1. Prelude – Winter
2. First interlude – Spring
3. Second interlude – Summer
4. Postlude – Autumn 

In Gagaku, an ancient Japanese form of music, the idea of the “toki no koe” (voice of time) has a unique cultural depth. This concept links the atmosphere of sound created by the tones to the sense of the seasons and seeks to enjoy the tones according to the four seasons, inviting us to bask in their ever-changing beauty. Each mode of Gagaku mirrors the four seasons in a captivating way: So-jo (G Mixolydian) in spring; Oshiki-cho (A Dorian) in summer; Hyo-jo (E Dorian) in Autumn; and Banshiki-cho (B Dorian) in winter, with each mode capturing the very essence of its respective season. Furthermore, each mode was initially associated with the Chinese five-element philosophy and has meanings not only with the seasons but also with directions, colours, planets, the yin-yang philosophy, and so on. This multilayered conception of mode and tone is also essential for understanding Japanese religious rituals and the traditional Japanese music that originated from them. 

The idea of “toki no koe” encouraged me to compose four pieces that should be a “bridge” connecting the new works by the five composers. Beginning with a winter prelude, we listen to the transition of the four seasons and then return to autumn after a year (because this festival is Warsaw Autumn!). In other words, I envision the entire program of this concert as a picture scroll of the four seasons. 

Yu Kuwabara