Triptyque was written on the commission of Austrian conductor Kurt Wöss, who was then Principal Conductor of the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Japan. Wöss gave its premiere with the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in December 1953, and the score was subsequently published in the Soviet Union after Akutagawa’s visit there between 1954 and 1955.
Akutagawa had taken the title of his work from Polish-born composer Alexandre Tansman’s Triptyque (1930). The idea of a triptych indeed informs Akutagawa’s conception of the work: although the three movements in Triptyque are separate, they are intrinsically linked through the repeated use of the opening rhythmic figure. The vibrant first movement starts off by presenting this propulsive rhythmic figure that permeates through the texture. While the second-movement Berceuse (lullaby) exhibits a sharp contrast with the first movement, the rhythmic figure has nevertheless remained an integral part of the lyrical theme. Its presence is also highlighted by means of a special playing technique, where the cello- and viola-players are asked to knock on the body of their instruments. The third movement then brings back the rhythmic figure in its reversed form, and this infuses the music with the momentum that drives towards a festive end.
Yasushi Akutagawa (1925–1989)
Yasushi Akutagawa was born and raised in Tabata, Tokyo. His initial interest in music was developed through listening to records of Stravinsky’s music inherited from his father, the renowned novelist Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, who tragically committed suicide when Yasushi was only 2. Akutagawa subsequently received formal musical training at Tokyo Music School, where he studied composition with Kunihiko Hashimoto, Kanichi Shimofusa and Akira Ifukube. After his graduation, Akutagawa became close with Ikuma Dan and Toshirō Mayuzumi, and they together formed the ‘Group of Three’ to organise concerts of their own works.
Unlike many of his mentors and peers who studied in the West, Akutagawa was particularly intrigued by Russian music, and this led him in 1954 to illegally enter into the Soviet Union with which Japan had no diplomatic relations at the time. During his visit, he befriended Shostakovich, Khachaturian and Kabalevsky, and the influence of Russian style are evident in his works. Upon his return to Japan, Akutagawa founded the New Symphony Orchestra and held dedicated concert series to promote Japanese symphonic music. They were then jointly presented the prestigious Suntory Music Award in recognition of their contribution to the development of art music in Japan.
Concert notes originally commissioned for the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Beethoven’s ‘Pastoral’ Symphony, conducted by Yutaka Sado. Thursday 11 and Friday 12 November 2021, City Halls, Glasgow.
© Kelvin H. F. Lee