The Way Can Still Be Beautiful

This piece is a joint commission by the Ensemble Liberte Wind Orchestra in Kawaguchi City and the Omiya High School Band in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. The commission came with a request to write something centered around the theme of "love." However, it was also suggested that "love" could mean many different things, perhaps something akin to "Les Misérables."

With that in mind, rather than focusing on the program itself, I pondered the nature of love, envisioning not so much romantic love as familial and philanthropic love—love for humanity. Despite this intention, the resulting composition lacks a gentle warmth (which was the original plan) and instead carries a more piercing quality. This is not due to a deviation from the theme of "love" but perhaps a reflection of the composer's personality.

Setting that aside, the title was inspired by the ninth piece in Georges Rouault's series of prints, "Miserere." The idea of philanthropic love making the path people walk more beautiful, shining brightly in the darkness, resonated with the underlying essence of this piece, although not entirely.

Moreover, considering concerns that the piece might come across as too mild for competition performance, an alternative ending was conceived. This option is included in the score, so if similar concerns arise, I encourage trying it out.

(Jun Nagao)

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