Since the beginning of time, Japan has been blessed with an amazing nature that also coexists with natural threats such as typhoons, earthquakes and active volcanoes. When I thought about this, I sympathized with the concept of symbiosis and composed my piece based on the idea of the coexistence of nature and humans. The impulse of nature is represented by the “pizzicato” of the violins. The raw, flowing energy is represented by striking the strings with the back of the bow (col legno). In contrast, I have quoted a folk song from Fukushima called “Sohma Nagareyama” to represent the human being. The text is about the longing for home and the fluctuations of time. I wanted to use this folk melody as a symbol for the landscape of the heart. This motif is played by harmonious violins, which I imagine as a flood of sepia colors.
While working on the piece, I also thought about another element with which humanity can never coexist in peace. It was the existence of nuclear power. Since the 1950s, we Japanese have relied more and more on nuclear power as an energy source. We focused on the advantages and benefits of nuclear power and avoided dealing with the risks until the accident happened. Japan has a long history of earthquakes and seismic activity, which have led to tsunamis several times in the past centuries. In my opinion, we should have considered the risks of building and operating nuclear power plants in such an area more thoroughly. With nuclear energy, mankind has produced and benefited from something that we could not control. Now that this accident has happened, the price we have paid is too high and too painful. When I think of this
reality, my heart swells with sorrow. I dedicate “Lamento” to all the people affected by the great earthquake in the East, the tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear tragedy and who continue to suffer.

Malika Kishino