This piece was commissioned by fostermusic Inc.“Night on the Galactic Railroad” is an unfinished work discovered after the death of its author Kenji Miyazawa who was born more than 120 years ago, and the interpretation of its story has been subject to intensive research and analysis for many years. This piece is inspired by the unfolding narrative of this profound story.
After the story’s surreal setting is introduced in the beginning, the teenage protagonist Giovanni heads out to the streets in “Night of the Centaur Festival” and feels lonely after being mocked by his classmates about his missing father. Giovanni looks up at the starry sky alone and suddenly hears a voice from the “Galaxy Station” as he is enveloped in a beam of dazzling light. The next thing he knew, he is on the Galactic Railroad with his friend Campanella. The two of them ride on the Galactic Railroad and visit various stars where they meet people who think and live in different ways. They witness scholars excavating fossils in “The Northern Cross and the Pliocene Coast” and encounter a friendly hunter in “The Birdcatcher” which is cast into a waltz. “The Tragedy of the Titanic” is animated by warnings issued to passengers amidst chaotic scenes and is intermittently punctuated by motifs from my own work “The last letter from Murdoch.” At the end of their journey, Giovanni and Campanella promise to go on together in search of the “true happiness” that they heard about on their journey, but after Giovanni wakes up from the dream, he finds out that Campanella has died from trying to save a friend who fell into the river. “Giovanni’s Affections” brings to mind the possibility that perhaps true happiness means to live on for the sake of someone else as in the case of Campanella’s death. In the closing section, Giovanni receives a letter saying that his father is coming home soon, and the story ends with him vowing to stay strong and going back to his mother with news of his father’s return.
We cannot accept orders for international shipping from this site. Please contact us before ordering.