TWELVE 十二の記憶: Ode to Piano Classics was a conceptual live calligraphy performance at a creative conference called THU in Tróia, Portugal on September 20th, 2022. 12 squares of Japanese gasen-shi paper were laid out on a grid on the floor, and each piece was written live accompanied by romantic piano classics that conjure up memories and emotions from her childhood. Learning piano from the age of 5, and calligraphy from the age of 6, music and calligraphy are the two traditional and classical forms of art Yamaguchi grew up studying and practicing — which are the foundation of her artistic expression today. Music and poetry have been always the source of inspiration for her art; music paints visions in her mind, from which words and poems emerge, where the brush strokes are imbued with the resonance. Her performance invited viewers to share a moment with the artist, dreaming and writing embraced in her favorite songs, and witnessing her poetic and visual interpretations of the sound and the pieces of her memories.
1. 「醒」 Préludes / Book 2, L123: 5. Bruyères, Claude Debussy
2. 「奔」 Polonaise No.6 in A-Flat Major Op.53, “Heroic” Frédéric Chopin
3. 「揺」 Préludes / Book 1, L111: 8. La fille aux cheveux de lin, Claude Debussy
4. 「綴」 Suite Bergamasque, L.75: III. Clair de lune, Claude Debussy
5. 「呼」 Etude No.2, Philip Glass
6. 「寂」 Première Gymnopédie, Erik Satie
7. 「焦」 Ravel: Pavane pour une infante défunte, M.19, Maurice Ravel
8. 「飛」 2 Arabesques, L.66: No/1 in E Major
9. 「夢」 Rêverie, L.68, Claude Debussy
10. 「瞑」 Sonata No.14 “Moonlight” in C-Sharp Minor, Op 27 No2: 1. Adagio sostenuto, Ludwig van Beethoven
11. 「巡」 3 Nocturnes, op.9: No.2 in E-Flat Major, Frédéric Chopin
12. 「逢」 Liebesträume, S. 541, No.3, Franz Liszt
