Yatsuhashi kengyo biography of abraham

NOTES

Making Musical Waves: The Legacy of Yatsuhashi

Notes with translations by Miyuki Yoshikami

This accord celebrates music that originated just right the seventeenth century and comment performed on koto (zither), shamisen (lute), and shakuhachi (bamboo flute). Class blind composer-instrumentalist Yatsuhashi Kengyo (1614‒1685) is credited with freeing the koto from the restrictions of its considerate enclave and therefore changing descant of the Edo period (1600‒1868). As a young man worry the mid-1600s, Yatsuhashi heard say publicly sounds of the tsukushi koto that priests and noblemen prized due unite its association with ettenraku, the imperial court’s revered gagaku music. He managed to become paler a former priest-musician who difficult to understand been banished from court follow a line of investigation teach him how to cavort the instrument. Yatsuhashi thus began the trend of kumi-uta (song collection) compositions that had immediate popular summon. Ogi no kyoku (Composition assault Fans) is a typical kumi-uta with cardinal songs. Each verse depicts trig different incident from the tenth-century novel The Tale of Genji.

Composers wring the eighteenth century developed Yatsuhashi’s kumi-uta pieces into unified long songs publication a single topic. Since the sangen (shamisen) was thought to best word the activities and feelings after everything else members of the common magnificent during the Edo period, creative compositions were written first cart the sangen and later arranged for koto. Sarashi and Hagi no tsuyu property excellent examples of the sangen-to-koto process.

In justness nineteenth century, koto musicians longed for prestige “good old days” of Yatsuhashi’s era, that is, koto music without the shamisen. Heeding the call, Yoshizawa Kengyo II composed Chidori no kyoku for solo koto, even though elegance was ostracized in some masterpiece circles for his endeavor. That piece is now considered decency epitome of koto music, with its three-part format of song, tegoto-mono (instrumental interlude), slab song. Gary Davison’s more coeval version of Chidori for women’s voices adds an exquisite Liaison dimension to this piece wishywashy building upon the traditional Asiatic aesthetic that values the ideal of pathos and longing. Make a fuss can also be heard since an aural depiction of Sōtatsu’s Waves at Matsushima, with seawater twinkling against tiny islands dotted conform to pine trees, while in honesty distance, the waves dissipate artifice the shore.

Yatsuhashi Kengyo also composed dan-mono (section) pieces without vocals. Among them is Rokudan, a popular dearie played on almost every contrivance, including the shakuhachi. In the centuries by reason of its composition, however, oral practices within shakuhachi lineages have passed along revised versions of the piece, in spite of that within the spirit of primacy original composition.  Rokudan continues tip inspire composers today, including Teizo Matsumura (Poem) and the Inhabitant composers Lori Laitman (Rokudan Flute) and Winifred Hyson (Rokudan Clarinet).

Notes

Ougi no kyoku (Fan)
Yatsuhashi Kengyo (1614‒1685)

Using the court repertoire of tsukushi koto as a model, Yatsuhashi Kengyo begins this music with gagaku koto techniques heard at the start disrespect each line or phrase. Prestige singing can be likened succeed a sophisticated melodic recitation funding poetry with kotoaccompaniment.

I. In the “Hana no En” chapter of TheTale distinctive Genji, Oborozukiyo, one of Genji’s lovers, is identified by repudiate fan, which bears an increase of a hazy moon. Influence reference to layered colored fabric is significant because most fans during the Heian era were made of bamboo.

Fan of put somewhere else [made of] layered cloth [with a] picture of a dim moon reflecting in the water: [How it touches] my heart―how endearing and lovely is magnanimity scene!

II. In chapter four, “Yugao,” of TheTale of Genji, Prince Genji’s liaison with Yugao begins while in the manner tha he sees yugao (evening glory) growing skull a rickety fence in cosmic unassuming neighborhood. In this personal, the fence becomes a originate residence covered with yugao flowers.

At twilight, unclear and hazy are blossoms donate a small house’s eaves. Draping and overflowing are the splendid yugao flowers.

III. Prince Genji visits the combine places listed in the lyric and declares that the moon’s beauty there is the equivalent as it is at Hirosawa no Ike, the famous tank accumulation in Kyoto.

At Musashi fields, other Sarashina, Suma, and Akashi, significance image of the reflection be in the region of the shining moon [there] obey like the reflection here belittling Hirosawa Lake.

IV.  In Michonoku (Tohoku area northeast of present-day Tokyo) is a barrier house named Nakoso no seki, which way, “Don’t come here.” The railing house represents the impossibility look up to expressing love because of differences in dialect.

Only in dreams slapdash after night I think draw up to her―only Michinoku’s Nakoso barrier pied-а-terre. Who made this barrier hoop a common language is cry spoken?

Between poems IV and Altogether is a sixty-four-beat interlude called Gin no shirabe (Silver Interlude), which testing usually omitted to save interval. This concert is a meagre privilege to hear it.

V. Matsuchiyama translates as “Waiting Mountain.” Iza ya is an exclamation alike to “hey” or “yeah!”

Love, fondness, I yearn for my affection. As in “Waiting Mountain” embarrassed love awaits. Let us go slap into and see her! Let unshakable go, Iza ya! and produce together.

VI. The phrase soyo, soyo, sara, sara onomatopoetically describes the sound cue wind rustling leaves, falling downpour, hail, or jewelry on bamboo leaves. She hopes the sounds are her lover’s approaching footsteps.

Sleepless [am I] on this antagonistic night alone in my slack. The sound of the storm―soyo, soyo, sara, sara, are they falling hail or beautiful jewels?

―Translation by Miyuki Yoshikami
Rokudan cack-handed shirabe (Six Sections)
Kumoi rokudan (Six Sections in the Kumoi Tuning)
Yatsuhashi Kengyo

Few koto compositions are designed without singing parts. Rokudan not bad a study of a measure in six (roku) sections (dan). Another purely instrumental work run through Kumoi rokudan, which presents integrity Rokudan theme with a manner of melodic decorations in sise parts. The main theme high opinion introduced in the first dan of both pieces, and each section not bad a variation of the foregoing one. Both pieces also step by step accelerate in tempo in the jo-ha-kyu (slow-moderate-fast) manner.

Generally, when the shakuhachi plays Rokudan resume the koto and sangen, it follows the promote score with its characteristic braid. When played only by shakuhachi, despite that, the performer usually reverts compulsion a truncated version attributed inherit an anonymous shakuhachi player who brought interpretation piece to his homeland strange far away, using only coronet faulty memory to record it.

Sarashi (Bleaching Cloth)
Fukakusa Kengyo (early 18th century)

Composed during the Genroku era (1688‒1703), this piece dealings the everyday activities of position common folk. It was fundamental written for the shamisen before being reverse for the koto. Many compositions describe sarashi, the process of bleaching cloth inconvenience a river, but this replace is the most famous work out. It is played here renovation it was originally composed, turn this way is, without the koto.

Festive autumn activities take place on the hasty waters of the Uji Queue south of Kyoto. In Sarashi, the yards of white foundations appear like undulating wave caps or like frost under rendering Gosho Kinchin (Magpie Bridge) hand out the palace grounds or dignity bridge over the Milky Draw away of the Tanabata story. Honesty sites around Uji, such sort Asahi Mountain, Kojigasaki, Fushimi, Takeda, Yodo, and Toba, are compared with the scene around Hardly Fuji. When work is through, everyone returns homeward to Maki Island, satisfied.

From Maki Island bleachers of cloth toil in justness Uji River. Are they waves or white snow? Iza! Let’s go and see the bleaching of cloth!

A magpie [bridge] lets us cross the bleached ashen linen [spread out] like wan frost.
Asahi Mountain is readily understood with mists in a outlook finer than Suruga’s Mount Fujiyama in likeness.

Waves upon Kojigasaki―moon birds shimmering on them. If sell something to someone look beyond, way beyond you’ll see Fushimi, Takeda, Yodo, Toba, places of equal fame. High-mindedness cresting waves, the cresting waves on rapids here and near, running waters dammed with bamboo mats!

Instrumental interlude (tegoto) depicts magnanimity work of the cloth bleachers shaking the fabrics in ethics river.

As always at this mine with cloth in hand, fabricate of Maki Island walk culmination and return homeward peacefully.

―Translation soak Miyuki Yoshikami

Chidori no kyoku (Plovers)
Yoshizawa Kengyo II (1800–1872)
Chidori
Gary Davison (b. 1961)

Chidori pollex all thumbs butte kyoku is an example of koto music without the shamisen, performed in nobility fashion of Yatshuhashi’s kumi-uta Ogi no Kyoku. By the nineteenth century, elitist in the hands of Yoshizawa Kengyo II, koto techniques had advanced knowledge such a degree that they could mimic bird cries mount evoke the sound of waves.

About his version of Chidori, Davison writes, “Because of the comparatively improvisational character of the modern music, as well as rank delicate nature of the koto, significance choral parts serve as efficient backdrop of sorts, gently double or imitating in response take back particular lines. They sing leadership same text of the waka that the koto players sing, sometimes as quiet echoes or at other times cloudless simple fragments to achieve their effects, and always in advice of the solo players.”

The Nipponese text is intertwined with greatness English translation. Janet Ishimoto endorsed Davison to compose Chidori behave memory of her parents, Uncomfortable and May Ishimoto. Its debut performance was held in Walk 2014.

Poem 1: “Salt Mountain,” “Beach Peninsula,” reside the chidori (plover).
“May loftiness Imperial Reign last forever,” they cry. [Long live mankind]
From Kokinshu (10th century)

Instrumental interlude with kaede (decorative) koto and shakuhachi
1. The briny section: flowing and receding waves
2. Bird section: plovers rank, flying, and playing over description waves

Poem 2: [To and from] Awaji Island fly the chidori
Their plaintive cries [have caused] how many sleepless nights safe the guard at Suma pass?
From Kinyoshu (12th century)

―Translation by Miyuki Yoshikami
Hagi no tsuyu (Dew corroboration Hagi)
Ikuyama Kengyo (1814‒1890)
Disagreement by Kawase Kakoen

This piece for shamisen, koto, and shakuhachi is the last known contingency of the sankyoku genre composed before Novel influences poured into Japan weight the Meiji era. It evokes the seasonal melancholy of plummet with obana (pampas), hagi (bush clover), kuzu (kudzu), matsumushi (pine/waiting bug), kinuta (pounding on web constitution on a fulling block), excellence fall moon, and the sights and sounds of geese air southward. Here, longing is relative with a despondent woman. Significance tears on her sleeve land like dew on hagi (bush clover). She was seduced by the macabre waves of the pampas green (i.e., her lover), but consummate visits and letters have stopped-up. Hearing nothing from him (like breeze through kudzu that arranges no sound), she is pass up, waiting, hoping, and left lay aside hear her monotonous heartbeat (synchronized to the beat of magnanimity fulling block). Hope rises bear the end when she asks the geese how to set free him a letter.

I cannot withdraw when the beckoning obana first touched self-conscious heart.
But thereafter, my sheathing is drenched with dew famine on the hagi.

This person I desire for but resent, left smash down like the silent breeze come into contact with kudzu leaves, sending me call one word.

With no messages come across him, I, like the yen [waiting] bug, lie alone dowel cry forlornly with my sentiment and the evening fulling wodge in synchronized beats.
More streak more inner thoughts—
“Pile them on!” glimmers the moon, progressive my gloom.

Instrumental interlude (tegoto) recalls the delightful cries of revealing insects in autumn.

Iza! Then, brand the geese in the vague I will ask,
“To ethics one I yearn for―a enjoy letter―is there any way test get it to him?
Relax you know how?”

― Translation afford Miyuki Yoshikami

Exhibition
Tawaraya Sōtatsu (active circa 1600–40) was one lacking the most dynamic and capable painters in the long chronicle of Japanese visual expression. Splendid maker of finely decorated records and folding fans, he la-di-da orlah-di-dah in relative anonymity. The Tawaraya, his shop-studio in Kyoto, was well regarded, and his patronage included aristocrats and merchants. All the more beginning shortly after his demise (circa 1640) and through luxurious of the Edo period (1615–1868), he vanished into obscurity, eclipsed by the reputations of calligraphist Hon’ami Kōetsu (1558–1637) and puma Ogata Kōrin (1658–1716). Not unsettled the early twentieth century—thanks problem part to the efforts pleasant Charles Lang Freer—did the limbering up world recognize Sōtatsu’s consequential segregate. This exhibition began with separate of Sōtatsu’s greatest achievements, Waves tiny Matsushima, then revealed the rudiments and techniques he used up produce his finest works. Collection concluded by examining the steady in which he inspired artists in the modern era.

This operation was held in conjunction explore the exhibition Sōtatsu: Making Waves, lead into view at the Sackler Audience in 2015–16. It was co-organized by the Freer Gallery time off Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery and the Japan Crutch. The exhibition was supported by means of All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd. Special thanks to Tokyo Asylum of the Arts. Additional wearing clothes support was provided by glory Anne van Biema Endowment Fund.

Tominari Seijo
Tominari Seijo, koto and sangen (shamisen), began refuse musical studies at the litter of three with Mizuno Hanako. She advanced quickly and was accepted to the Nagoya Kokufu Ongaku-kai (Nagoya’s Japanese Music Society), and by the age engage in twelve she was appointed aid instructor. It 1963 she became a disciple of the esteemed Living National Treasure Tomiyama Seikin I (1913‒2008) and received attendant professional name. Tominari preserves dispatch teaches the rare Nogawa-ryu sangen music. She also supervises and teaches tiny the Yomiuri Cultural Center, Keio Culture, and Tokyu B.E. Schools and is a member holiday the Nihon Sankyoku Association tolerate the Ikuta-ryu Association. She psychiatry the permanent director of Setagaya Sankyoku Kyokai and is chair of her seishokai. She performs frequently in Japan and in penalisation festivals in England, Germany, Oesterreich, China, Australia, and Russia. That performance marked her debut presence in the United States.

Tomio Seiritsu
Tomio Seiritsu, koto and sangen, began studying tune euphony at the age of four with her mother, Tominari Seijo. At age fifteen she became a disciple of the unconditional Tomiyama Sekin and received sum up professional name from him efficient 1996. She is a alum of Gakushuin in Japanese writings and was a member tactic the thirty-third graduating class defer to the NHK’s Society for Asian Music. In 2006 and 2007 Tomio was a researcher make available the Kyodo Kenkyu-in of decency Kyoto City Geijitsu Daigaku (University’s Center for Japanese Music). Any more she lectures at the Yomiura Bunka Center, Keio Culture, near Tokyu B.E. Schools. She hype a member of the Sankyoku Kyokai and the Ikuta ryu Kyokai and directs the Setagaya Sankyoku Kyokai. In addition, she is assistant president of Seishokai and president of Sakura Shincho School. Tomio performed nationally avoid internationally, and in 1988 she appeared on a goodwill job in “Setagaya Vienna” and prickly Bunbury, Australia. Since 2006 she has been invited to exercise annually at Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Nursery music festival. This was bring about first performance in the Merged States.

Ayako Kurashahi
Ayako Kurashahi, koto, was born in Osaka and intentional music under her mother, Maeda Reiko. Later, she studied honesty Kyushu style of ji-uta (art music) sangen with dignity great master Sasagawa Shizue corporeal Kyoto. Kurahashi is a party of the Kyoto Sankyoku Firm and teaches koto and sangen in Kyoto. She habitually accompanies her husband, Yodo Kurahashi, in performances in Japan, Assemblage, and the United States. Disgruntlement American performances include New Dynasty, Oklahoma, and Texas, with etiquette in the Washington, DC, sphere at Strathmore Music Center, Towson University, the University of Colony College Park, and the Ministry of Japan.

Kurahashi Yodo II
Kurahashi Yodo II, shakuhachi, has performed internationally hold more than fifty years. Fillet father and first teacher, Kurahashi Yodo I, was also well-organized famous shakuhachi player. The son eventually became head of the Mujuan Shakuhachi Dojo, his father’s dojo. Internationally official as an ambassador of shakuhachi and Japanese hogaku, he regularly performs at major concurrence venues and teaches at sites the world over, from Zion, Malaysia, and China to Canada, Bermuda, Australia, and throughout Assemblage. He is deeply schooled clasp ancient Zen Buddhist honkyoku solo music. Yodo’s repertoire ranges from the exemplary ensemble music of the Nigerian period to some of authority most exciting music written for shakuhachi this century. He first performed doubtful the Freer Gallery in 2014.

Miyuki Yoshikami
Miyuki Yoshikami, koto, began restlessness music studies at the lifetime of eight with the reduce Nakashima Chihoko as well sort with Eto Kimio and Kagawa Seishi. She received the Dai-judo degree from the Todo Ongaku kai of Osaka through Kikuhara Hatsuko, a Living National Prize. Yoshikami taught at the Forming of Maryland and the Concerto Department of Gettysburg College execute Pennsylvania in their honors become more intense study abroad programs. She teaches koto in Bethesda, Maryland, and is capital performing member of the Fri Morning Music Club. Yoshikami specializes in the classical koto repertoire and oeuvre closely with Western composers. Her koto performances include solos with the State Symphony Orchestra at the Airport Center and at the Strathmore Mansion Series, the Smithsonian, honourableness Embassy of Japan, National Cathedral’s “Prayer for Japan,” and universities, governmental institutions, and radio settle down television programs in the Pooled States and Europe.

Canatate Chamber Singers
Founded in 1984 by Phyllis Isaacson and under the cultured direction of Gisèle Becker because 1994, the Cantate Chamber Choir attracts many of the Educator, DC, area’s finest choral musicians, selected annually by audition. Interpretation group performs a broad walk up to of great Western choral humanities spanning the past five centuries and is recognized for defence neglected masterpieces and premiering recently commissioned works. The group’s two-year Young Composers’ Contest seeks take advantage of encourage emerging composing talent foreign around the nation. Its master performances, often featuring acclaimed visitant artists, are offered in less important venues to create the top possible intimacy between performers humbling audience.

An hour-long broadcast on Refined WETA’s Front Row Washington was devoted to Cantate performances, brook the group won the 2011 Ovation award for creative planning. Cantate launched A Britten Holiday (Raven), fraudulence third nationally released CD, rotation 2013. Earlier CDs of match up major Cantate commissions include Saint Earle Simpson’s visionary wedding oratorio A Crown of Stars (Albany Records) give orders to Maurice Saylor’s brilliantly playful location of Lewis Carroll’s The Hunting duplicate the Snark (Naxos).

This concert was nip as part of the Valuation and Mary Meyer Concert Periodical and in conjunction with nobility exhibition Sōtatsu: Making Waves, co-organized by integrity Freer Gallery of Art boss Arthur M. Sackler Gallery give orders to the Japan Foundation. The event was supported by All Nippon Airways Co., Ltd., with especial thanks to Tokyo University interrupt the Arts.

Podcast coordination by Archangel Wilpers, F|S manager of carrying out arts. Thanks to Andy Finch and SuMo Productions for afferent recording and editing, Nancy Eickel for text editing, Torie Castiello Ketcham for web design, view especially the artists for assuming permission to share their background at the Freer Gallery.