Murakami's Use of Classical Music

Hello everyone!

In this post I would like to discuss the use and implications of classical music within Murakami's A Wild Sheep Chase. To many, the choice of music, form, and composer may seem insignificant. However if you dive into a little bit of music theory and backstory of some pieces, you can find a possible connection as to why Murakami chose these specific words in certain parts of the book.

On page 148, Boku is on his way back from the meeting with the Boss and the Chauffer happens to put on a Chopin Ballade. In music, a ballade is a single piece that is meant to tell a narrative story without the use of words. Chopin used them in a dramatic way, invoking a deep sense of yearning for an unobtainable goal often seen within romantic era music. In Chopin's case, these were all written during his time when he was exiled to France while longing to return to his homeland of Poland. If you've ever listened to any of his ballades before, it is easy to see how one can get lost and carried away on the wordless story Chopin takes you on. Having one of these emotional pieces played right before Boku must make a journey of his own foreshadows the highs and lows that he will experience; ie confronting the demons of his past, learning of the Rat's suicide, losing his girlfriend. 

Although he never specifies which of the 4 is played, I personally would like to infer that he hears Ballade No. 4 in F minor. After listening to all 4, I personally think that this one fits the most within the narrative of the story. Upon the piece starting, Boku remarks that, "I got the feeling I was in a dressing room at a wedding reception." Ballade No. 4 is dedicated to one of Chopin's best students and was written the year she was married off. In my opinion, I can also see the coda of this piece being linked to the release of emotions and tension built up over the course of the end of the book. Boku finding out that the Sheep Man is not real, realizing the Rat committed suicide to put an end to the Sheep's plan, and the explosion of the Rat's house, fully erasing anything left behind in their wake. 

Another example is the mention of a Mozart Concerto on page 43. Boku and his girlfriend are out on their first date at a restaurant while this piece starts to play. A concerto consists of a solo instrument that is accompanied by an entire orchestra. In this case, our solo instrument is his girlfriend and her ears, as Boku's entire focus and reason for wanting to see her is only for them. At the end of his journey, he is told by the Rat on page 338 that her ears have lost the special power that he once sought out and no longer have any meaning to him. If we look into Boku's perspective, ie only seeking this woman out for her ears, we can see how this is akin to a concerto piece without the soloist, as while the accompaniment is still nice to listen to, its nowhere near as nice compared to when we have the soloist. 

With all these small details, one can see why Murakami would choose these specific forms and associate them with certain people. However this is all up to personal interpretation as music can be interpreted in different ways, so I'd love to hear if anyone else has thought about these connections. Thank you!

- Angus Black