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Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi (Hoichi the Earless) is the first of ten ballads which I composed between 1972 and 1977. The ballads are programmatically related to Lafcadio Hearn’s Japanese ghost stories, which were published in 1904 i his book Kwaidan. Hearn, who was of Anglo-Greek parentage, lived the last years of his life in Japan, took Japanese nationality and adopted the Japanese name Yaku Koizumi.I composed most of these Kwaidan-ballads while I was studying in Japan and during a visit I made to Japan in 1977. The entire ballad suite is dedicated to the Japanese pianist Izumi Tateno, who has lived in Finland for over ten years. At his instigation I wrote Mimi-Nashi-Hoichi, my first attempt to compose something for the piano. Tateno gave the first performance of the work in Sendai, Japan, in the summer of 1972. [...]I do not wish to defend myself from the charge of writing programme music. I am sure that the atmosphere of Hearn’s masterfully written Stories and Studies of Strange Things influenced the way in which the ballads took shape. He communicates the secret and unbelievable happenings of the world of demons in a simple, but at the same time refined and perceptive way. I was fascinated by the unreal and magical element in the stories, which Hearn nevertheless experiences in the most concrete terms.Particularly striking was the story of Hoichi, the blind biwa (lute) player who is kidnapped by the spirits into their enchanted world. In an attempt to escape, Hoichi allows his body to be painted all over with Buddhist prayers and charms, but the monks forget to paint his ears, and the revengeful spirits send an envoy to cut them off.I found the story very dramatic, and my music could be regarded as a modern counterpart to the song about the bloody battle of Dan-no-uran which Hoichi sings to the spirits to the accompaniment of his biwa. The monks of the temple of Adamagaseki search for Hoichi, and find him singing and playing in the rain in the burial ground of Amadaji. ‘Strenuously he made his biwa to rattle and ring and clang; more and more wildly he chanted the chant of the battle of Dan-no-uran’, writes Hearn. Hoichi the Earless becomes a legendary Buddhist saint. The composition ends in a strongly contrasting atmosphere of simple parallel minor chords.© Pehr Henrik NordgrenMimi-nashi-Hoichi, Korvaton Hoichi (Hoichi The Earless) on ensimmäinen niistä kymmenestä balladista, jatka sävelsin vuosina 1972–77. Balladit kytkeytyvät ohjelmallisesti Lafcadio Hearnin vuonna 1904 kirjasaaan Kwaidan julkaisemiin japanilaisiin kummitustarinoihin. Hearn, joka oli brittiläis-kreikkalaista syntyperää, eli viimeiset vuotensa Japanissa, sai Japanin kansalaisuuden ja otti itselleen japanilaisen nimen Yaku Koizumi.Merkittävän osan näistä Kwaidan-balladeista sävelsin opiskellessani Japanissa ja käydessäni siellä myöhemmin vuonna 1977. Koko sarja on omistettu japanilaiselle pianistille Izumi Tatenolle, joka on asunut Suomessa yli kymmenen vuotta. Hänen pyynnöstään tuli Mimi-nashi-Hoichista ensimmäinen yritykseni kirjoittaa jotakin pianolle. Teoksen kantaesitys tapahtui Tatenon toimesta Sendain kaupungissa Japanissa kesällä 1972. [...]En halua puolustautua käsitteeltä ’ohjelmamusiikki’. Varmasti Hearnin rakastettavien ja mestarillisesti kirjoitettujen kertomusten tunnelma on vaikuttanut balladien muotoutumiseen. Yksinkertaisella mutta samalla kertaa hienostuneella ja älykkäällä tavalla hän välittää demonien ja kummitusten maailman uskomattomat ja salaperäiset tapahtumat. Näissä kertomuksissa, Stories and Studies of Strange Things, on minua yhtä paljon kuin joidenkin tarinoiden buddhalainen aines kiehtonut niissä oleva maaginen ja epätodellinen, joka kuitenkin Hearnin kuvailemana kasvaa miltei todelliseksi.Erityisen kiehtova on kertomus sokeasta biwansoittajasta Hoichista, jonka henget ottavat mukaansa menneisyyteen. Päästäkseen vapaaksi hengistä Hoichi antaa maalata itsensä täyteen buddhalaisia rukouksia ja loitsuja. Mutta kun munkit unohtavat korvat, tulee henkien lähetti ja leikkaa ne irti. Koin kertomuksen dramaattisena, ja suurin osa musiikista voisi olla nykyaikainen vastine sille kertomukselle verisestä Dan-no-uran taistelusta, jonka Hoichi esittää hengille biwan säestyksellä. Kun Akamagasekin temppelin munkit etsivät Hoichia, he löytävät hänet laulamasta ja soittamasta sateisena yönä Amidajin hautausmaalla. ’Strenously he made his biwa to rattle and ring and clang; more and more wildly he chanted the chant of the battle of Dan-no-ura’, kirjoittaa Hearn. Lopuksi, korvansa menetettyään, Hoichista tulee legendaarinen buddhalainen pyhimys. Sävellys päättyy voimakkaasti kontrastoivassa tunmelmassa pelkin rinnakkaisin mollisoinnuin.© Pehr Henrik Nordgren

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Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin

Miminashi-Hoichi