Urashima: Three Fragments
for piano quintet
Urashima: Three Fragments (2026) is about 15 minutes, in three movements. It reflects on one of Japan’s oldest folktales, The Tale of Urashima Tarō. This piano quintet explores three psychological and environmental fragments from the tale.
The story follows a fisherman who rescues a sea turtle from its captors. In gratitude, the creature transports him to Ryūgū-jō (the Dragon Palace) where he meets the princess. He thoroughly enjoys his time with the princess, but he must return home. Urashima returns to shore, where a shocking scene awaits.
The piece is forged in a modern Western style that integrates elements of traditional Japanese folk music, pulling from deeper structural mechanics beyond pentatonic scales.
The Fragments
I. The Shore and the Rescue
A peaceful day at the shore is interrupted by the violent, chaotic rhythms of the turtle's captors and a fluid lyricism as Urashima intervenes. His motif joins with the turtle motif, descending to the depths of the ocean in a sonic submersion.
II. Ryūgū-jō
The surreal grandeur of the palace is captured through majestic, shimmering, pointillistic harmonic textures. Urashima greets the princess, but is interrupted by a melodic motif from the shore which induces a wave of homesickness. The princess reluctantly allows him to go home, carrying a mystery box which he is forbidden to open.
III. The Altered Shore
Urashima returns to the shore, but finds it unrecognizable. He learns that 300 years have passed. Glissandi create dissonant tonal textures to evoke his shock and estrangement. In desperation, he opens the box, unaware that it will age him instantly into a wizened old man.