When I wrote this piece, I didn't know who I was writing for. It was a deal with Park Lane Group. They would make me a featured composer in their January concert series, in return I had to write a short piece for 2 harps. I had no idea who was going to premiere the work.
I started thinking about the piece. First I imagined two harps, then two harpists, then two blond girls playing harps, the rest of the fantasy was quite distracting, and it would be embarrasing to go into detail.
Back to the drawing board. Two Harps. Good. Two Harpists. Good. Blonde Girls playing the harp. Distraction. Somehow I could not get these two blond harpists out of my mind. They wore less make up than soprani and were less reserved than orchestral flute players.
They were angelic. But back to the drawing board. Two Harps. Good. Two Harpists.
Good. Blonde Girls playing the harp. Distraction. Oh well, better work with what I have. Have you watched wrestling on the TV? It is so wierd.
I thought it would be really great if these blond girls (or angels even) played a piece which is really aggressive, mean, and nasty.
Rather like women's wrestling. They are fighting each other. I thought that this would be lovely and also very sexy.
First I wrote a fast energetic toccata-like section, then I decided that there will be no pedal changes in this entire piece. So they will have no excuses for any mistakes! This also makes the piece harmonically locked in one specific field. To add more texture I also employ many bisbigliandi.
Dai Fujikura.