Senri
千里
(for String Quartet / 6-7‘).
By definition, the word Senri may be translated as a thousand miles which comes from two Japanese words; Sen 千 being the numerical value thousand and ri 里 being an old Japanese unit of distance which is roughly a mile. However, the reason behind the title of this piece is because of a time in my youth while I was residing near a place called Senri-yama which was a defining period in my life. In that sense, Senri can be viewed as a homage to my time in Japan.
( II ) Performed by Arditti Quartet.
( I ) Performed by Hezarfen Ensemble.
* Senri is featured among selected composers and compositions in the article “Eine kommentierte Playlist – Es brodelt hier – zur zeitgenössischen Musik der Türkei” in VAN Magazine.
Performed by Arditti Quartet (June 2019)
Structure
Kabuki 歌舞伎 is a Japanese art form which basically means sing 歌, dance 舞 and skill 伎. It is a form of drama (theater) that features a performance which includes many art forms within itself. It was regarded as an avant-garde, even bizarre art form during Edo period when Kabuki was originated. *
Kanadehon Chūshingura 仮名手本忠臣蔵 is an 11 act kabuki play that features 47 ronin ( 浪人 samurai without a master, wanderer) plotting to avenge the unjustly death of their master Enya. Yuranosuke, being the head samurai of the Enya, is charged with seeking vengeance. Upon these events, the ronin do not commit seppuku 切腹 (sometimes referred as harakiri) until they avenge their master.
The play is one of the most popular examples of this theater form and showcases the principles of bushido 武士道 (the way of the warrior) perfectly. Thus, Senri is influenced by this kabuki masterpiece.
As the actual play has 11 acts and has a very complex story line, the piece has 5 sections that are derived from the bases of the storyline.
A - Bushido 武士道
B - Seppuku 切腹
C - Ronin 浪人
D - Hanran 反乱
E - Giri 義理
The quartet is creating the sound world of the scenes and narrates the story. The aim is to capture the essence behind kabuki.