18 Piano Sutras & 25 South Asian Pianisms

This double album of piano suites is by prolific composer and pianist Tanya Ekanayaka, from Sri Lanka. Each of the 18 Piano Sutras takes its inspiration from an endangered or extinct language and also evokes or ‘transcreates’ (the word Ekanayaka uses) a song in that language. The languages include Puluwat in Micronesia, Ainu in Japan and Trinidadian Bhojpuri. The musical language is Western classical, often reminiscent of Schubert Impromptus with lots of romantic arpeggios, despite being composed in 2021-22.

The Sanskrit term ‘sutra’ literally means ‘thread’ although usually refers to a verse of religious text, but Ekanayaka's vision of these pieces is very personal and she writes in some detail about the inspiration in the liner notes. ‘Agidu’, which means ‘a thing to remember’ in the Congolese Efé language, and evokes the polyphonic nature of their song with contrasting textures in each hand, is one of the most striking pieces. ‘Tunder’, another stand-out piece, means ‘thunder’ in the ancient Sogdian language of the Silk Road and evokes stormy skies and monsoon rains.

The second album of 25 South Asian Pianisms includes three pieces from each of the eight South Asian nations, namely Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Maldives, India, Pakistan, Nepal and Sri Lanka in that order. Once again, the regions’ languages, music and natural features, like a Pakistani waterfall in ‘Aabshaar’, are the inspirations. I’ve never before encountered the word ‘pianism’ meaning a piano piece rather than pianistic skill, which Ekanayaka has aplenty. The 25th piece is ‘Ode to South Asia’, which she describes as a personal reflection on ‘its rich heritage, resplendent natural beauty, vast array of unique cultures and communities.’ Perhaps the pieces to which all of these might be best compared are Albéniz's ‘Suite Española’ and ‘Iberia’, descriptive evocations of Spain composed in the late 19th and early 20th century, although I think they are perhaps rather more memorable.