Out on Friday 9th April, HachiRen is the upcoming EP from Chihiro Ono on Nonclassical. Combining fragments of violin melody with field recording and experimental electronics, the four movement suite is inspired by the life of iconic Japanese composer Taki Rentarō, drawing on themes from his song Kojo-no-Tsuki alongside an anonymous folk song from the Edo period, Sakura Sakura.
“I made this little set of pieces to share the story of the iconic Japanese composer, Taki Rentarō. His musical life had many Western influences, yet he never lost the strong core of his nation in his heart, which I can relate to. Doi Bansui’s words and Rentarōs music resonate strongly with me. The moon is always shining equally upon us, with or without us, whatever happens to our lives. The moon sees all and life go on with “Mujo” - the world is impermanent.” – Chihiro Ono
About Taki Rentarō
Taki Rentarō was a Japanese musician and composer alive during the Meiji era, and was one of the leading musicians of the period.
Having completed his studies at the Tokyo Music School (now the Tokyo University of the Arts) in 1989, Taki travelled to Germany in 1901 to attend the Hochschule fur Musik und Theater “Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy” Leipzig, studying piano, composition and counterpoint. Sadly, after only two months his health declined and he returned to Japan a year later. On June 29, 1903, he died at the young age of 23.
Kojo-no-Tsuki
“Rentarō’s ‘Kojo-no-Tsuki’ is my favourite Japanese hymn, as to me it embodies the many aspects of Japanese identity.” – Chihiro Ono
‘Kojo-no-Tsuki’ (‘The Moon over the Ruined Castle’) was published on 30 March 1901, shortly before Rentarō moved to Leipzig. Using text written by Japanese academic and poet, Doi Bansui, the song combines a form of Japanese lyric poetry called ‘Shichi-go-chou’ with a monodic texture akin to Gregorian chant. ‘Kojo-no-Tsuki’ was first published in a collection of songs for Junior High School music lessons, its distinct melody and lack of accompaniment making it a popular choice for teachers. Initially made popular by Japanese tenor Yoshie Fujiwara, the song has made many appearances in different genres of music world wide. It can be recognised in a Belgian hymn, a track by the German metal band Scorpions, and an arrangement of the song made by Yamada Ko-saku appears in the Hollywood blockbuster La La Land in the form of Thelonius Monk’s ‘Japanese Folk Song’.
