Keane Southard
Mottainai for
Voice and Piano
(2021) (Duration: c. 7 mins.)
Text: It was three months ago, in the middle of May, When I celebrated my latest birthday. After brushing my teeth and putting on clothes, I found a small box crowned with silk bows. With joy I tore off the wrapping and lace Before lifting the present up to my face. An electric toothbrush of the latest design— Too expensive to buy—was exclusively mine! Now the manual brush I’d bought yesterday Was no use to me—I could throw it away. But as it dropped in the trash—I can’t tell you why— I heard a voice whisper “mottainai, mottainai.” That very same day, or that evening at least, My friends took me out for a grand birthday feast. They said, “Order anything!” and so I obliged, Getting appetizers, an entrée, and numerous sides. The first course was delicious, the second divine, And I washed it all down with some glasses of wine. After crackers and cheese, my belly felt big As the main course appeared: a complete roasted pig. I took just one bite before declaring, “No more” And coolly pushed away that fat, slaughtered boar. But as they withdrew the platter—I swear this is no lie— His mouth, animated, crooned “mottainai, mottainai.” As I left the restaurant and walked down the street, My mind was still fixed on that talking piece of meat. My friends said “Goodbye!” and I went my own way As I thought “What a beautiful, but strange, birthday!” But as I sauntered on home looking forward to bed, A disheveled old man approached me and said “Excuse me, my friend, can you lend me a penny? For I’m in need of food, but I haven’t got any.” The man stank of liquor, and instead of reply I ignored him as if he were a trivial fly. I left him behind yet was pursued by his cry: A bitter, plaintive, “mottainai, mottainai.”
Program notes: Mottainai was commissioned by and composed for the 2021 Artsong Collaborative Project in Toronto, Canada. The text, which is my own, was written in early 2020 and I began composing the music in December 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work was completed in January 2021 while in residence at Copland House, Cortlandt Manor, New York, as a recipient of the Copland House Residency Award. “Mottainai” is a Japanese expression of regret at the full value of something not being put to good use or the feeling of regret at something being wasted, and it is connected to the Shinto belief that all objects have souls. It can also be used as an imperative meaning “Don’t be wasteful.” Mottainai is something I feel very deeply when I witness waste (or create it myself) and I was so glad to find a word that encapsulated it. Waste is one of the issues at the root of so many of our global problems: waste of energy, food, natural resources, time, money, and even of the lives of people and animals. If we can all feel mottainai when we see waste and change our mindset to find the full value of all things and beings, then we will go a long way towards creating a beautiful and just future on this planet. I hope that after hearing this song, you too will hear a voice singing “mottainai, mottainai” whenever you witness waste. Keane Southard 2021
Performance instructions: 1. Tenuto marks (-) over notes indicate more weight/stress on the note and does not indicate space to be placed in between that note and the next (unless the tenuto is combined with a staccato). 2. Unless otherwise indicated, the damper pedal should be used discreetly to allow for maximum clarity. Keane Southard/Spindrift Pages Email: keane.southard@hotmail.com Website: keanesouthard.instantencore.com
Commissioned by and Composed for The 2021 Artsong Collaborative Project.
Mottainai A Japanese expression of regret at the full value of something not being put to good use, of something being wasted. e = 96
p dolce
pp
It was three months
sf
cel - e -brat - ed
a - go
in
my
mp
the
mid - dle
of
mp
lat - est
birth - day.
Af - ter brush - ing
When
May,
p
6
I
e = 132
p
3
Words and Music by Keane Southard
©2021
mp
my
teeth
and
2 9
put - ting
on clothes,
I
found
a small
box
mf
f
crowned with silk bows.
With
f
joy
I tore off
the wrap - ping
13
mf
16
up
to
my
face.
and lace
Be - fore
lift - ing the
pres
-
ent
p
f
An
e
-
lec - tric
f
p
3
tooth
-
brush
3
18
of
3
the
lat - est
3
20
3
3
3
3
de -
ex - pen - sive
to
3
3
3
3
3
3
was ex
3
-
clu - sive - ly
mine!
3
3
ff
3 3 3 3
buy
22
3
Too
sign
ff
4 25
poco rit.
A tempo
mp
Now the
man - u -al brush
I'd
bought yes - ter- day
p
Was
rit. 28
no use
to
me,
31
dropped in the trash,
p
a - way.
But as it
f
pp
I
it
I could throw
e = 96 p
f
can't tell you why,
I
heard a voice whis - per,
mp
p
pp
poco rit. 36
A tempo
"Mot
-
39
A voice
"Mot - tai - nai."
p
e = 132
p
f sub.
43
pp dolce
rit.
whis - pered
mot - tai - nai."
tai - nai,
mf
5
p dolce e cantabile
mp
That ver - y
same
day,
or
that
eve - ning
at least,
My
mp
6 46
friends
took me out
for
a
grand
f
birth - day
feast.
48
mf
They
so
I
o - bliged,
said,
ap - pe - tiz - ers,
"Or - der a - ny- thing!" and
mf
Get -ting
Allargando 50
f
ff
3
an en - tree,
and nu - mur - ous
sides.
ff
rit. 53
mf
The
7
first course was de - li - cious, the
di - vine,
And I
mp
sec - ond
e = 96
rit. 56
washed it all
down with some
e = 76
crack - ers
p
and
of wine.
Af - ter
60
glass - es
p
cheese, my
bel - ly
felt
mf
big
As the
main course ap - peared:
mf
8 64
a com - plete
clar - ing
ff
"No more"
p
I
And
cool
ly pushed a - way
that
slaugh - tered
e = 96
p
But as they
mf
boar.
fat,
accel. 71
be -fore de -
mf
-
took just one bite
p
pig!
68
roast - ed
ff
with - drew
p
the plat - ter,
I
9
rit.
74
swear this is no lie,
His
mouth,
an - i - mat - ed,
A Tempo 77
nai,
mot - tai -
nai."
His mouth
80
e = 76
nai."
pp
mf
crooned
"Mot - tai -
p
pp
As
pp dolce
"Mot - tai -
rit.
p dolce e cantabile
mf
crooned
I
left
the res - tau -rant
and
10
walked down the street, My mind was still fixed on
mp
87
p
and I
went my own way
mp
90
pp
strange,
pp
talk - ing piece of meat.
But as I
My
mp
As I thought "What a beau- ti - ful
f
to bed,
A di -
for - ward
on home
look - ing
but
saun - tered
p
3
p
birth - day!"
p
f
mp
mp
p
friends said "Good bye!"
that
mp
83
93
shev - eled
old man
96
a pen - ny? For I'm in
man
said, "Ex - cuse me,
my friend,
can you
need
f
p dolce
rit.
food,
f
but I have - n't got
a - ny."The
stank of liq - uor
and in - stead of
re - ply
pp coldly
I ig - nored him as if
he were a
pp coldly
f
of
e = 76
4
lend
and
99
me
f
ap - proached me
11
e = 108 p sub. dolce
una corda
12
102
triv
-
i - al
mp
fly.
I
left him
yet was pur - sued by
mp
cry:
A
tre corde e = 60 pp dolce e triste
rit. 105
bit- ter,
plain -
tive,
109
nai,
ppp
una corda rit.
pp
mot tai - nai,
mot - tai - nai."
"Mot - tai - nai,
his
be - hind
mot - tai