| Adios Nonino (2005) (Astor Piazzolla, arr.) | 2:30 |
| three 13-string kotos | |
| Piazzolla is known as the world's foremost composer of tangos. This arrangement explores both the aggressive and the lyrical sides of koto playing, with percussive effects and long melodic lines traded between instruments. | |
| Amethyst Overtones (2004) (mp3) (rm) | 9:00 |
| clarinet in A, Japanese 21-string koto | |
| This is the first of many pieces written for koto player Ryuko Mizutani. The music suggests the unpredictable sort of beauty found in the natural formations of precious minerals. | |
| —Available on the CD The Doomsday Project | |
| Blue Rondo a la Take Five (2005) (Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond, arr.) | 4:00 |
| three kotos (13-string, 17-string bass, and 20-string) | |
| These two classics from Brubeck's "Time Out" album actually translate quite naturally to the sound of the koto. "Blue Rondo a la Turk" follows the original piano and alto sax lines quite closely, with the third koto adding some commentary. "Take Five" is treated a bit more freely, with scraped strings taking the place of the drumbeat. In the middle section, the two tunes are played simultaneously, which is quite tricky for the players. | |
| Garota da Ipanema (The Girl from Ipanema) (2005) (Antonio Carlos Jobim, arr.) | 4:00 |
| shakuhachi and three kotos (13-string, 17-string bass, and 20-string) | |
| In this arrangement of a great jazz standard, the kotos emulate the sound of a Latin percussion section, string bass, piano, and a blaring horn section - while the shakuhachi (bamboo flute) dances with the melody on top. | |
|
How Can I Keep From Singing? (My Life Flows On In Endless Song) (2004) (trad. American, arr.) | 3:00 |
| clarinet in B-flat, Japanese 21-string koto | |
| A calm and inviting setting of a very pretty tune, making use of characteristic koto techniques such as tremolos, glissandos, and harmonics. | |
| Je Te Veux (2005) (Erik Satie, arr.) | 5:30 |
| three kotos (13-string, 17-string bass, and 20-string) | |
| Satie's original is a charming light-hearted piece of salon music, available as a song or a solo piano piece. To make a colorfully varied arrangement, the kotos make extensive use of harmonics, percussive effects, trading melodic lines, and the players even get to sing! | |
| Meong Yuda (Warrior Cat) (2004) | 9:00 |
| Japanese 20-string koto, Balinese gamelan angklung (14 players) | |
| excerpt from the beginning (mp3) (rm) — excerpt from the middle (mp3) (rm) | |
| A truly cross-cultural work, combining my years of experience playing gamelan music and my developing understanding of the koto with my love for rock and funk music. I'm also contemplating an arrangement for electric guitar and gamelan... | |
| —Available on koto player Ryuko Mizutani's CD Vista | |
| Meong Yuda (Warrior Cat) (2004-2005) | 9:00 |
| four Japanese kotos (21-string koto, 17-string bass koto, and two 13-string kotos) and Balinese gamelan angklung (14 players) |
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| This expanded arrangement is my preferred version of the piece, with the koto ensemble balanced against the Balinese ensemble. The premiere was one of the highlights of my musical life. | |
| —Available on the CD A Mental Picnic | |
| My Favorite Things (2005) (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein, arr.) | 3:30 |
| three 13-string kotos | |
| This arrangement is largely inspired by saxophonist John Coltrane's quartet performance from 1961, which adds melodic freedom and a very appealing post-bebop harmonic accompaniment. Another surprise is the 5-beat waltz section. | |
| Sakura (traditional Japanese, arr.) (2003) (mp3) (rm) | 3:00 |
| SATB chorus, accompanied by piano or Japanese 21-string koto | Koto part |
| I tried to approach the tune in more of an Eastern than a Western fashion, so this arrangement has a meditative feel, with the piano or koto providing an atmospheric accompaniment. The choral part presents the familiar tune with intriguing twists, such as melodic inversion, rhythmic augmentation, and stretto. | Choral/piano part |
| Sakura (2005) (trad. Japanese, arr.) | 3:30 |
| shakuhachi and three 13-string kotos | |
| First we have the shakuhachi playing the melody in a high register, accompanied by freely diatonic cluster harmonies and long pedal notes. Next the melody is somewhat hidden and jumps from one instrument to the next as the kotos play quicker material. This gives way to a vast landscape, with all four instruments playing fragments of the melody at their own speed. The brief closing has the kotos gracefully floating notes up and down. | |