Facing the World’s Pain with Music: An interview with Ko Matsushita

This month’s Composer Spotlight guest is Ko Matsushita – a prolific Japanese composer whose vibrant choral works have gained international attention. He studied music composition at Kunitachi College of Music and conducting Kodály Institute (Hungary), and his music includes Masses and motets, as well as works based on traditional Japanese music. His works are published in Japan by Edition KAWAI, Pana Musica Edition, and overseas by SULASOL (Finland), Carus-Verlag Stuttgart (Germany), Annie Bank Edition (the Netherlands) Porfiri & Horváth Publishers (Germany) and Santa Barbara Music Publishing (USA) among others. He is currently a special guest professor of Kobe College.

In response to the Covid19 Pandemic that has swept the globe, Ko recently wrote a beautiful choral work called “To Live” – a gorgeous remembrance of those things that are all too often taken for granted. What is the “behind-the-scenes” story of your latest work “To Live”? Have you collaborated with Shuntaro Tanikawa on other projects?

With the spread of Covid-19 infection, the feeling of obstruction around the world is increasing than ever. This virus is unforgivable as it is not only killing humans, but also robbing the "love" and "trust" that connect us. Living does not simply mean existing biologically. A person cannot live alone. People can live because they trust, love and help each other. This is society. I felt the risk that this principle may collapse due to the spread of this virus. Just by thinking that the other person may be “Positive”, people move away from one another. We can't shake hands, hug, or kiss each other’s cheeks. Of course, we can't sing together.

In this era, thinking what I could do as a composer, I wrote this song. Hoping that damaged hearts will feel better.

Shuntaro Tanikawa, the poet who wrote the text of this song, is a leading superstar poet in Japan. I've collaborated with him countless times. This time as well, I told him my concept of composition and he fully agreed with me. Also, at the end of the song, I added the word "Gambaro (Let’s do our best)" in many languages, and he kindly agreed to that too.

In other words, this song "To Live" is not only from me, but from both Mr. Tanikawa and me.

What is life “in quarantine” like for you as a composer?

Fortunately, I am working - quite busy every day. I have more time than ever when comparing with times of instructing and conducting my choirs. In place of such activity, I have more time to carefully work over a plot of composition. Also, I now have time to think about the publishing service, which is a new business of the International Choral Organization of Tokyo, where I serve as the CEO.

Depending on whether you consider that you “need to stay at home” or you “are lucky to be able to stay at home”, I think that the extent and variety of things that you can create will differ.

We Japanese have experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Even in my hometown Tokyo, our lifeline was cut off and daily necessities were not supplied. At that period, I wrote the song "Horane (You see)", to support the damaged regions, but when comparing to then, personally I feel that our livings are not so troubled.

Taking a few steps back, how did your journey into music begin?

I have been learning the piano since I was a little child, and when I was in the second year of junior high school, my teacher urged me that "You don't have any musical talent, so should stop", and I once gave up music. In disappointment, despair, and without any hope, I enrolled in a general high school in Tokyo, where I met “Chorus”. Until then, I was absorbed in the piano, but here I came across the wonder of "music made with fellows." What a wonderful world it was! There, I learned the "connection and trust between people", which is more important than "techniques" of music. During this high school time, I once again wished and was convinced to follow the path of music. This high school may have been the greatest gift that God gave me.

What’s your first memory of music?

I have a lot of experience with piano in my childhood, but I don't think these experiences really moved me. Looking back, I only found "piano" in music in these times. In other words, I was constantly devoting myself to practice the piano, and was cut off from the excitement of other music. I still can't forget the stage of the qualifying round of the chorus competition in Tokyo, that I participated with the school choir in my first year of high school. It is no exaggeration to mention that this was when I was really moved by music for the first time.

Do you have a favorite sound?

The sound of nature. At this time of year, I can hear the chirping of birds flying through the trees as I take a walk. I remember the joy I had when I was studying abroad, when spring came to the hills of Budapest.

I also love the sound of the river murmuring and the sound of the ocean waves.

Every year, I have a summer camp with my student chorus in the mountains. During the camp, we always go to a waterfall and sing there. It is a wonder that the sound of the splash of this waterfall matches the Just intonation. After all, God's creations might fit well with each other.

What’s the inspiration behind Japanese Game? For those who may be unfamiliar with the intense physicality and choreography of this music (clapping, stomping, leaping), can you give us some context to understanding the various gestures and their meaning? How do you approach this aspect of artistic creation?

“Japanese Game” means the “Japanese Words Game”. The pronunciation and rhythm of the Japanese language itself is interesting. This poem was also written by Shuntaro Tanikawa, who I talked about in the beginning of this interview.

The music was designed to show the fun of the Japanese rhythm, so I did not give any choreographic instructions, and was not expecting any. However, a Singaporean choir performed this song with the choreography. I was quite surprised to see such an idea and expression.

In other words, that choreography is from the free expression of the performer, not the intention of the composer.

 You’ve written a powerful, energetic sacred work entitled O lux beata Trinitas. How did you approach setting this text? What attracts you to these ancient Christian texts?

The image that pierces this song is influenced by the word “Lux”. In this text, I feel the strength of the will, the strength of faith, and the strength of the existence of God, these three strengths. The strength of this "trinity" creates "hope."

I composed this song as the "Prayer of Hope". In the same period of time, I composed "O salutaris Hostia" as the "Deep Prayer", "Pater noster" as the "Daily Prayer" and "Domine, fac me servum pacis tuae" as the "Prayer for Happiness". All these are published from Carus-Verlag Stuttgart (Germany).

All Catholic words are nourishment for my life as a Catholic. I am fortunate as I have the Bible. Any of those words can be music. I will never be exhausted of text.

Outside the classical tradition, are there any musicians or genres toward which you particularly gravitate for inspiration or simply for pleasure?  

I am currently interested in ethnic and folk music. In my work, of course, there is music that comes from new ideas that deviate from the so-called classical European music system. "Heaven-Hyperdimensional purity" (unpublished), which I composed last year, is a new type of performing art that I hope many people would listen to and watch.

As an active composer over the past 20 years, what trends or changes do you see in contemporary concert music? Are there any changes that you would like to see?

Recently, especially in the world of choral music, there is a tendency to favor conservative works, for better or worse.

Composers who produce choral music as works of art should not simply follow the trends of the society.

However, now with the development of media such as SNS, it has become possible to easily understand what kind of songs that choir members prefer, and there are composers who write songs just to meet those trends. Easy to understand, easy to sing, and pleasant to the ear. The number of such "straight-out-of-the-textbook" music has increased. But these are, in other words, a world of "predetermined harmony", which is not exciting.

I find it very scary to pursue popularity too much with art. I also wonder how much music there is that is full of true prayer.I would like to be faithful to the sound that God wants and to the world that I want to draw, even by putting financial factors aside. Even if the music is unacceptable to the public, I want to keep my identity. I hope the number of such composers will increase again.

Inspirational sacred texts and tunes aside, how has your Christian faith shaped your musical life?

As I wrote above, the words of the Bible are my living. It's my greatest pleasure to be able to place music on the words that save me. I also think that it is possible to make music that remains in people’s hearts especially in times of difficulty. It is God who made me notice it.

Mozart, Beethoven, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky ... I think almost every composer is turning their "agony" into music. Music that relies solely on theory without "agony" is very empty thing. I constantly struggle to not make my music into such a thing [as theory].

Are there aspects of your faith that have been influenced by your work in music?

I had a Catholic baptism 13 years ago. My parents were believers in Buddhism, as like the majority of Japanese people. When I entered the world of chorus, through performing masses and motets, I began to struggle with the gap between the content of the song and my actual lifestyle.

Even when I still was a Buddhist, I started to use poetry based on Christianity such as Maria's anthems and motets as the text of my music, and I started to admire and feel easiness in that world. Finally, I was able to be baptized together with my wife. In other words, my faith is 100% guided by music. Without music, we might not have met God. 

Is there any advice that you would offer young composers today?

Please explore the cultures from different countries and regions. Please recognize the diversity of human beings and the diversity of culture. Then, please create a heartfelt piece, through asking yourself what kind of music should you write for this world, what kind of music can heal people who are in trouble and who are suffering, and what kind of music will truly express yourself.

No matter what people say, it is crucial to repeatedly express your "truth" that is within you at that time. It will grow your music and yourself. 

To hear more of Matsushita’s music, please search for Ko Matsushita on YouTube, or visit:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8uWfJZBx5neEXXAA_3KClA

Interview with Ko Matsushita was conducted by Josh Rodriguez via email between April 4 & May 2, 2020. The official website of Ko Matsushita, http://komatsushita.com, is currently under construction.

Photos by Adam Derewecki, 渡邉 一矢 (kazuphotos) and borrowed from various sources online including http://icb.ifcm.net/en_US/matsushita_interview/. All photos used with composer’s permission.

If you are interested in contributing an article or would like to recommend a topic for exploration, please send an email to: josh.rodriguez.music@gmail.com