ICICIC2007 Japanese Traditional Lecture Concert
The 400th Anniversary of Kumamoto Castle Construction
Presented by
Prof. Takeshi Yamakawa, Mrs. Tamae Yamakawa and their colleagues
National traditional music is inspired by the natural climate, life style, religion, philosophy, history and other spiritual nourishment of its own race and country. By the chance of discovering and understanding the ethnic music of other country, one may understand more deeply one's own ethnic music and culture.
Associated with the Second International Conference on Innovative Computing, Information and Control (ICICIC2007), the Japanese Traditional Lecture Concert of Koto (13-string equipment), Shakuhachi (bamboo flute), Jushichigen and Shamisen will be presented during 19:00-21:00 on September 5, 2007 in Kumamoto Sangyo-Bunka Kaikan. Not only the lecture on the history and structure of the musical equipments but also how to play the equipments and explanation on interesting and beautiful parts of the music will be also presented. All the participants to ICICIC 2007 and citizens in Kumamoto city are welcome to enjoy this Japanese traditional lecture concert.
<Program>
| 1. "Kurodabushi-niyoru-Gensokyoku" (Fantasy on "Kurodabushi") |
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| composed by Tadao Sawai in 1957 |
| Koto-Solo |
| Tamae Yamakawa |
| Koto#1 |
| Ayako Sakata, Noriko Sakai, Nobuko Matsushita |
| Koto#2 |
| Yoko Kawahara, Toshiko Yoshimura |
| Jushichigen |
| Mina Kawahara, Toshitaka Yamakawa, Akiko Sakata |
| Shakuhachi |
| Ryohzan Koga |
| 2. "Sakura" Variation |
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| composed by Michio Miyagi in 1923 |
| Koto |
| Tamae Yamakawa |
| 3. "Chidori-no-Kyoku" (A Tune of Plover) |
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| composed by Yoshizawa Kengyoh*) in 1860's |
| Koto |
| Tamae Yamakawa |
| Shakuhachi |
| Takeshi Yamakawa |
| 4. "Haru-no-Umi" (Rocky Coast of the Brilliant New Year) |
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| composed by Michio Miyagi in 1929 |
| Koto |
| Tamae Yamakawa |
| Shakuhachi |
| Takeshi Yamakawa |
| 5. "Rokudan-no-Shirabe" (Tune of Six Stages) |
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| composed by Yatsuhashi-Kengyoh*) in 1600's |
| Sangen Tamae Yamakawa |
| Tamae Yamakawa |
| Koto |
| Mina Kawahara |
| Shakuhachi |
| Takeshi Yamakawa |
| 6. "Hihumi-Hachigaeshi-no-Shirabe" |
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| composer unknown, composed period unknown |
| Shakuhachi-Solo |
| Takeshi Yamakawa |
*) "Kengyoh" is the highest position of the blind persons' society in ancient/modern periods.
<About the Players>
Tamae Yamakawa started learning to play Koto at the age of 5. She received B. A. degree in Japanese Traditional Music from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in 1971. She opened her Koto school in Fukushima city in Tohoku area (northern part of Japan). She received the Third Prizes in Koto competition all over Japan in 1969 and 1971. She engaged in Fukushima Cultural Education Center as an instructor during 1972-1980. After marriage with Prof. Takeshi Yamakawa, she founded Sui-Getsu Koto society in Kumamoto city and has been the chair of the society. She presented concerts in Germany, Italy, Rumania, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, U.S.A., Hungary, India and Jamaica. She is also a visiting professor in Department of Ethnic Music in University of Otago in New Zealand and Department of Music in Kumamoto University in Japan. She is now in a rank of Dai-Shihan (the highest teaching position) of Miyagi Koto School.
Takeshi Yamakawa is a Professor of Kyushu Institute of Technology and also the founder and the chairman of Japanese Foundation, Fuzzy Logic Systems Institute. He is the director of the national project (the 21st Century Center of Excellence program) entitled, "World of Brain Computing Interwoven out of Animals and Robots", during 2003-2008. He started to learn Shakuhachi at the age of 22. He held the concerts at Elder Hall in University of Adelaide in South Australia in May 1997 and April 1998. He gave two-week course on theory and practice on Shakuhachi in Department of Ethnic Music in Otago University in New Zealand in 1997. He presented concerts in Germany, Rumania, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, U.S.A., Hungary, India and Jamaica together his wife Tamae. He plays Karate (Japanese traditional martial arts) and possesses a black belt (5th Dan). And he likes horse riding (dressage and show jumping), swimming and monocycle as well.
Sui-Getsu Koto Society was founded in Kumamoto city by Mrs. Tamae Yamakawa and now holds Iizuka branch. It has about twenty five members and has achieved several concerts in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Hungary.
< Musical Instruments and Notes>
Koto (thirteen-string zither) was imported into Japan from China at the end of the seventh century and had originally seven strings. Koto in use today was developed in the seventeenth century. The body of the instrument is made of paulownia wood in the shape of a box and is 185 cm in length and 27 cm in width, a shape permitting good resonance. It has thirteen strings of the same thickness which are made of silk. The strings are stretched over the bridges ("Kotoji") on the instrument at the same tension. Three picks ("Tsume") are fixed by narrow bands to the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of the performer's right hand.
The pitch of each string is determined by the position of the bridge and by the tension of the string. The bridge allocation differs from music piece to piece. Tuning can be adjusted by moving the bridges, sometimes even during the performance of a composition, or by the player pushing down or relaxing the string firmly on the left hand side of the bridge to produce higher or lower pitch. Therefore Koto can change a pitch continuously.
Juushichigen (seventeen-string zither) was developed by Mr. Michio Miyagi in 1921 in Japan for playing a bass part. It is much bigger than an ordinary Koto and has seventeen strings, while an ordinary Koto has 13 strings. A string of Juushichigen is 4 times heavier than that of Koto. Strings of Juushichigen is made of silk. Three picks are used for playing as well as Koto.
Shakuhachi (vertical bamboo flute) was imported from China in the middle of 7th century. It had originally six finger holes to control the pitch, while Shakuhachi of today has five finger holes, i.e. four holes in the front and one hole in the back. Shakuhachi is made of bamboo near to the root. Hard bamboo growing in a rocky mountain is suitable for Shakuhachi. It can be separated to two parts. It has no reed for generating sound and thus a player has to form the reed by his or her lips, teeth and tongue.
A mixture of polishing powder and varnish is pasted inside of the bamboo. And the hardened mixture is polished with a small piece of grindstone attached to the tip of flexible rod by checking the pitch. Thus it takes more than ten months to fabricate Shakuhachi.
Timbre (waveform), pitch and loudness of Shakuhachi is determined by shape of lips, strength of breath, direction of blowing and assignment of finger holes. Sound of the same pitch, but the different timbre can be created by changing shape of lips, strength of breath, direction of blowing and assignment of finger holes. Shakuhachi is a chaotic music instrument which produces harmonics depending upon the previous conditions. Shakuhachi produces ultrasonic wave as well as sonic wave which includes the frequency bands used for communication of mice and rats. Thus playing Shakuhachi sometimes attracts house mice.
It is also interesting that parallel fibers in bamboo act as a filter to produce a sound peculiar to Shakuhachi.
Sangen or Shamisen (three-string lute) was introduced to Japan at the end of sixteenth century from China via Okinawa, a small island in the Pacific Ocean southwestern Japan and Taiwan.
It resembles a banjo, consisting of a long neck connected to a square frame made of quince or oak wood. The frame is tightly covered with skins of a cat on the front and dog on the back. It has three silk strings of different thickness, string number one being the thickest and able to produce the lowest pitch. String number three is the thinnest, so that it creates the highest pitch and is easy to snap. The strings are tightened by pegs located at the top of the neck. Tension is applied to the strings only by the friction of the pegs. Therefore, it should be done very carefully to wind up or to loosen the strings in order to change the pitch during the play. Sound of Sangen is produced by plucking the string with a large plectrum. Distinctive sounds are simultaneous ones by the string, the leather and the frame. Like the violin, Sangen has no frets on the neck and players adjust pitches by careful placement of fingers ("Tsubo") along the string. An interesting sound created by Sangen is the instantaneous sound at the plucking and the transient one after the plucking, for instance, Suri-age, Suri-sage, etc. A strange sound, "buzzing"(Sawari), created by the lowest string is also interesting. Correct adjustment of tension in strings number 2 and 3 can be examined by the Sawari caused by the resonance.
Musical Notes for Koto, Jushichigen, Shakuhachi and Sangen are quite different from each other. The notation for each traditional Japanese instrument differs in terms of symbols representing scale and time signature, while western music employs the same notation for all classical music instruments. Therefore, players have to learn to read each musical note, if they want to play Koto, ushichigen, Shakuhachi and Sangen.
<About the Music>
1. "Kurodabushi-niyoru-Gensokyoku" (Fantasy on "Kurodabushi") --- composed by Tadao Sawai in 1957
"Kurodabushi" was a tune sung by Samurai (warrior) in the domain of Kuroda (Fukuoka prefecture of today). The melody is based on gagaku (Japanese ancient court music). A heavy Sake drinker of Samurai in the domain of Kuroda finished off his drink of the big basin and thus he got the celebrated spear in reward for his drink from his lord. This tune became to be the soul of Samurai in Kuroda. Tadao Sawai imagined this soul and created the variation of "Kurodabushi".
2. "Sakura" Variation --- composed by Michio Miyagi in 1923
This is a variation of a Japanese old song "Sakura-Sakura (Cherry Blossoms)". Mr. Miyagi was encouraged to compose the variation after listening western music. He aimed at introducing the potential techniques and tastes of Japanese traditional music equipments through this variation.
Cherry blossoms ("Sakura") in April and spring arrives in all its splendour. The delicate pink or white blossoms burst into bloom against the backdrop of brilliant blue skies.
In a few days the glorious sight of the Sakura helps to chase away the lingering woe of winter.
With the arrival of spring winds, petals are tossed carelessly, gathering like drifts of snow on the ground.
It serves to remind us of the ephemeral beauty of the cherry blossoms and the transience of life itself.
The cherry/Sakura permeates the life of the Japanese. For centuries poems have remarked on the transient beauty of the cherry blossom.
Paintings have depicted flower viewing parties, Samurai sipping sake, strumming the Shamisen and surveying splendid scenes of spring.
Sakura/Cherry Blossoms are also important to the musical traditions. The most famous song "Sakura" is familiar to many of you, I'm sure.
Today it is played on the 13-string Koto in a theme and variation form.
So please, sit back. Imagine the stage as a park full of cherry trees in bloom.
See the glorious colours, breathe the delicate fragrance and join this celebration of the spring in Japan.
3. "Chidori-no-Kyoku" (A Tune of Plover) --- composed by Yoshizawa Kengyoh*) in 1860's
The text includes two tankas , 31-syllable Japanese poem, the theme of which is a plover. The structure is maebiki (prelude)-maeuta (pre-song)-tegoto (interlude)-atouta (post-song). Maebiki exhibits solemnity in Japanese ancient court music. The following maeuta presents an elegant recitation partially including the modified melody of maeuta, that is ainote . The tegoto consists of "Chapter of Surf" and "Chapter of Plover". This type of structure and melody was very novel in those days when this tune was composed.
"Chidori sings by the shore as if celebrating for one's longer life.
Many nights listening to the chidori singing, the isolated samurai,
in his duty of guarding the coast, cannot sleep."
4. "Haru-no-Umi" (Rocky Coast of the Brilliant New Year) --- composed by Michio Miyagi in 1929
This was composed by Michio Miyagi at the end of 1929 for the New Year's Poetry Reading at the Imperial Court (1930), the theme of which was "Craggy Seaside". Although he was blind, he could successfully imagine the sound of seawater, a boatman's song, a song of seagull and pleasure of successful haul in the peaceful Seto Inland Sea.
5. "Rokudan-no-Shirabe" (Tune of Six Stages) --- composed by Yatsuhashi-Kengyoh*) in 1600's
This is an instrumental music for Koto and Shakuhachi, and one of the well-known Koto music in Japan. The tempo is very slow in the beginning and gradually becomes faster. The formalism of this tune is similar to that of "variations" in western music, but not based on the theory of western music. Rokudan-no-Shirabe is constructed with six stages and classified into so called "Dan-mono", where each of the stage is constructed with 52 beats and the extra three beats of "Ten-ton-shan" is attached to the first stage. The form of stage is similar to each other among five stages.
6. "Hihumi-Hachigaeshi-no-Shirabe" --- composer unknown, composed period unknown
Songs of Shakuhachi (vertical bamboo flute) were kind of religious music for Komusou (mendicants Zen priest of the Fuke sect). The mendicants basically used to play Shakuhachi for the purpose of learning Fuke and praying Buddha, so that the rhythm is not musical, but is smooth and natural like a rhythm of human breath. The image of the songs is profound and quiet elegance, and the technique is much more advanced than "Gai-kyoku" which is played with Koto and Shamisen. "Hihumi-Hachigaeshi-no-Shirabe" was played to give thanks to the people who offered rice, miso (soy beans), and money while mendicants were in a Takuhatsu-Gongyo (a religious mendicancy service).
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