Letter to Nina

Tokyo, le 4 avril 2007

Nina-san, konnichiwa!

Je suis maintenant de retour à Tokyo. Niigata semble être un souvenir lointain même à quelques jours de distance.  J’en suis content,  car je craignais un peu le blues de l’après première.

Ah oui, la première… L’impression est étrange. Je suis très heureux de notre travail, je suis content de ce que j’ai écrit. La chorégraphie de Jo est encore une fois pleine d’inspiration et de trouvailles. Mais reste cette impression d’étrangeté. Le public a du mettre une vingtaine de secondes avant de commencer à applaudir, ce qui est extrêmement long. Mais une fois que les applaudissements ont commencé, ils n’ont plus arrêté. Je suis curieux de voir comment les gens réagiront ailleurs.  On n’a pas fait salle comble, mais le public est venu nombreux. Comme je le disais dans le précédent mail, cette pièce n’est pas aussi évidente que l’était NINA (la précédente). Même en tant que compositeur je me surprends toujours à être déboussolé, confus pendant la première partie, puis pris émotionnellement dans la deuxième. L’exploration intérieure durant la création de l’œuvre se reflète dans le résultat final. Il n’y a rien de final même si les éléments du spectacle ont été très minutieusement préparés. Je pense que chacun peut se retrouver dans le spectacle et prendre ce qu‘il veut. Jo ou moi ne sommes que des guides dans ce monde dont nous avons entrouvert les portes.  D’ailleurs les personnes à qui nous avons parlés étaient incapables d’exprimer leur impression. Elles avaient beaucoup aimé, mais semblaient perturbées.  D’autres, bien sûr étaient enthousiastes, ou émues…

La voix d’Isabelle a fait merveille. Lors de la conversation avec le public qui a suivi la première, une charmante dame âgée, assise au premier rang juste en face de moi a demandé à prendre la parole. Elle est venue à la place de quelque un qui a eu un empêchement de dernière minute. Le spectacle l’avait beaucoup impressionnée, mais c’était surtout la musique qu’elle avait aimé, notamment le final avec l’aria de soprano. Elle a demandé qui était la personne qui chantait. J’ai donc brièvement raconté qu’Isabelle était au départ une actrice, que j’étais allé au théâtre avec Julia pour voir une pièce dans laquelle elle jouait et chantait, comment j‘avais été enchanté par sa voix, l‘amitié qui est née de cette rencontre, et les musiques qui sont nées de notre travail ensemble. J’ai terminé en qualifiant sa voix de ‘voix d’ange’.

La traductrice qui était assise derrière moi avait déjà été plus qu’approximative jusqu’à là - quand j‘arrivais à trouver un sens au flot de murmure que je recevais dans mon oreille gauche, mais la brièveté de sa traduction m’a fait sursauter.

‘C’est tout?‘ me suis-je écrié dans le micro.

En quelques mots tout était dit. Tada, ta dada, ta da, ta da, da. Point.

Jo est venu à la rescousse et a donné un peu plus de détails à une traduction qui, en fait, s‘avérait avoir été plus que sommaire: ‘Je l‘ai rencontrée, elle chantait, je l‘ai utilisée‘.

Et dire que cette personne est la traductrice officielle du théâtre…

Le second soir, j’ai demandé à voir le spectacle du côté scène. C’était ma première fois et je voulais quand même voir ce que Jo avait fabriqué derrière…

Je ne m’attendais absolument pas à une telle surprise. Jo s’est encore montré génial. Je devenais Alice devant le miroir et je pouvais apercevoir ce qu’il y avait dans l’autre monde, de l’autre côté de la scène.

Jo me disait qu’il voulait au départ créer une pièce qui soit plus joyeuse et plus ludique - d‘où le titre. Mais je me suis trouvé incapable de composer une musique qui reflète cet état d’esprit, et nous nous lamentions (en riant) que notre goût pour la mélancolie nous avait encore eus cette fois ci.

Cela dit, Jo a quand même réussi à créer pour ce côté ci un univers assez étrange et drôle. On n’éclate pas de rire, mais on sourit souvent. Encore une fois, j’ai été impressionné par son aptitude à saisir tous les sons et les phrases musicales pour s’en servir dans la chorégraphie.

Les personnes extérieures auraient du mal à faire le lien entre nous et notre travail. J’étais moi-même surpris de cette dichotomie entre le sérieux chorégraphe que j’avais rencontré pour la première fois il y a deux ans et la personne que j’ai découverte par la suite. Jo a ce sens du non-sens imaginatif et absurde qui est presque vital pour moi dans une bonne relation. Notre amitié continue à se développer et je sais que notre rencontre est de celles qui marquent.

Le dernier jour a été digne d’une remise d’Oscar, avec son quota de pleurs et ses moments d’intense émotion.

Alors que les danseurs saluaient le public, Jo est apparu avec des bouquets de fleurs. J’ai pensé qu’ils étaient destinés aux danseuses, comme c’est souvent la coutume. Mais Shintaro, Ayako et Yuuta, les trois danseurs qui se sont retrouvés avec un bouquet au bras étaient ceux qui allaient quitter la compagnie. En moins d’une seconde, une grande vague a traversé ma corps et des larmes ont commencé à couler sur mon visage. Je ne pouvais rien y faire. Les danseurs se sont retournés et ont salué le public côté scène. Shin et Ayako étaient en larme et ce fut le déclenchement d’un festival lacrymal pour tout le monde.

Lors de la conversation avec le public qui a suivi le spectacle, Jo lui-même n’a pu retenir son émotion et a presque du quitter la scène pour ne pas montrer ses larmes. Tout le public reniflait à n’en plus finir. C’était vraiment un étrange et intense moment qui aurait certainement paru surfaite au cinéma.

Nous nous sommes ensuite tous retrouvés à Nelson, un très agréable restaurant qui est devenu notre quartier général au fils des semaines, et qui était en fait une résidence secondaire d’un ancien maire de Niigata. Un assemblage de plusieurs modules à un étage, un salmigondis de différents styles architecturaux, japonais par ici, scandinave par là, américain là bas, anglais de l’autre côté… Mais l’architecte qui  a remodelé l’ensemble a fait un excellent travail et le lieu est accueillant, confortable tout en étant dynamique et très au goût du jour.

Les cloches de Cendrillon ont sonné pour tout le monde à minuit, mais la soirée n’était pas encore terminée. Je devais aller récupérer mon vélo au théâtre pour le rendre à l’hôtel et je n’avais aucune envie de remettre ça au lendemain. Jo a offert de m‘accompagner, pour que l‘on puisse bavarder en cette dernière soirée. Tsuyoshi s‘est joint à nous, et nous avons continué, une fois de retour à l’hôtel, à parler jusqu’à 4h, confortablement installés dans les fauteuils de cuir rouge placés dans un coin du lobby. Tous les sujets ont été abordés; nos yeux se fermaient sous le coup de la fatigue, du sommeil, des mois de travail qui avaient trouvé leur résolution en ces trois derniers jours. Mais nous n’arrivions pas à nous dire au revoir. Un groupe de techniciens est revenu vers les 3h, titubant sous l’effet de l’alcool qu’ils avaient dû ingurgiter des heures durant. Et dire qu’ils font ça pratiquement tous les soirs!

Une femme de ménage qui finissait de passer l’aspirateur sur le grand escalier central nous a salués et demandé si nous n’étions pas des nouvelles recrues. Il était alors temps d’aller se coucher! Les lumières s’allumaient dans le hall, au premier étage.

Enfin voilà. Maintenant, je suis à Tokyo, et j’ai presque l’impression que l’épisode Niigata fait partie d’un autre temps.

C’est mon troisième jour, et j’ai bien envie de prolonger mon séjour ici.

Je suis content d’être chez Nolico. Je sors, je vois des amis, j’achète plein de cd… Je ne sais pas comment, mais la valise a pesé bien plus lourd au retour de Niigata… Pourtant…

En fait, le Japon est toujours une excellent occasion pour renouveler ma garde robe. Bonne taille, bonne coupe, bonne longueur…

Je ne suis pas asiatique pour rien. De plus, j’ai fort envie d’aller faire un tour à l’atelier de Yasuhiro Mihara, le styliste qui a créé les costumes pour PLAY 2 PLAY. J’avais vu sa collection hiver 2007 et j’ai plus qu’apprécié ses lignes et son utilisation des matériaux.

Je reviens d’ailleurs d’un excellent dîner avec lui, son attachée de presse et Tsuyoshi. Ils nous ont amenés dans un formidable restaurant bio situé dans le quartier de Harajuku. Je me pâmais à chaque bouchée… La nourriture est supposée être européenne, mais cette petite touche japonaise qu’ils ajoutent lui donne un goût encore plus subtil.

Demain, ils m’emmènent dans un restaurant coréen. 

Sur ces quelques notes futiles, je m’en vais vous laisser. Comme je n’ai plus accès à internet de façon quotidienne - c’est fou comment on en est devenu esclave, je ne vais plus sur msn et j’écris beaucoup moins.

J’aimerais tellement que vous puissiez voir ce spectacle et partager ces moments avec moi. Je ne sais même pas s’il sera visible un jour en France. Cela me frustre un peu que ces projets qui représentent tant pour moi ne soient que de vagues mots pour vous, et que finalement, c’est à l’étranger que les choses les plus intéressantes se passent pour moi et que je peux donner cours à mon inspiration. J’en suis content et heureux, mais c’est comme si une partie de ma vie se détache maintenant de moi.

C’est peut être ce qui se passe, avec ces voyages qui se font de plus en plus fréquemment.

Je vous embrasse et espère que le mois d’avril s’achève bien. J’ai même oublié de regarder qui était passé au premier tour des élections - comme si c‘était impossible de deviner…

Allez, on va dire José Bové ou Arlette Laguillier?

A bientôt!

An

Take a bow

Academy award moment.

The dancers were taking a bow as the audience applauded enthusiastically. Jo appeared on stage with flower bouquets. I assumed they were meant for the girls. But the first recipient was Shin, then Ayako, then finally Yuuta. Three bouquets for the three dancers who were soon leaving the company.

"He can’t possibly do that!" I thought. Tears came to eyes. I tried to repress them. Then the dancers turned to take a bow for the back side audience, where I was sitting. Shin was crying, so was Ayako. It was impossible then to contain myself and I wept silently as I applauded. That was their last performance in Niigata! Backstage, I went to them, but found myself sobbing when I embraced Ayako. I just couldn’t stop.

The show was followed by a talk with the audience and four of the dancers. This time, Shin, Aiishiro, Nobuko and Ayako. Each had to make a comment on how they felt about the new piece and their experience throughout the creative process.

It all went rather well until Ayako’s turn came. The lovely girl burst into tears and that was the beginning of an intense emotional moment both on stage and in the audience. Jo wasn’t spared either for he also struggled and fought his tears.

I’m nearly weeping now as I recall this moment.

This time in Niigata has seen me so bound to cry at any emotional charged moment. It’s good news, because I have that tendency to lock all the tension, unsaid and unexpressed feelings inside and let them root in my whole soul and body. Now I can evacuate when need be.

Excellent news indeed.

We had a after show dinner party at Nelson with most of the team. Goofy  pictures were taken by Sawako as she ‘learned’ to use her new camera…

My Japanese has improved, but not enough to sustain a decent conversation. And when all the dancers got together, it was impossible to join their merry talk. I promised myself the next year would see me master the language, or at least, being able to converse on a decent level.

I had the same feeling when English no longer seemed like a untamed animal to me and that I started enjoying daily progress. I’m not in school anymore so discipline will be required!

Once back at the hotel, I said I had to go back to the theatre to get the bike I left there because of the hard rain we had had the whole day. I didn’t feel like doing it the next morning. Jo offered to walk me back. Tsuyoshi joined and we started a long conversation that went on once we reached the hotel again. We sat in comfortable red leather armchairs in a corner of the lobby and talked until four o’clock in the morning. It was such a pleasant moment.

The hours passed by and it spite of our exhaustion we didn’t want to part. Topics were discussed one after the other. Tsuyoshi and Jo are so clever and such good conversationalists. A cleaning lady appeared form the upper floor and started vacuum the stairway. When she saw us, she asked whether we were new staff members waiting for our working time to start. We all sensed it was the right moment to go to sleep!

I’m happy I will be with Noism in Shizuoka and Tokyo. Leaving the next day straight to Paris would have been intolerable!

Beyond the looking glass

Behind the looking glass.
Second night.

I saw PLAY 2 PLAY with the back-side audience tonight. Strangely I never watched any rehearsal or run-through from that angle.

Tsuyoshi’s idea was to create two possible viewing experiences for the audience. The back side seats were set on the stage itself, therefore allowing a more intimate experience. The dancers would be only be at hand’s reach, and the triangular mirror pillars that looked like a wall from the front side suddenly became like a living screen, a gate to an unknown world that could be glimpsed at when the panels were moved by a dancer or when the light would pierce through thus making them translucent. Something between Sesame and Lewis Carroll’s Alice.

The choreography that Jo created for the back side was more intricate but also more playful and humorous. PLAY was actually supposed to be an escape from all the drama and emotional exhaustion he had been going through. So he had hoped, for the music I wrote didn’t quite reflect that wish.

Somehow he managed to keep this idea but I wasn’t aware of it until I saw PLAY from the back side.

Two stories, two parallel worlds intricately connected, butterfly effect, micro world, macro world. Those were the words that Jo had sown in his e-mail at an early stage of our collaboration. But somehow they escaped me. I must confess I didn’t retain much of what Jo told me in his e-mails. I would usually try to catch the vibes that would surround the words instead.

Experiencing Play from the back side for the first time left me in a rapturous state. As he says it himself, Jo is a f….ing  genius. I’m always so impressed by his imagination and sensitivity to music. His light design was also brilliant and inspired. I can’t wait to work with him again.

Composing the score for PLAY 2 PLAY has given me more elements for this opera project I‘ve been nurturing since I worked with Maria Cristina on Salomé. I know I won’t be working on it before a couple of years. But ideas are getting clear and I think it’s going to be quite ground breaking!

So Jo and I have pushed our limits for this project. I didn’t think I would be able to write anything better after NINA - materialized Sacrifice. But that piece was only the stepping stone to a new creative phase. PLAY 2 PLAY showed me new possibilities I didn’t suspect in me. Now I realize I have just begun. I know I can get much further musically. That particular point Jo invoked during one of our many dinner conversations as he said he felt he might not be able to choreograph on my music in the future. I then pointed out that it was also how we felt after creating NINA. But a challenge is always good to take. Why should we repeat ourselves and indulge in artistic comfort?

Jo mentioned new ideas for future creations. The next one will certainly be a smaller scale piece that he wishes can be danced on live music.

I take the challenge. I want to write for a string quartet…

Premiere night

Voilà.

Done.

All these months have led to that day and now it’s gone like everything else. I don’t feel any sadness or yearning.

PLAY 2 PLAY goes as follows:

1. Prelude

2. Wall

3. Behind the Wall

4. Interfering dimensions

5. Triangular Response I (Inside)

6. Triangular Response II (Outside)

7. Slowly we waltz

8. Ewig

As I predicted, I clearly felt the audience was at lost for the first half of the piece, until the fifth movement. They kept watching but I knew people were confused and uneasy. I didn’t want to structure the movements as I did for NINA, and opted for more freedom of language, therefore discarding any rigid musical frame to just follow the strain of thought. A musical Virginia Wolf piece? But things started to become clear when voices appear in the fifth movement, led by Isabelle’s angel-like soprano voice.

The energy changed in the audience, perceptibly more and more involved and captivated by what was happening on stage. Then gradually, all that they had seen started to make sense, until the apotheosis of the finale.

I too felt the same, even if I wrote the music. This sensation of puzzlement throughout the first half is necessary and turn PLAY 2 PLAY to a true human experience, not merely a show that one watches and then forgets.

One good sign is that everyone stayed for the post-performance talk. We didn’t have much time and Mihara, being voluble as he usually is, put on a show of himself and took most of the talking time. I don’t mind that usually, but it didn’t have much to do with the question that was asked.

So when he handed back the microphone, it was time for the last question. The last person, and cute old lady sitting in the first row said it was the first Noism show for she attended, since actually, a person who couldn’t come gave her the ticket and urged her to go. She was deeply impressed by what she saw, although the choreography and the movements were too erotic to her taste. However she ended with a praise for the music, particularly the last movement that features the soprano, and the question was about who she was. I answered and briefly told my encounter with Isabelle, how I first saw her on stage as an actress, the subsequent friendship that took a few years to blossom and how I loved to use her angel voice. The interpreter summed what I said in only a mere few words, which surprised both me and the audience. I knew translations can somehow shorten the length of a sentence, but I had the funniest feeling many things were skipped. Jo had to come to her rescue and give a more accurate account of what I had said. The same happened to me during the press conference, so I didn’t expect much really.

I had fantasized I could suddenly master the Japanese language and astonish everyone with the fluidity of my conversation. Quite the contrary now, however I still hold some hope that the few words and sentences I can mutter now will improve in the coming years.

Jo later told me he felt irritated in such situations, that a decent theatre should provide someone who speaks decent, if not flawless English, especially since they invite lots of foreign artists and musicians to come and perform in Niigata.

I guess Westerners have this notion that Japanese are not so good at foreign languages, and if my personal experience has shown me it is not entirely true, such instances however prove them right.

So the premiere is now something of the past. We still have two performances in Niigata. I think today’s will be better. I have asked to seat with the back side audience, since I haven’t seen Play from that perspective yet.

Jo said he didn’t realized how totally different a show it turned to be.

The premiere was followed by a reception - delicious food and drinks. I now start to see how this Japanese functionality and efficiency can sometimes be a nuisance. We were only allowed one hour for the party, because the restaurant staff had to close the place at a given time and not later, as we only had half an hour for the post-show talk. And I guess that’s what discourages Jo and his staff when it comes to working as a resident company. They don’t take risks, freak out when new ideas are suggested, and have no vision.

Rings a bell, doesn’t it?

Tsuyoshi didn’t want to go straight to the hotel and end the evening like that, so he suggested to go out and have a drink, which I gladly accepted.

We met Klaas, one of his friends/colleagues from Paris who happened to be travelling in Japan and made his way to Niigata to see Play.

Tsuyoshi took us to a little Japanese den where two girls of Mihara’s people were already having dinner. Now that I think of it, I find it a bit odd, since they were at the reception too…

We drank and chatted until three in the morning. I was exhausted, but it felt good. One of the girl said that the state of drunkenness made her more tuned in with all things about palms reading and seeing people’s past and future, although she pointed out that it wasn’t about telling the future, but giving clues for a good decision making.

On our way to the hotel, we encountered countless young men in suits, all red faced with alcohol, walking arms in arms, stumbling and laughing. It was Friday night and tomorrow is the weekend…

Now the day is closing and we’ll see what tomorrow brings. The adventure has just begun!

I’m now starting to have fans in Japan. They come from all over to see Noism performances and patiently wait at the backstage door. They usually ask for an autograph and sometimes have a little present for me. One of the dancers, Aiichiro gently mocked me when he saw all these girls saying ‘An-san!’.

Götterdämmerung

As I foresaw it, I only had to look pretty and sit still while the others were talking during the press conference. I merely had to tell how I worked on the music and my words were tentatively translated by Tomoko.

It wasn’t really a press conference, more a private meeting with some journalists. A big long table had been set for them and we sat on four chairs opposite them. Mihara san and I were wearing white, while Jo and Tsuyoshi were in black jackets. Night and day…

Since I didn’t talk, my eyes rested on each the interviewers‘ legs and feet since I couldn’t really stare at them without embarrassing them.

One didn’t do a proper depilation job on her legs, the other showed brown marks where shoes had been too tight for her feet. Then I raised my head and had a look at their faces. Somehow I couldn’t connect the legs and the face.

Behind them, photographers were shooting us as we were laughing, smiling, recalling amusing anecdotes…

The Noism supporters came shortly after we finished the interview. They were allowed to attend the rehearsal and sit quietly in the back seats of the room.

The were first treated with a tech rehearsal of PLAY 2 PLAY, ie. Just lights and spacing. Then we had our first run through complete with light, costume, set design and music.

Now I see what PLAY 2 PLAY is really going to be on stage! Jo really has a talent for lighting design. The Yves Klein blue, nine-bodied costume by Mihara finally made sense and brought a powerful element.

Jo had found a solution for the moment when all the pillars have to be moved to the side and leave the stage completely bare. The first idea was similar to what he did before the finale in NINA: the curtain falls, pitch black in the theatre while the music would play.

But now I saw something I had caught on the backstage screens yesterday: Jo created a twilight-like atmosphere and let the audience see the dancers push the pillars to the right side. With the combination of the music, you really have the feeling to witness the end of an ancient world. Götterdämmerung.

Or the twilight of our world…?

Sound installation in the theatre

It was so windy today! I nearly flew up in the sky. Well actually, I fell twice from my bike as the wind was blowing strongly on the side.

Almost comical.

I set the sound installation this afternoon. The music can be heard even in the toilets! Three spaces: the main theatre foyer, the stairways (the architect has designed a whole maze of stairways and paths that wrap the theatre like a nest - that said, the theatre is shaped like an egg…) the path that leads to the left wing entrance and the main room itself.  I really do feel I want to have a projection on one of the wall. But time is running out and we won’t have the opportunity to do it.

The second step will be to set the speakers so that they’re not too visible. I would love to ask Tsuyoshi, but he’s busy watching the lighting design process. Once again, Jo isn’t really satisfied with the light designer’s propositions. No dramatic sense, lights that changes colour and shape without reason… But we have more time to set all the details, although I have the inkling that Jo will end up doing the lights himself... Still week or so to go. Goodness gracious me! It’s so near!!!!

In full bloom

D-day -8!!!!

I had to do some changes in this new cello section. Even if he liked the music, it appeared that the cello was much too talkative and thus, would compel Jo to alter in the choreography. I felt the same way too, even if I really loved what the cello was bringing.

So I toned it down, and removed nearly half of what Christophe had played for me.

They still haven’t tried with the new version. I just hope it’s going to be fine.

Tsuyoshi is here now and it’s great fun to have him around. He was so eager to be physically present during the rehearsals and certainly felt restless, away in his Parisian office, while we were having all the fun here.

Of course, his contribution is minimal because his set design has been conceived before Jo and I started our work.

His humour and kindness are really welcome!

Sakura are in full bloom. I walk in a pink paradise each time I walk past the temple garden before reaching the theatre.

Tsuyoshi seems to have brought spring and sunshine with him, for the weather has been gorgeous the past three days.

On Sunday, we will have a press conference, followed by an open rehearsal for the fans…

That shall be the first time the four of us (Jo, Tsuyoshi Mihara-san and I) are together.

I will merely have to sit still and look pretty and exotic next to them, seeing that I’m the only non-Japanese around, ha ha!

The old man

I had sent Christophe the music sheet of the new part I wanted him to record for me. Thanks to the magic of internet, all that is made possible.

The sheet was scanned to be used in the program as well. The photographer had only made headshots of me and my two pages in the program were more a display of me as a pretty boy in the theatre than a stage music composer.

So I picked the only decent picture of me and Jo talking to each other and suggested to use the music sheets instead. Anyway, Mihara-san was asked to draw a sketch of his costume, so the idea was coherent. The result, now, is satisfactory. I managed to have pictures of Isabelle and Christophe included on my page as well.

So the new cello parts arrived yesterday night. I quickly added them in the music and, by my troth, how right I was!

Now this third movement  is well balanced. I no longer have this sensation of a desert with all these bits of cello phrases. This exercise was a little draft for a future cello piece I want to write.

When I arrived at the theatre, Jo told me had found the old man to read the text, 'Der Abschied’ that he now wants to include for the Slowly we waltz movement.

I wasn’t particularly keen on the idea. I thought the effect would be too self indulgent and sentimental, especially since the cello already brings quite an emotional charge.

Yuta tried all possible ways to read it. But Jo came to the conclusion that he was too young to express its depth. The text required a person of some maturityin life. So why not pick someone on the street?

We did some recording with this charming old man. He was an ordinary elderly likeable monsieur  who had always lived in Niigata and who was very excited to be part of the creative process.

Apparently, Jo was not totally satisfied with the outcome. The man surely brought out his personal experience in the delivery of the poem - his sister had died two days ago…

Yet he didn’t quite catch the universal beauty of it.

Surprising? Not really. This inclusion of spoken words has to be really well polished to create the right effect.

I understand what Jo wanted, but I wonder whether ten days were sufficient to do achieve what he had in mind…

Nine more days!!!!!

The sakuras are in full bloom today. Paradise for two weeks. Everyone was out taking pictures. I couldn’t make one step without stopping to admire them… and take pictures!

Feel so good today

My first real day off in Niigata. I woke up late, had breakfast at Starbucks (yes, I could have done better for that one), then bought a sleek and elegant fancy beige jacket. At HMV I heard a very catchy song, So good today, by Manchester based singer Ben Westbeech, the kind of tune that brings sunshine in the morning, whence the title. I don’t know why I didn’t write down the correct name and later made the research under James Westbeech…

The Korean trainee was there at HMV browsing for new music. So I got him to buy the new Macy Gray album…

Then we went to Foodelic for lunch. The waitress there can speak French, and I had brought my self taught Japanese method with me. Lunch became a pleasureable four hour long lesson. And I could see how much I had progressed in Japanese!!! Not enough to perform in a Kabuki play, but at least, I start to really feel the language.

Then I suggested we biked to the river to watch the sakura. The sun was going down and the sky started to have the same colour as those beautiful and delicate flowers.

Just one of those magical moments.

Tomorrow, I shall make my way to the beach.

Sakura

After the run through last Sunday, I felt slightly dissatisfied with the third movement. Jo had asked me to extend the beginning and I tried to comply and come up with something. Now it feels like an addition, not a natural flow of the music. As I told him, it’s more difficult to make an small addition look natural than write a whole new movement. I might be the only one to feel that. The music has been composed so quickly, I now feel some parts need to be honed - or re-recorded. But how could I do that when I’m here and Isabelle and Christophe are in Paris…

So I wrote a cello line that will give this beginning the fluidity I hope it can reach.

Miki-san has been asking about a recording company, but it’s too late now. Unless a miracle happens, I don’t see how we could have a cd ready for the show in two weeks…

I thought of having it available for download online, but Beppe has been postponing the task, so I guess there will be nothing this time.

Quel dommage.

The sakura trees are about to bloom in a couple of days. The city has installed a lantern promenade along the river to give a more in intimate effect when people walk under the sakura at night; It’s going to be beautiful. That’s one of the main topics at the moment! We’re going to have a nice sakura party. Picnic under the trees on the river. Just need a nice, warmer weather…

Hikari

The Japanese have certainly brought the concept of cute to its extreme.

When something is cute, it’s totally impossible to say something about it. As if the mind has been numbed with some drug and is incapable of any fair judgement. I cannot help but be completely fascinated by this cute phenomenon, even if, once sober, I wouldn’t even think of liking it.

I enjoy to bask in Cuteland!

I found myself at HMV yesterday and saw a whole gathering of young crowd. They were waiting in line to meet and shake hand with a new young artist, Hayashi Naojiro, who was launching his debut single Hikari. There I saw a perfect embodiment of cute. Handsomely cute with the cutest smile to have everyone drop on the floor at his sight. There was a joy to say that word to describe him. Because the song they were playing on repeat wasn’t particularly striking. A well... cute melody with a none too risky ut pleasant arrangement. I was however surprised by the warmth of his baritone voice. I wonder what kind of future he’s going to have in this music business jungle.

I’m now working on this music installation that I proposed to do for the theatre. Jo was enthusiastic about it. I’m going to use this poem, Der Abschied, which is taken from Gustav Mahler’s song cycle, Das Lied von der Erde. It was apparently two old Chinese poems in their German translation combined into one. Mahler subsequently made a few alterations and added the final line. Ewig… ewig (eternally… eternaly…)

This word I used as the sole word for the finale sung by Isabelle. This finale is really the crowning of the whole journey that is PLAY 2 PLAY.

If I didn’t manage one more time to write happy music, I at least could gear my music to end on a hopeful, if not positive note. I would say serene.

This music is really mirroring what I have been through the past year. A year of letting go, facing my old demons, leaving what wasn’t mine to carry, cutting unnecessary bonds… Those struggles and resolutions find their way in the music. Now I wonder what is going to happen. I see the world of possibilities in front of me. It’s impressive and frightening. But it’s my life and I’m so proud to live it.

The installation is conceived as an introduction to the ballet. I didn’t want people to arrive at the theatre and follow their habitual routine.

I created three spaces: Ewig, Der Abschied, and M/F. The first two are based on the poem, when the third one is a dry description of what the dancers are doing on stage, backed by a minimalist rhythm track.

The theatre offers plenty of room and space for the installation. I also would like to make a video of Sawako simply staring at the camera. Like a live portrait. Yes, I got that idea from the Bob Wilson exhibition I saw in New York. The difference is that I want those images to be projected randomly on the ground, and on one of the white walls of the theatre. As if somewhere the show had already taken place before the audience actually sees it.