PORTFOLIO

Manaka Matsumoto: Soliloquy for the Left Hand (2015) Piano: Chuhan Zhang This piece is based on my interpretation of the “To Be or Not to Be” soliloquy from William Shakespeare’s "Hamlet", in which the titular character contemplates whether or not he should commit suicide. I composed this piece for piano left hand so that the performance challenges reflect Hamlet’s turbulent inner struggle, and the dissonant harmonies, repeated motifs and blurry pacing illustrate his hesitancy and wavering conscience. I would like to thank pianist Chuhan Zhang for this gorgeous interpretation, as well as her time and dedication to learning this piece. 松元愛香：「左手ピアノのための独白（シェイクスピア「ハムレット」より"To Be or Not to Be"の独白について）」 演奏：Chuhan Zhang この曲は、シェイクスピアの悲劇「ハムレット」で、主人公のハムレットが語る独白 ”To Be or Not to Be - 生きるか死ぬか – “を題材にしています。この曲を、ピアノを左手だけで演奏するために作曲したのは、両手で演奏するより難度が高いことにより、演奏法に於いてでも、ハムレットの激しい心の葛藤を描きました。さらに、不協和音・繰り返されるモチーフ・行き先が想像できない進行によって、彼の揺らぐ心とためらいを表現しました。 Manaka Matsumoto Official Website: https://manakamusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebeetheviolinist/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebeetheviolinist

M. Matsumoto: "Le Moustique" for microtonal violin solo (2015). This piece was originally written in 2015 for a duet with microtonal violin and muted viola, with the two instruments playing the roles of the narrator and mosquito, respectively. This piece was re-arranged for solo violin in 2017. 松元愛香：微分音ヴァイオリン独奏のための小品《蚊》 _______________________________ "One summer day, when I was sitting alone in a room, I was plagued by the unseen yet very much audible presence of a mosquito right next to my face. After several minutes of frustration and borderline insanity, I could sense that it was very, very close to my ear for at least ten seconds. I then did the first (and stupidest) thing that came to my mind: I slapped the side of my face very hard. "All I ended up with was a sore ear, a sore cheek and an overwhelming sense of defeat (not to mention nearly ten bites all over my body) . . . and I could still hear the sound of the mosquito." Manaka Matsumoto Official Website: https://manakamusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebeetheviolinist/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebeetheviolinist

M. Matsumoto: Haiku for Solo Violin (2019) Composition/Performance: Manaka Matsumoto 松元愛香：無伴奏ヴァイオリンのための小品《Haiku》 作曲・演奏：松元愛香 Haiku (n. /ˈhʌɪku): A Japanese poem of seventeen syllables, in three lines of five, seven and five, traditionally evoking images of the natural world. Haiku is an unaccompanied violin piece written in 2019 that mainly incorporates two sets: the first with five pitches, and the second one with seven. The first consists of the pitches D, E, G, A and B. The second consists of the remaining pitches from the chromatic scale, which make up the Locrian mode: C, C-sharp, D-sharp, F, F-sharp, G-sharp and A-sharp. The piece is in three contrasting sections. The first section is a musical illustration of calligraphy, with each note like a brushstroke. The second is calm and peaceful, and must be played as if reciting a poem out loud. The third and final section is fast and fiery and incorporates microtones, as well as many sounds inspired by Japanese nature. The most notable is the call of the meimuna opalifera, a species of East Asian cicada known in Japan as the “tsuku-tsuku boshi” - it has a very distinct, percussive sound and is a sign of approaching summer. この曲は、 俳句、即ち季語と5・7・5の3句17音を定型とする日本の短詩をイメージしています。この曲の中には二種類の音のモチーフがあり、5・7・5の定型にちなんで、一つは音が５つ、もう一つは音が７つで、両方を合わせるとちょうど西洋音楽の半音階の12音に一致します。《Haiku》は３つの部分に分かれています。最初の部分は感情的で、一音一音が書道の筆跡のようなイメージです。２つ目の部分はやや落ち着いた雰囲気で、まるで朗読を語るような曲調です。そして３つ目の部分は、急速で活発で、微分音*がたくさん使われています。繰り返される騒がしいモチーフは、夏の終わりの風物詩であるツクツクボウシの早鳴きをイメージした音色です。 Manaka Matsumoto Official Website: https://manakamusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebeetheviolinist/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebeetheviolinist

M. Matsumoto: Haiku for solo violin (2019) Composition/Performance: Manaka Matsumoto, violin Audio/Video: Adele Dusenbury (https://www.youtube.com/user/adeledusenbury) Stony Brook University's Staller Center for the Arts, May 13th 2019 松元愛香：無伴奏ヴァイオリンのための小品「haiku」 作曲・演奏：松元愛香 Manaka Matsumoto Official Website: https://manakamusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebeetheviolinist/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebeetheviolinist

M. Matsumoto: Phantasy after "Salome" for violin and piano (2017). Based on themes from Richard Strauss's opera "Salome" (1905). Composition/Violin: Manaka Matsumoto Piano: Kaeko Suzuki (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpKblWzk32A6Nl2py4B1yfg) Salome is a princess from the New Testament of the Bible, and is infamous for her influential role in the beheading of John the Baptist. Her unexpected violence contrasting with her beautiful exterior became the subject of a frenzied fascination, remembered as a "femme fatale" by 19th Century European artists and audiences alike. One of the most influential interpretations of the character is the 1905 opera by Richard Strauss, set to a German translation of the 1891 French play by Oscar Wilde. While incorporating many motifs and themes from the original opera, the structure of "Phantasy after "Salome"" is based on the opera's most famous number: the Dance of the Seven Veils. This is the dance that Salome's stepfather Herod commands her to dance in exchange of her ultimate desire: the head of John the Baptist. In my piece, I wanted to incorporate not just the exotic and erotic nature of the dance, but elements of Salome's emotional and psychological development, as she transitions from a victim of desire to that of a woman with desire. 松元愛香：《サロメ》による幻想曲 （R. シュトラウスのオペラ《サロメ》について） 作曲・ヴァイオリン：松元愛香 ピアノ：鈴木華重子 この曲は、リヒャルト・シュトラウスのオペラ《サロメ》を題材にして、ヴァイオリンとピアノのために新たに作曲した幻想曲です。 サロメは、古代パレスチナの王女で「新約聖書」の登場人物でもあり、洗礼者ヨハネの首を求めたということで有名です。美しい娘から想像できないその残酷さが、数々の作家や画家に刺激を与え、特に19世紀ヨーロッパでは、彼女のことは「ファム・ファタール（魔性の女）」として描かれることが多いです。その中でシュトラウスは、イギリスの劇作家のオスカー・ワイルドの戯曲《サロメ》の台本のドイツ語訳を元にして、2年かけてオペラ《サロメ》を作りました。 この「《サロメ》による幻想曲」は、原作からたくさんのテーマやモチーフを使っていますが、主に「７つのヴェールの踊り」という曲の形式とテーマを元にして作りました。サロメの義理の父であるヘロデ王が「踊ったら欲しいものを何でも与える」と宣言したことによって、踊った後にサロメはヨハネの首を要求します。私はこの曲で、サロメの美貌や色気だけでなく、彼女の内面や感情の動きをさらに表現したいと思いを、シュトラウスの音楽を通して描いています。 Manaka Matsumoto Official Website: https://manakamusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebeetheviolinist/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebeetheviolinist

Art: Aiko Kuno (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv8oVwB37mAVgoCB__GFoCw) Violin/Composition: Manaka Matsumoto Dance Suite for Solo Violin "Terpsichore" (2018) - live painting × live performance collaboration I. Prelude: Ouverture Romanes II. Pavane without a Partner (4:11) III. Adagio - Danse Macabre (8:44) Filmed August 8th, 2019. 絵画：久野安依子（https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv8oVwB37mAVgoCB__GFoCw） ヴァイオリン独奏・作曲：松元愛香 ヴァイオリンと絵画のコラボレーション「無伴奏ヴァイオリンのための舞踏組曲《テルプシコレ》」 I. ロマンス風の序曲 II. 相手がいないパヴァーヌ III. アダージオ・死の舞 Manaka Matsumoto Official Website: https://manakamusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebeetheviolinist/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebeetheviolinist

Dance Suite for Solo Violin "Terpsichore" (2018): I. Ouverture Composition/Performance: Manaka Matsumoto 「無伴奏ヴァイオリンのための舞踏組曲《テルプシコレ》」 第１楽章：ロマンス風の序曲 作曲・演奏：松元愛香 Manaka Matsumoto Official Website: https://manakamusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebeetheviolinist/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebeetheviolinist

Dance Suite for Solo Violin "Terpsichore" (2018): II. Pavane without a Partner Composition/Performance: Manaka Matsumoto 「無伴奏ヴァイオリンのための舞踏組曲《テルプシコレ》」 第２楽章：相手のいないパヴァーヌ 作曲・演奏：松元愛香 Manaka Matsumoto Official Website: https://manakamusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/littlebeetheviolinist/ FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/littlebeetheviolinist