Japanese Overture
General Info
Year: 1997
Duration: 00:06:30
Difficulty: Intermediate
Publisher: Propercussa
Commissioner: 1997 Japanese Percussion Festival
Cost: Score and Parts - $18.00 | Score Only - $0.00
Movements
Instrumentation
Player 1: Xylophone & Glockenspiel
Player 2: Vibraphone
Player 3: Marimba
Player 4: Marimba
Player 5: Bass Marimba
Player 6: Chinese Cymbal & kata-kata & Woodblock & high pitched Daikos (or low bongo drum)
Player 7: Maracas & 2 medium pitched Daikos (or 2 low pitched congas)
Player 8: Bamboo Wind Chimes & 2 low pitched Daikos (or 2 low tom-toms)
Premiere Details
Players: Tomoyuki Okada Percussion Ensemble
Program Notes
On my way back from Tokyo to Brazil in 1996, a Brazilian lady sitting next to me on the plane told me her story of how she came to live in Japan many years ago. As a young lady from a poor family, she left her small and quiet city in Northeastern Brazil, and went to Japan to work in a factory and live in Tokyo, a huge and developed city. I wrote this piece based on her story and dreams.
In the first part Lento e Rubato, a sustaining pedal tone in the mallets, together with some Japanese wooden sounds on the percussion instruments, introduces the main motives to be used on the work. The themes used are in the dorian mode, creating an atmosphere of Northeastern Brazilian music, and a citation of the Japanese children song, Sakura Sakura (Cherry Blossom) can be heard throughout the composition. During the allegro part, a dialog between the mallets and drums played in the Japanese daiko style is be established. After the cadenza – open to improvisation by the daiko drums – the main themes are recapitulated before a coda in a faster tempo closes the work.
Awards
Commercial Discography
Recent Performances
Works for Percussion by this Composer
Solo Work
Bem-Vindo - Vibraphone
Brazil 500 Years - Multiple Percussion
Cenas Amerindias N.1 and N.2 - Multiple Percussion
Choro Bachiano - Marimba
My Dear Friend - Vibraphone
Prelude and Blues - Vibraphone
Reflexos - Multiple Percussion
Seven Brazilian Children Songs - Marimba
Sonata Lebensabschnitte - Vibraphone/Marimba
Sonatina para caixa clara - Snare Drum
Suite Popular - Marimba
Ten Beginning Studies for Multiple Percussion - Multiple Percussion
Three Moods - Marimba
Three Preludes - Marimba
Toccata and Divertimento - Vibraphone/Marimba
Valencia (solo) - Marimba
Variações para quatro tom-toms - Multiple Percussion
Variações sobre um tema do Rio Grande - Marimba
Variations over Evelyn Glennie's "A Little Prayer" - Marimba
Vibes Etudes and Songs - Vibraphone
Concertos
Concerto for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble (Rosauro) - Marimba; Percussion Ensemble
Concerto for Marimba and Orchestra (Rosauro) - Marimba; String Orchestra
Concerto for Marimba and Symphonic Band (Rosauro) - Marimba; Symphonic Band
Concerto for Marimba and Brass Band (Rosauro) - Marimba; Orchestra
Concerto No. 2 for Marimba and Orchestra (Rosauro) - Marimba; Orchestra
Concerto No. 2 for Marimba and String Orchestra (Rosauro) - Marimba; String Orchestra
Concerto No. 2 for Marimba and Wind Ensemble (Rosauro) - Marimba; Wind Ensemble
Concerto No. 2 for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble (Rosauro) - Marimba; Percussion Ensemble
Concerto for Timpani and String Orchestra (Rosauro) - Timpani; String Orchestra
Concerto for Timpani and Wind Ensemble (Rosauro) - Timpani; Wind Ensemble
Concerto for Timpani and Brass Band (Rosauro) - Timpani; Brass Band
Concerto for Timpani and Percussion Ensemble (Rosauro) - Timpani; Percussion Ensemble
Concerto for Vibraphone and Orchestra (Rosauro) - Vibraphone; Orchestra
Concerto for Vibraphone and Percussion Ensemble (Rosauro) - Vibraphone;Percussion Ensemble
Concerto No. 2 for Vibraphone and Orchestra (Rosauro) - Vibraphone; Orchestra
Concerto No. 2 for Vibraphone and String Orchestra (Rosauro) - Vibraphone; String Orchestra
Concerto No. 2 for Vibraphone and Percussion Ensemble (Rosauro) - Vibraphone; Percussion Ensemble
Double Concerto for Marimba and Timpani and Orchestra - Marimba; Timpani; Orchestra
Double Concerto for Marimba and Timpani and Chamber Orchestra - Marimba; Timpani; Chamber Orchestra
Double Concerto for Marimba and Timpani and Symphonic Band - Marimba; Timpani; Symphonic Band
Double Concerto for Marimba and Timpani and Percussion Ensemble - Marimba; Timpani; Percussion Ensemble
Rhapsody for Solo Percussion and Jazz Ensemble- Multiple Percussion; Jazz Ensemble
Rhapsody for Solo Percussion and Orchestra - Multiple Percussion; Orchestra
Rhapsody for Solo Percussion and Piano - Multiple Percussion; Piano
Rhapsody for Solo Vibraphone and Percussion Ensemble - Vibraphone; Percussion Ensemble (8)
Suite Brazil 500 for Solo Percussion and Orchestra - Multiple Percussion; Orchestra
Suite Brazil 500 for Solo Percussion and Wind Ensemble - Multiple Percussion; Wind Ensemble
Suite Brazil 500 for Solo Percussion and Percussion Ensemble - Multiple Percussion; Percussion Ensemble
Suite Brazil 500 for Solo Percussion and Piano - Multiple Percussion; Piano
Percussion Ensemble
A Message to a Friend - Percussion Duo
Cadencia para Berimbau - Percussion Quartet
Cenas Brasileiras, Baiao and Frevo - Percussion Quartet
Five Cirandas Brasileiras - Vibraphone; Marimba
Fred No Frevo - Marimba Quartet
Japanese Overture - Percussion Octet
Mitos Brasileiros (Brasilian Myths) - Percussion Quartet
Samba (no. 3 of Brazilian Scenes) - Percussion Sextet
Suite Popular Brasileira - Percussion Sextet
Two Brazilian Steel Dances - Percussion Ensemble (7) - Steel Drums
Valencia - Percussion Ensemble (11); Double Bass
MOTHER EARTH, FATHER SKY - Percussion Octet
Additional Resources