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Paul Fowler is an American vocalist and composer, improvisational pianist, producer and electronic musician. Fowler's music has taken him across many genres, collaborating with artists from all walks of life in a variety of artistic styles, including classical music, vocal compositions, jazz performances, and electronic music.
This piece "Michiyuki" was commissioned by Japanese marimba player Naoko Takada, who was selected as a Young Concert Artist in 2002, and he premiered it at the Kennedy Center. The work is a marimba solo based on a depiction of a popular martyrdom event in the Edo period, a narrative of the final scene of Chikamatsu Monzaemon's famous Bunraku, "The Love Suicides at Sonezaki".
This article examines Chikamatsu's works from the perspective of Bunraku, a traditional Japanese cultural puppet theater, and further explores his creative style. Through an examination of the music, we learn how he skillfully brings elements of traditional Japanese culture and percussion theater music into the music with modern creative techniques. In this paper, we would like to explore what effects and connections can be created between the theatrical and musical elements, and what effects can be produced by integrating the three elements of "Japanese intangible cultural heritage, percussion, and drama" into musical works.
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