In the literary landscape of Haruki Murakami, music emerges as a vivid and powerful motif. Within the pages of his acclaimed novel, 1Q84, there’s an unforgettable moment when a taxi is trapped in a gridlock, and the radio plays Leoš Janáček’s Sinfonietta. Sam Anderson, writing in a New York Times Magazine profile of Murakami, calls it “the ultimate bad choice for a traffic jam soundtrack,” describing it as, “busy, upbeat, and dramatic — akin to five songs clashing with each other in a tin can.” Murakami admitted to Anderson, “I chose the Sinfonietta because it isn’t widely recognized music. Yet after the book’s release, its popularity soared here… even Mr. Seiji Ozawa thanked me as his recordings sold impressively well.”
Seiji Ozawa, a renowned conductor and a personal friend of Murakami, had a significant connection to him. Together, they authored the book Absolutely on Music, unraveling conversations about their passions — Ozawa’s for conducting and Murakami’s intertwining of music in his storytelling.
Ozawa once remarked, “I have many friends who adore music, but Haruki’s passion borders on the obsessive.” Indeed, Murakami’s writing is peppered with eclectic musical references — spanning Western pop, jazz, and classical compositions. A sample of 15 such classical tracks can be heard in a video curated by NTS radio.
We highlighted NTS, a London-based digital radio known for its thematic deep dives, which recently hosted a “Haruki Murakami Day,” featuring music drawn from his novels. The NTS Guide to Classical Music in Murakami’s Novels began with Franz Liszt’s Le mal du pays from Années de pèlerinage and journeyed through Robert Schumann’s Waldszenen, incorporating Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7 In A Major, Mendelssohn’s compositions, Wagner’s Der Fliegende Holländer, and more. While you might struggle to pinpoint each piece’s mention in Murakami’s tales, the sound of Janáček’s Sinfonietta is unmistakable when it plays.
Discover More:
Explore Haruki Murakami’s Love for Jazz: Dive into His Jazz Playlist, Essay, & Exclusive Jazz Bar Selections
Access a 96-Track Playlist of Music in Haruki Murakami’s Novels: Featuring Miles Davis, Glenn Gould, The Beach Boys & More
Dive into a 3,350-Song Playlist from Haruki Murakami’s Personal Vinyl Collection
Experience a 26-Hour Playlist Showcasing Music from Murakami’s Latest Work, Killing Commendatore
Immerse in Haruki Murakami Day: Stream Seven Hours of Curated Mixes Featuring Jazz, Classical, & Classic American Pop from his Novels
Colin Marshall, based in Seoul, explores cities, language, and culture through writing and broadcasting. Stay connected with his projects like the Substack newsletter Books on Cities and his book The Stateless City: A Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles. Join his journey on @colinmarshall or Facebook.
