ショーン・ヒッキー: サピエンス - 人類の簡単な歴史

イスラエルの歴史学者ユヴァル・ノア・ハラリ(1976-)の『サピエンス全史』に触発された作品。作曲者ヒッキーは、人類の歴史を形作った概念や神話に音楽で向き合おうと試み、ピアノを「メタ楽器」として捉えたと語ります。作品は人間の一息から始まり、人類の夜明けに生まれた音楽を想起させます。
ナクソス・ジャパン

One may look at the eight movements of this work by composer Sean Hickey and wonder how "a brief history of humankind" can possibly be reduced to the concepts of Pre-History, Lascaux, Fertile Crescent, Jericho, Mean Temperament, Double Helix, Confirmation Bias, and Commonwealth. On top of that, how these concepts, which embody distinctively human forms of understanding and imagination, might be realized in music. The answers to the first puzzle can be found in the book on which Hickeys concept is based, with the same title as the album. For the second, Hickey provides helpful notes in his booklet for the physical release (recommended), as well as online. Some of them ("Mean Temperament" or "Double Helix"), may be clear enough even without those notes; some, like "Lascaux" (marked "Cavernous, but contained") may be less so. However, there is an X factor here in the sheer ambition of Hickeys project. That ambition is reflected well in the playing of pianist Vladimir Rumyantsev, who brings Russian virtuosic flair to the music; this fits the ideas, although Hickeys writing is not especially virtuoso. The recording work at Sono Luminus Studios is up to its usual high standard. An intriguing release that might especially be recommended for college and university classes examining relationships between music and other forms of human exploration. ~ James Manheim