Ikaruga - ORMS-82004 | Music

This very traditional suite of 4 movements reflects the grace and magnificence of an ancient region by the same name. The suite is strongly Dorian throughout, with dark modal harmonies that support haunting melodic lines and soloists with liberal use of a full percussion section. The individual movements bear the following titles:

First movement: “Mahoroba” which stands for “The Glorious Countryside”
Second movement: “Yumedono” – In this instance some explanations are deemed applicable: The Buddhist temple of Horyu-ji in Ikaruga City, Nara Prefecture, was founded by the Emperor’s son, Prince Regent Shotoku (574-622), the great statesman and founder of Buddhism in Japan. Today, Horyu-ji is composed of the Western Precinct (Sai-in Garan), which is centered on the Five-Story Pagoda (Goju-no-To) and the Main Hall (Kondo), and the Eastern Precinct (To-in Garan), which is arranged around the Yumedono. The main hall of To-in, the Yumedono, which means “Dream Hall,” is an elegant octagonal building. Yumedono, and the Denpodo, a lecture hall, and the priests’ living quarters behind it date back to the 8th century. As wooden structures require careful, regular maintenance to preserve them, the buildings have been reconstructed and repaired repeatedly over the centuries. Between 1933 and 1953, all the buildings were dismantled and rebuilt, and restored to the original structures. Today the temple is a world cultural heritage.
Third movement: “Satobito no Odori” - “Village Dancing”
Fourth movement: “Ikaruga” – This is the name of a region in Nara where many historic heritages remain.