Magenta Stallion, a duet for violin and piano, was commissioned by the Ryuji Ueno Foundation. It premiered in Japan on February 2, 2018 at Kioi Hall in Tokyo, with Mayu Kishima on violin and Ryosuke Yanagitani on piano. Its American premiere was on September 28, 2018 at Merkin Hall at the Kaufman Music Center in New York, with Ko Sugiyama on violin and Ryosuke Yanagitani on piano.
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This piece for violin and piano was commissioned by the Ryuji Ueno Foundation. Seeing many parallels between the solitary life of a soloist and the fate of a stallion, I combined them into a single piece where the melody of the instruments intertwines with the powerful neighs of a racehorse.
A stallion is a male racehorse that has been so successful that it’s recognized for its breeding value. In other words, it’s a noble horse whose fate is determined by human standards.
In this piece, a single horse swiftly gallops into the scene. The music depicts the light and shadows cast by the horse — in ways that are at times exciting, at times emotional — alongside the surrounding scenes that fly by at a dizzying pace.
Behind the glory of winning races is its unimaginably grueling training regime, as well as its everyday life filled with trainers and other horses. The horse takes on challenging races, running as fast as it can in every moment, while carrying the burden that even a single mistake could cost it its life. Many people find this selfless dedication moving, and some horses become legendary figures.
At the same time, through the metaphor of the stallion, this piece asks listeners to consider how the lives, souls, and brilliance of all living things should be respected. Just as one person cannot choose their life, we cannot foresee how our fate carries contradictions and hope.
This piece doesn’t provide an answer. Rather, it’s like a scroll painting depicting the life of a single horse. Through this open-ended question, I hope listeners feel inspired to take part in a dialogue about these important issues. And I hope that musicians who encounter this piece someday, as well as future generations beyond them, will also discuss these topics.

Mamiko Hirai (December 2024)