Grade 4 - 5. A tour de force of exotic sounds and emotional design, this major work from Samuel Hazo will leave your audiences breathless. Based on the hauntingly beautiful Sunayama, this composition tells a story of the inner conflict of a Japanese girl who falls in love with an American. She is torn between a life with him in America and her longing for the culture of her childhood. From time to time she plays a music box given to her by her parents (Sunayama theme), bringing a flood of homeland memories. The composer weaves together a tapestry of sounds and moods as the piece builds to a fulfilling climax of musical drama and power. (5:30)
