For me it is a temple of reflection, above all a reflection on my Japanese roots. According to what the people of the temple have told me, these were once places where a great deal of wisdom was shared. Without social hierarchy, with frequent exchanges. I think it was more or less the equivalent of the ‘salons’ in the West. Furthermore, in Japan you have Shinto, based on a very ancient nature cult, alongside Buddhism with all its temples, which came from the continent. In the temple grounds one honours the deities who protect the temple. Miidera also remains connected with a tradition of mountain worship, shugendo, in which one practises asceticism in the middle of the mountains. Buddhism, Shinto and mountain veneration have been transmitted together there for a very long time. For me, the Mii-Dera temple is very open. Its founder, Enchin, left at the time for China to study under the Tang and then returned to Japan with a great deal of knowledge and wisdom from there. I have the feeling that this openness to what comes from outside is still present. That it is also today a place that stimulates newness, across countries and disciplines.
You have taken part in the project from the very beginning? How have you seen the project and its participants evolve over the course of those five years of preparation?Indeed, as artistic director I was involved from the outset. The starting point was my desire to express waka – that marvellous Japanese poetry – in sound. The Japanese language is quite a distinct language. When you translate it into another language, it quickly becomes explanatory. That is precisely why I found it meaningful to reconstruct waka with sound. As you know, I studied in Paris and play clarinet in the Western tradition. But for this project I did want to work with a traditional Japanese instrument. Around that axis I wanted to unfold – with music of diverse origins – the universe that begins with waka. Up to now we have worked on this project with traditional Japanese musicians, think of shomyo (Buddhist chant), no, shamisen … but also with composers of contemporary music, of electronic music, with dancers and theatre makers. We did not want to simply throw everything together, but to let everyone resonate as a whole, each with their own expression. Resonating together is also a path to peace. That is the art form that ‘Oto no Miidera’ has been exploring for five years.
It has certainly not been simple. I grew up in Japan until the age of nineteen, surrounded by classical music, and I practised passionately myself. But because of that I knew traditional music not at all, nor the art forms linked to Japanese spectacle. In those five years of preparation I have therefore learned an enormous amount. I have had the opportunity to work with artists of the very highest level. They initiated me into countless subtleties and traditional playing techniques, and that is an experience for which I am deeply grateful to them. And even when instruments and skills differ, the greatest artists, whatever corner they come from, can hear the most delicate sounds and hear the breath of the other, and add their own sound to it, without denying their own style or their own core elements. That is why the choice of partners is also of crucial importance. When sensitive beings create a delicate work, they are able ultimately to find a balance, and that in itself is a great joy for us.
Yes, in several respects. Paris is truly a city of art, and for the young man I was, it meant an enormous richness: being able to witness all kinds of creations almost daily, up close. All those places where people from diverse cultures and different countries create something together – and to be able to witness that… that has, I may say, formed the foundation for this project, which today too brings together people, cultures and different disciplines.
Yes, this evening I am rather happy. First and foremost let me thank the audience from the bottom of my heart. Everyone listened so attentively. On the other hand, I am never one hundred percent satisfied with my own way of playing, regardless of the situation, and I think that tonight I could actually have done even better. So: when we meet again next time, I will work even harder and offer you an even more interesting universe.