Domain (1978)
by Joji Yuasa
Composed in 1978, this piece came about in response to a question, a challenge, I had set myself, namely, how I might explore the possibilities of the domain if the solo flute.
On the one hand, I tried to extend the capability of the instrument by applying such contemporary techniques as multiphonics, hollow tones and whistle tones, and adding some special kinds of tonguing and attacks. On the other hand, it might be said that I set about to bring into being a new sort of musicality, one which is admittedly rooted in the Japanese tradition way of thinking. This is not only related to sonic gestures themselves, such as we find in the musical behaviors of, for example, Bunraku or Noh music, but also relates to the fundamental structure of sound itself.
These issues closely match my ongoing concern with temporal construction in music. This piece was written for the flutist Hiroshi Koizumi and premiered by him at a Japanese Society for Contemporary Music concert in February 1978.