I originally wrote this string quartet piece for the final concert of Le Quatuor de Trombone de Paris in 1997, but later on, it was rearranged to be first performed at a 1999 recital by Noboru Ogino, who has so much love and respect for them. (The premiere was Hitomi Takara on piano)
The entire piece is composed of four parts. “1. Ballad” has a short introduction, followed by the motif calmly flowing through, then there is an abrupt about face in “2. Tango,” as the piece becomes a jaunty tune. “3. Requiem,” which has a gently flowing melody, is dedicated to the reason for Haraya Music Enterprise, Haruo Haraya. It is a song of requiem, but not a song of sorrow; it was created to express my thanks for his introducing me to Paris Trois. Finally, in the last part, “4. Finale,” the motif appears as it goes through several transformations, then builds to the climactic coda and closes the piece with a magnificent ending.
The song “Memories” contains many memories of my time with Le Quatuor de Trombone de Paris, and various memories of the precious times I had with the people who were all part of it.
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Noboru Ogino on trombone, Hiroko Hayashi on piano, and, starting with Hitomi Takahara, all the people at FOSTERMUSIC Inc., from whom I received great help in publishing this trombone solo edition.