It is totally different from “What to Do, Ieyasu! To Enjoy “Hikaru Kimi he” 10 Times More – The Abyss of Musical Direction

The 63rd NHK Taiga Drama “To the Luminous Kimi” currently being broadcast depicts the life of Murasaki Shikibu, the creator of “The Tale of Genji,” which has been called the world’s oldest long-form literature. Set in the mid-Heian period, a period not often depicted in previous historical dramas, the drama features a love story between a man and a woman in elegant costumes, and their intrigues within the Imperial Court.

In addition to the visual aspect, the “music direction” is also of interest to connoisseurs. Many viewers don’t pay attention to it, but it would be a shame for a Taiga drama lover not to know about the music direction. This is because music is just as important an element in creating the world of the drama as historical research, gorgeous sets, and carefully selected props and stage props. We interviewed Mr. Tsuyoshi Idekubo, a historical researcher with a deep knowledge of both history and music, for a valuable talk on how to enjoy “Hikaru Kimi he” tenfold.

The “sound” that is in “Dousore Ieyasu” but not in “Hikaru Kimi he

–What is the appeal of the music in a historical drama?

First of all, it is pure quality. First of all, the music for the main theme and the drama was composed by composers who are active at the forefront of contemporary music. Ryuichi Sakamoto, who passed away last year, Shigeaki Saegusa, Naozumi Yamamoto, Toru Takemitsu, Yoshio Mamiya, Takashi Yoshimatsu, Kurando Mori, Shinichiro Ikebe (……), to name just a few. The same goes for Ennio Morricone, who created the music for films such as “The Untouchables” and “New Cinema Paradise. It is impossible not to be fascinated by a world-class professional creating music that suits the work. In addition, new musical attempts are made.

–What kind of attempts?

The famous opening of “Dokuganryu Masamune” (’87). It became a topic of conversation when an unfamiliar electronic-like sound was heard at the beginning of the song. It was made with an ondes martenot, an instrument that was rare in Japan at the time. It was an extravagant opening that combined the peculiar technology of the first half of the 20th century with a live performance by a legitimate classical music orchestra.

–What do you think of “To You, Hikaru Kimi” that is currently airing?

What do you think of “Hikaru Kimi he” that is currently airing? In the night scene of Heian-kyo, Abe no Seimei, the Yin-Yang master, appears. He says, ‘It’s raining. It’s raining heavily. The heavy rain symbolically indicates the various events that are about to begin in the story. The background music in this scene was inspired by the symphonic suite “Scheherazade” written by the 19th century Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov. Scheherazade is a character from “One Thousand and One Nights. She is a heroine who survives by making the ancient Persian tyrant, who spent a night with a beautiful woman and then killed her, listen to her story every night. In other words, “Scheherazade” is music about a story set in a “back palace” in the Middle East.

To the Luminous Lady” is also a story about Murasaki Shikibu and the people around her, set in a back palace in the Heian period. Just as Scheherazade is the narrator of “One Thousand and One Nights,” Murasaki Shikibu is the author of “The Tale of Genji. By playing these songs, whose themes coincide with those of the East and West, at the beginning of the first performance, we are making a high-profile declaration that what is about to begin is a drama of the Later Palace, a story of the dynasties. You can enjoy the music simply as music without such knowledge, but if you go into the motifs and background, you can enjoy it more deeply. In the drama, music is used to express various meanings in each scene.

–So there is a literary message in the music?

The use of sound in Taiga dramas is not limited to music. The sounds of nature and creatures are also used effectively. Unlike today, when there is an abundance of sound, in the Heian period there were very few sounds. That is why you can hear the chirping of various kinds of birds. The types of birds that sing during the day and at night are also different. In the case of “To the Luminous Kimi,” the most impressive nighttime birds are the azure-winged magpies, which are related to owls, and the egrets and great blue herons, which make a slightly eerie “gah-gah” sound. In the scene where Fujiwara no Michinaga’s father Kanae fears a vengeful spirit, the cry of the tiger thrush, once called “Nue,” adds to the eerie atmosphere. These are sounds rarely heard in modern dramas. They are “sounds” unique to medieval dramas. On the other hand, there are also sounds that were often heard in the previous year’s dramas, but were completely absent in “Hikaru Kimi he”.

–You heard the sounds in “What to do, Ieyasu” (aired in 2011), but not this time?

The sound of wood scraping against wood is often used in drama,” said Mr. Kikuchi. It is the sound of wood scraping against wood. If you live in the countryside where there are forests and woodlands nearby, you hear this sound everyday, even today. In ancient times, when sound was scarce, the sound would have been even clearer. That is why the sound of wood rustling was frequently used in “Douwa Ieyasu,” set in Mikawa (now eastern Aichi Prefecture), “Kamakura no 13-nin,” set in Kamakura, and “Kirin ga Kuru,” set in Mino (now Gifu Prefecture). However, “To You, Hikaru Kimi” is set in Kyoto, which was a “big city” at the time, so the sound of wood scraping is not heard.

–Let us return to the music. Is classical music the main music used in the film? Since the film is going to express a world that is more than 1,000 years old, it may seem strange to use music that is too modern. ……

No. “To You, Glowing Sunshine” is a jazz piece. No. “Hikaru Kimi he” uses a wide variety of music genres, such as jazz and musicals, as motifs. However, we have made sure that there is no mismatch in the world view. The music is played on ancient instruments or made into Japanese-style music by using only elements of Western music as parts.

Here is an easy-to-understand example of why it does not feel out of place. In the play, there are many scenes in which the main character Mahiro (Murasaki Shikibu) plays the biwa. On the other hand, one of the string instruments used in the background music is the lute. Actually, both the biwa and the lute originated from stringed instruments that originated around Persia. In other words, the biwa and the lute have the same origin, so the sounds played in the play fit in with the drama without any sense of incongruity.

–The biwa and lute have the same origins, so the sounds played in the play fit in with the drama without any sense of incongruity. Speaking of Mahiro’s biwa, I cannot forget the scene in the 8th performance of “The Uninvited”. Fujiwara no Michikane, who killed his mother, visits Mahiro’s house. It was hard for me to imagine how she felt as she performed her biwa in front of Dokane, her mother’s avenger.

I felt that scene was uncanny. The music and sound effects were also excellent. Mahiro was holding a biwa that her mother, who was killed by Dokane, used to use. When she began to play the biwa in front of Dokane, the wind rustled in the garden behind Mahiro.

This is a personal interpretation, but it could also be interpreted as the wind bringing the spirit of Mahiro’s mother. In Japan, there is an ancient and traditional belief that the wind brings with it things that cannot be seen. It can bring good things or, conversely, evil things such as illness, or even the souls of the deceased, or spirits. By thinking of his deceased mother and playing his beloved biwa, his mother’s spirit comes close to Mahiro’s side on the wind. Depending on how you look at it, I felt that the expression created an atmosphere in which the mother’s spirit was leaning close to Mahiro, half riding on her.

–So the creators had many different intentions in mind. They are directing it with music and sound.

Originally, the biwa instrument was used as a tool to enter the world of the ethereal. In the Kamakura period (1185-1333), the biwa player was used to retell “The Tale of the Heike” as a requiem for the souls of the fallen Heike clan, although this was later than “To the Luminous Kimi”. The biwa is a symbolic instrument that connects the deceased with the present world.

— It is thought that Mahiro is also playing it for the repose of her mother’s soul. Now, please give us a final message on how to enjoy the music of the Taiga Drama.

I repeat, you don’t need to have any knowledge of music to enjoy Taiga dramas. I myself have always enjoyed them as dramas, so I did not pay attention to the sounds and music played in the drama from the beginning. But when I began to pay attention to the music and sounds being played and started to investigate, I began to understand various things such as the intention and background of the production. If you pay attention to the music and sounds while watching the drama, you will definitely enjoy the drama more deeply.”

I learned once again that music is used in each scene of the drama with various meanings. Let’s enjoy “To the Luminous Kimi” from the aspect of music as well, as we approach the end of the drama!