Encountering Flowers: Composing Between Western and Japanese Aesthetics

Abstract

This thesis describes the author’s approach to learning about, being inspired by, and being influenced by other music cultures. The core lies in re-imagination and the interplay between Western and Japanese Aesthetics. The main focuses for this thesis are concepts such as jo-ha-kyū, gagaku, and the aesthetics of Zeami and the flower from a Western composer’s perspective. I claim that understanding the history and culture in which these concepts emerge and exist is necessary for a deeper and more nuanced understanding of and engagement with them. This applies not only to Japanese culture, but also to one’s own Western art culture. The concepts and the aesthetics are not restricted to music alone, but are present across art forms and in nature in itself. It is also necessary to compare Western aesthetics and similar concepts and ideas. Three different musical works, all composed by me, are presented in the form of background, compositional process, and the actual performance. These works are the project. This thesis is simply a means of describing the learnings, conclusions, and reflections in a text form. The works are compared and discussed from several angles: how I as a composer can place myself in the audience, composing what I call surprisement, how jo-ha-kyū can be present in different forms, in what ways elements of gagaku are present, and the question on to whom and what space these works are performed. Of utmost importance, the idea of what, how, and why, are discussed—what am I doing, what are my intentions, and why am I doing this. Throughout is constant interplay and dialogues between Western and Japanese ideas and philosophers, between analytical learning and learning based on experiences. The thesis blends and juxtaposes text that is meant to describe and text that is meant to invoke. There is not a single answer on how one learns, understands, and is influenced by other cultures, nor is it the aim of this thesis to describe a perfect method. It is about showing cultural appreciation, reaching cultural understanding, and learning from each other—together.