Reverie - Fantasy on a Theme of Himawari no Kyoukai [Unofficial] (向日葵の教会と長い夏休み)

2015/09/23 It's finally uploaded, UNofficially! (I promise to upload with better audio quality when/if I get better equipment. The Edirol recorder doesn't do the acoustic depth of the song justice.) Wow, I can't believe that this is done. Just 2 months ago when I was in Taiwan for my charity concerts, I had found the mysterious inspiration to cover the theme in this piece. Truthfully, it began as just a cover for one song, "Himawari no Kyoukai - Main Theme [Full Chorus]." But as I kept on transcribing, I got the idea to add special sections and variations that turned it into a true fantasy on just one, simple theme. As though in a primordial sea, the musical ideas -- one by one -- slowly emerged at the surface of my consciousness. A year ago, I heard the OST and developed what seemed to be an unattainable desire to merely transcribe the piano-only version of the main theme. But I dropped it several times, becoming discouraged at the hefty task. One year passed and thanks to many, I was inspired and began with the vocal version of the song. The piano-only version eventually found its niche in what became more than just a full size OP. I began this work in Taiwan and finished it in the US, but a hefty summer academic session and illness delayed me from learning the song until recently. Moreover, this piece was a challenge to play through - especially since the keys became slippery due to my sweat after numerous attempts. This was probably my final take since all fingers/joints except the thumb on my left hand were caught by a slamming door (engineers, please over-dampen your doors) and are now bleeding and bruised. OTL The piece revolves around the main theme of Himawari and has a special middle section (anyone recognize this famous tune?) In D♭ It begins with a nostalgic but fast-paced prelude that crescendoes to the main theme. There's a slow middle section that segues into a restatements of the theme: a spontaneous, lively one in B major followed by a dreamy one in C major. After waves of sentiment-infused arpeggios break and recede in the ether of musical space, the notes give one last twinkle before the fading once more into a warm, protracted silence. The difficulty of the song is off the charts since 1) I wrote it without consulting a real piano and 2) I was merciless in using every musical and technical idea available to me. So it might be slightly inaccessible due to the mental, musical, and technical demands. Moreover, the intended atmosphere is fantastical, supported by Romantic and Impressionistic effects. As such, it is full of harmonies, expression, un-ergonomic techniques that are highly difficult to execute as envisioned. I would have liked 2 weeks to fully learn, memorize, and practice but I crammed it into a few days due to limited time. Anyways, I present you the pinnacle of both my arranging and transcribing activity for the season: Reverie - Fantasy on a Theme of Himawari no Kyoukai. Thanks to everyone who supported my tour in Taiwan, to my friends, and to my fellow, inspirational YouTube musicians. ________________________________________________________________ Sheet Music: coming soon Facebook:   / chrisluan.piano   Sheethost: http://sheethost.com/user/chrisluan/s... ________________________________________________________________ Himawari no Kyoukai OST Piano arrangement and transcription by Eien Ciel (阮克理) Performed by Eien Ciel (阮克理) Original Composer: Fuminori Matsumoto Dedicated to a special ____ ~