A Japanese-Western Eclectic Table [Cafe Romanticism 10]

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It is very enjoyable to think about the flowers and music that decorate the microcosm on the table during coffee time. I have spent many years collecting various tea utensils and flower vases for this purpose.

It would be easy if I were to stick to a traditional Japanese style with an established aesthetic, but it becomes suddenly difficult when trying to seek elegance and dignity while adapting to a modern Western-style lifestyle.

After trying various things, I found that the Japanese-Western eclectic style from around 100 years ago suited my home the best.

These types of tableware were sold very cheaply a while ago, and I have sets of ten for guests, including blue-and-white and colored gold-brocade ware.

Now, they are called magnificent 100-year-old antiques, and the prices have increased nearly tenfold, so I will likely never be able to buy them again.

I truly enjoyed the poetry gatherings where I invited refined friends to sit around this table, but it is a pity that they have ceased since the pandemic.

Japan 100 years ago was the time when Taisho Romanticism, led by figures like Yumeji Takehisa, was in full bloom, while in Europe, it was the era of Art Nouveau and late Romantic music.

The series of Seno sheet music cover illustrations by Yumeji Takehisa in the photo are magnificent lithographs, and now that art books have been published, they have become extremely popular among collectors.

Among the series, I have collected several Western-style illustrations and rotate them on my Japanese-Western eclectic table according to the season. The Taisho era was a time when Kamakura writers were active in my local area, and romanticist poetry magazines like Myojo and Subaru were appearing one after another.

I put Unohana flowers in a pair of large and small old Oribe sake bottles, ensuring I do not forget the traditional Japanese style.

The atmosphere of this setting should naturally suit Romantic music. Fortunately, in recent years, a wealth of music has been released with excellent performances and recordings, so I will continue to introduce them following the previous post (link below).

Outstanding piano works of the Romantic period, in addition to Chopin and Fauré introduced last time, are the works of Rachmaninoff and Scriabin. The piano music of these four composers strongly exhibits the characteristic features of the Romantic period, such as "graceful melodies," "sophisticated harmonies," and "character pieces."

First, Rachmaninoff's "Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3, No. 1: 'Elegie'."

As for Rachmaninoff's "Morceaux de fantaisie," the "No. 2 Prelude," which begins with chords like bells symbolizing the bells of Moscow, is the most famous, but the "No. 1 Elegie" is more characteristic of the Romantic period. With meditative left-hand accompaniment followed by chords that evoke sorrow, it is an extremely lyrical piece befitting the title "Elegie," and it matches Yumeji's painting in the photo above very well.

Compared to the "Prelude," there are fewer recordings of the "Elegie," but the performance by Jacqueline Leung released this year has become my definitive version. The rise of Chinese-descended performers has been remarkable in recent years, and nearly half of the contestants in this year's Chopin Competition were from China. This performance by Jacqueline Leung is also a Dolby Atmos source, allowing one to savor the reverberations more deeply. Romantic masterpieces are pieces whose lyricism can change significantly depending on the performance and recording. Recent Dolby Atmos sources will likely become the soil in which Romantic music truly demonstrates its value. I look forward to more such excellent performances in the future.

A Dolby Atmos source for Scriabin's "Fantaisie" was also finally released this year.

This album is from a new French label established in 2011 called "La Dolce Volta." This label releases excellent sources, especially for solo piano and chamber music, and many are in Dolby Atmos. I am grateful that the included booklets often contain detailed Japanese commentary. As it is a French label, the critiques by Jankélévitch, which I introduced last time, are also frequently cited.

Scriabin's "Fantaisie" does not have many recordings, perhaps due to its difficulty, but there is no doubt that it is one of the finest masterpieces of the Romantic era. In particular, the second theme, with its mystical and uplifting quality, is simply beautiful. While it makes frequent use of canons, which can be melodious yet prone to monotony, the combination with Scriabin's characteristic virtuosic left-hand progressions creates a composition that never grows tiresome. Although many of Scriabin's works are difficult, this "Fantaisie" is very easy to listen to because of the aforementioned frequent use of canons and triplets, and its beautiful melody, much like the first movement of Scriabin's "Piano Sonata No. 2 'Sonata-Fantasy'" which I introduced previously, makes one feel as if they are gazing at the stars and moon shimmering on the horizon at night.

The tempo of this piece can vary greatly depending on the interpretation, with recordings ranging from about 8 minutes to over 11 minutes. If it is too fast, the moving catharsis of the second theme is diminished, and if it is too slow, the flowing melody is compromised. The performance by Cédric Tiberghien that I introduced has a good balance in that regard and is easy to listen to. The audio source is also in Dolby Atmos, so there is a sense of realism as if it were being played right in front of you. If I had to ask for more, it would be ideal if it were just a little faster and the dynamics were a bit flatter, but I will look forward to that from future performers.

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