `Esquisses japonaises` [`Japanese Sketches`]

1. Introduction [Introduction]
2. Le parc de Nara et les lanternes de pierre [Nara Park and the Lanterns of Stone]
3. Yamanaka cadenza [`Internal Mountain` Cadenza]
4. Gagaku [Gagaku]
5. Miyajima et le torii dans le mer
6. Les oiseaux de Karuizawa [The Birds of Karuizawa]
7. Coda [Coda]

Notes:
- Nara, the first capital city of Japan, is located west of Osaka; Nara Park includes some of Japan`s oldest Buddhist temples and is famous for its hundreds of free-roaming deer.
- Gagaku, literally `elegant music`, is a style of traditional Japanese music that was originally created for the Imperial Court. It is still performed at Shinto shrines and traditional Japanese weddings. Gagaku can also be used contextually to refer to drawings and brush paintings.
- Karuizawa is a popular Japanese resort destination on the central island of Honshu. It is characterized by its cool mountain air and greenery and is a popular wedding and shopping destination.