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# Fantastic as it is

“Nothing to brag about, but this is my collection.”

In his latest essay, My Good Old Classical Records, Haruki Murakami talks about his beloved LP record collection. As an avid classical music lover for over 60 years, Japan’s most celebrated writer boasts a collection of 486 LP records which he has collected since high school. For long, classical music has been a fascinating hobby and a source of inspiration to Murakami. If you read any of his books, you would probably guess that he is a classical musical enthusiast. In fact, it is almost impossible to talk about Murakami’s books without mentioning classical music.

This is why music mentioned in his novels goes viral every time Murakami publishes a new book. Fans are curious to find out which musical piece inspired his most recent novel and what references are made in the book. It’s been a taboo for authors to heavily rely on music when developing a novel’s theme, but Murakami is the first one to break away from this long-held practice and use music to help tell the story in the most sophisticated way. Murakami skillfully makes musical references that vary from genre to genre by using different symbols and meanings. It is no wonder why a host of critics recommend that you listen to the music Murakami adored to have an in-depth understanding of his novels.

# A cozy place of books and music

In October and November, the ACC Archive & Research organized a site-specific program called Book & Music: Haruki and Classical Music to shed light on Murakami’s stories while enjoying the classical musical pieces portrayed in his novels. Informative commentary of music critic Song Hyun-min accompanied by a live performance by local musicians provided the audience with an invaluable opportunity to explore Murakami’s fictions from a new perspective.

The two-session program was held at the Sunken Stairs in the Book Lounge. In the first session, the musical works portrayed in 1Q84 and Norwegian Wood were reviewed and accompanied by Sweet Music Ensemble’s captivating live performance. The second session touched upon the musical pieces Murakami mentions in three of his books: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, A Wild Sheep Chase, and Salad-addicted Lion. Song’s in-depth commentary and a special live performance by a classic ensemble, Leading Tone, mesmerized the audience.

# Words and music coming together

Based on a true story, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is a story about Toru Okada and his encounter with mysterious people. It is an intriguing story of a man who stands up against the history of violence to recover something that has been lost. This novel of over 1,000 pages won Murakami the Yomiuri Literary Award, and has been translated in more than 35 languages, catapulting him into global stardom. The main musical references in The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle include La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) by Gioachino Rossini, Vogel Als Prophet (Prophetic Bird) from Waldszenen (Forest Scenes) by Robert Schumann, and Der Vogelfänger Bin Ich Ja (The Birdcatcher Am I) from Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The names of these classical masterpieces are used as a subtitle for each of the three volumes of the book. As suggested by the title, numerous references were made to pieces of classical music inspired by the sound of birds chirping and flying between trees.

The first classical work performed from The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle was Prophetic Bird from Schumann’s Forest Scenes which Schumann wrote to describe the mysterious feeling of entering a forest. As the most dreamlike piece in the set, it felt like background music from a fantasy film. During the climax, I was taken to another world, with birds chirping right next to me. The second piece was Papageno’s famous aria from The Magic Flute, The Birdcatcher Am I. Leading Tone began with a spirited piano solo to play the sound of the pan flute Papageno uses to lure birds. The joyful aria takes place in Act 1 of The Magic Flute, as Papageno appears carrying on his back a large birdcage filled with birds. The video of the scene from the opera was played before the audience, creating a striking harmony between classical music and Murakami’s literature.

A Wild Sheep Chase, the winner of the Noma Literary Prize, is the final part of Murakami’s early Trilogy of Youth. Along with his first and second novels, Hear the Wind Sing and Pinball, 1973, it forms what is also known as the Trilogy of the Rat, as they all center on the unnamed narrator and his friend “the Rat.” As the title suggests, A Wild Sheep Chase tells the story of a journey to find sheep with a star-shaped birthmark. The novel is filled with brilliant details and vivid imaginations, the hallmarks of Murakami’s books.

A cellist played solo Cello Suite No.1 in G Major, BWV 1007 – Prelude, the work Murakami references in the book. Known as the most popular and intricate cello compositions of all time, Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suites include six parts. The prelude in Suite No. 1 is the best known movement from the entire set, characterized by the free-flowing motion. The next piece played was Vocalise by Sergei Rachmaninoff. It is a song without words, sung using any one vowel of the singer’s choosing. Different versions of the song are beloved by music aficionados around the world.

What was most interesting about the song’s commentary was that Rachmaninoff’s grandmother regularly took him to Russian Orthodox Church services where he experienced liturgical music and church bells, which had a profound impact in his future compositions. He incorporated the sound of church bells in Vocalise. The critic’s commentary also included a tip that the same sound can be found in the K-pop girl group Blackpink’s single “Shut Down.” I felt a lot closer to these two classical music pieces, after learning the hidden stories behind them.

The last book introduced in Book & Music was Salad-addicted Lion, a collection of 52 essays Murakami wrote for the magazine “anan” for a year and another essay. It records everyday happenings for the notoriously shy writer who becomes talkative every now and then, including a casual stroll in the neighborhood. It is a celebration of daily life, including the good and the bad, the likes and the dislikes.

The classical piece for Salad-addicted Lion was Franz Peter Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata. In the essay, Murakami cooks an omelet, while the first movement, Allegro moderato, is played on the radio. Written for the arpeggione, or a bass viol with a guitar tuning, the sonata is familiar to many. It describes the heartbreaking pain of grief and despair Schubert felt about his past love. Now, the arpeggione is a defunct instrument, but his sonata still carries its legacy. The piece is most often heard on cello today, as it suits the register and tone. It is the one of the best classical music to listen to in the fall, with energetic, lively melodies drawing a contrast with the darker and moodier recapitulation.

Murakami’s beloved musical pieces explored in Book & Music: Haruki and Classical Music were not merely Intellectual decorations or symbols described in his books. Music incorporated into his fictions plays multiple roles. It creates a new story or unveils hidden intentions. As such, it is nearly impossible to grasp the meaning of his work without music. The ACC’s Book & Music program delved into the musical pieces mentioned in Murakami’ works to give a fresh perspective of his stories while listening to a live performance of musical masterpieces of Bach, Schubert and Mozart, tugging at the heartstrings of the audience.