World Shakuhachi Discussion / Go to Live Shakuhachi Chat
You are not logged in.
Hi there,
as promised we reveal another video from the main concert of the Prague Shakuhachi Summer School 08.
This time it is Chikurai composed by Moroi Mokota performed by Kifu Mitsuhashi.
http://www.vimeo.com/2653776
Check it out, the playing is top notch.
Cheers,
Marek
Offline
Wow!!!!!
That was awesome! I'm wondering how that was notated. It sounds too complex and long to be memorized but I don't see any music in front of him. Is it a structured improvisation?
Offline
Hi Rad,
I agree, I was blown away by this performance (Partly due to the fact that Chikurai is arguably my favourite composition for shakuhachi)
No I don't think it was an impro. The piece has a definite structure, Kifu Mitsuhashi had it all memorised.
As for the notation, I think it would classical staff notation with some special stuff for the muraiki and multiphonics. Does any one have it?
Cheers,
Marek
Offline
Great stuff !!
Offline
Great piece and incredible performance. Thanks!
I didn't see anything on komuso.com about the piece or composer -- anyone have some more info to share?
Zak
Offline
Zakarius wrote:
Great piece and incredible performance. Thanks!
I didn't see anything on komuso.com about the piece or composer -- anyone have some more info to share?
Zak
What's this, chopped liver?
http://www.komuso.com/albums/Five_Piece … Moroi.html
Offline
fouw wrote:
Amazing! Thanks mate!
Dear Marek,
I would like to offer you a bribe, sorry, contribution to the Summerschool 2009 scholarship fund.
In exchange for this and the rest of Mitsuhashi-san's performance on DVD.
cheers,
kees
Anything can be arranged, you know that.
But, you know it is a lot of work...
Offline
I am intrested for a copy of DVD also.
Offline
Chikurai composed by Moroi Mokota can be purchased at a very reasonable price from sheetmusicplus.com
Offline
Wow very nifty playing! So diverse and controlled. Thanks for sharing the vid with us.
Offline
Mituhashi is the only player I saw live in all my life... He performed some solo pieces and some sankyoku in the comemoration of 100 years of japanese imigration to Brasil, in the middle of the year... he played this piece and was amazing.
I hitchhiked in a truck to go from my city to the capital of the state where I live. It was a great weekend...
Thank you for share the video... It cleared the memories of that night!!!
A big hug and piece!
Henrique
Offline
geni wrote:
I am intrested for a copy of DVD also.
Hmm, makes me think...
I will see what I can do.
---
For 2009 we should have a film crew...
Offline
Marek, that was really great! If you're continuing that standard it's very inviting to come to the next Tjech summerschool.
Offline
Mitsuhashi is such a virtuoso player it's always inspiring to hear him. As Moroi says in his notes to the composition the notation is, like honkyoku, an approximation, so it's valuable to hear not only various players' performances of this piece but also different performances by the same player.
A while back when I got the notation I typed out the included liner notes for reference; they have some additional information to that at komuso.com. One intriguing thing is the last line of the part about the third movement, Kyorai. There were a few typos and grammatical mistakes in the notes, which I edited, while a couple of others I left in, but when I got to this line:
"The movement forms the of the entire composition and bears the soft, mild, but still rigid melodic themes of a standard shakuhachi work."
I had to leave it as is. What's the missing word between "the" and "of?" No doubt "center," "heart," "crux," or something similar, but I didn't feel I could put such an important word in his mouth. So, the explanation of the center of the piece, named Kyorai no less, remains empty--how apt.
Anyway here are the notes, perhaps they'll be of interest:
By mere chance, I became acquainted with Sakai Chikuho (the present Chikuô), a master shakuhachi artist of Osaka and founder of the Chikuho school in this traditional Japanese bamboo flute, and had the opportunity to have him personally perform a number of classic standard works for me. This was in early spring 1964. I was amazed by the unexpected modernistic sense and feeling in the tone and movement of the melodies in this traditional music. I immediately felt a profound sense of intimacy. I resolved to work on the contemporary composition for the shakuhachi the same night. At the time, I was engaged in work that compelled me to travel to Osaka once a month. I utilized these trips and scheduled to spend a night with the master and his son to work on one composition at a time. THe first night we spent was at the inner quarters of Sesshu-ji Temple, Funda-In Monastery, Kyoto. The full moon casting a dim light on the serene compounds of the temple blended with the subtle tones of the shakuhachi to provide a unique atmosphere that greatly stimulated my creative desire. I spent other nights working at the master’s home and also indulged in work to complete parts at an inn in Tsuruga, north of Kyoto. The difference in musical notations initially was a great obstacle. With the intimate advice and cooperation of Sakai Chikudo (the founder’s son and presently Chikuho II), however, I became familiar with the method of notation particular to the Chikuho school and compositional work, which is entirely foreign from notes for Western musical scores, progressed rather smoothly. I feel that I was able to freely express my creative thoughts and blend with the music for this exotic instrument. I placed myself almost entirely aloof from the consciousness of composing for a traditional Japanese style instrument and this resulted in musical expressions which were hitherto completely unthought of in the orthodox playing methods of the shakuhachi. These new and bold experimentations therefore imposed a high degree of proficiency on the part of the performer. The composer, who primarily is fond of music for wind instruments, composed a “Partita for Solo Flute” in 1952, and thus turned back to music for this type of instrument after a lapse of more than ten years. I felt extremely happy and fortunate that I was able to face the challenge of intruding into a completely new field bearing a fresh impression and profound passion.
The composition is entitled “Chikurai,” which means “bamboo flute” from its literal meaning of “the rustling of bamboo in the blowing wind.” Accordingly, it is the composer’s intention to have this title interpreted to simply mean “Five Movements for the Flute.”
The First Movement: Funda
This part was composed in May. The title derives from the fact that the three of us--the master, his sone, and the composer--worked on this composition at the Shusshu-ji Temple, Funda-in Mondastery in Kyoyo. The character “Fun” is used to express the meaning of “fine or pleasant aroma.” There also is a related Buddhist term “Fundari,” but it is not intended that these meanings be linked with the title. This was the first piece composed and perhaps, therefore, the spiritual and methodical influence of classical and traditional standard shakuhachi music was most strongly included. A prelude.
The Second Movement: Sochiku
Refreshing sounds of rustling bamboo is the literal translation of the title and the approximate intended meaning. The tremolo method of playing is significant in this piece. An interlude in binary form.
The Third Movement: Kyorai
The title is a self-thought term deriving from representative classical masterworks such as “Kyorei” (literally, empty bell) and “Kokû” (literally, empty air), which greatly impressed and influenced the composer. The same CHinese character is used for “kyo” and “ko” in the above works, but it should not be interpreted to mean “empty” or “vain” in the case of this title. Another meaning for this character which applies when used with the character “spirit” and pronounced “kyoshin,” meaning “free from prejudice” or “dispassionately,” is the intended translation. Thus, the intended meaning of the word “Kyorai” is “sounds arising from a mind that is free from worldly thoughts.” The movement forms the of the entire composition and bears the soft, mild, but still rigid melodic themes of a standard shakuhachi work.
The Fourth Movement: Hachiku
This word, which literally means “bursting” or “breaking bamboo,” is used as a term expressing irresistible advancing force or power. The composition is played mainly in the staccato style, which is completely foreign to the traditional shakuhachi playing methods. The title “Hachiku” is used in the sense that it breaks the tradition in playing style. It is an extremely short interlude, but the consecutive rapid staccato tones form a sharp contrast between the preceding as well as the succeeding movement.
The Fifth Movement: Meian
The word literally means “light and dark.” The title was taken from Meian-ji Temple of Kyoto, which has close affinity with the development of shakuhachi music. The literal meaning of the word, however, also suits the intended meaning of the title as the composition expresses contrasts and variations of the light and dark phases of the tones. The cyclic form is adopted and the major motifs of the preceding four movements are repeated in order. This movement is the greatest in scale and is an ending for the composition similar to the rondo pattern.
The First Movement was completed at the Sesshu-ji Temple, Funda-in Monastery in Kyoto in May 1964. The Second and Third Movements were composed at the Sakai residence in Osaka in June and July, respectively, and the Fourth and Fifth Movements were finished at Tsuruga in August. The first radio broadcast was by a recording performed by Sakai Chikudô (the present Chikuho II) in a program entitled “The Present Day Japanese Music” over the national NHK Broadcasting System on September 27, 1964.
The first public performance was in fall the same year at the Kyoto Shakuhachi Standard Number Concert (held at the Rikkyoku-an, Tofuku-ji Temple). It was performed in Tokyo at the “6th Festival of Contemporary Music 1965” (at the Asahi Hall), and in Osaka at the “1967 Osaka Fall Festival” (at the Midô Kaikan Hall).
Sakai Chikudô performed the composition in all of the above occasions and received great applause each time. He also won various awards for these masterful performances.
Besides the original Chikuho school notes, the composer has been able to obtain musical notations of the Tozan school of shakuhachi through the kind cooperation of Kitahara Kôzan, at the occasion of this publication. The Western musical score was based on the Chikuho school notations in accordance with the performance by Sakai Chikuho II, which was transcribed by Miss Tsuneko Tsukitani and revised by the composer. Accordingly, it should be noted that the original of the Western musical score is the Chikuho school notations. It should also be kept in mind that the meter of the shakuhachi music is quite unstable and therefore it is almost impossible to accurately transcribe its notes on a Western musical score. It is needless to say that the score, therefore, is not absolute, but rather the most approximate notations possible.
Offline
Thanks, Peter.
Very compelling prose.
"...my creative desire." I like that.
Offline
New video finally released!
Hi,
we have finally uploaded next video from Prague Shakuhachi School '08 main concert: Kifu Mitsuhashi playing Tsuru no Sugomori on a 2.9 jinashi shakuhachi (unfortunately I haven't checked the flute for any unfortunate dabs of ji )
http://www.komuso.cz/en/gallery/gallery … 9C0018AA31
Enjoy.
You can also check various info about this year's project and sign up to the mailing list to be directly notified about all the new developments.
Cheers,
Marek
Offline
Thanks, Marek.
The videos you post are really first-rate.
Offline
Thanks Ed,
if things go right then this year we will have several cameras operated by professionals, so the footage from this year should be excellent. After that the question of dvd release will be really hanging in the air...
Offline
Hi,
I would like to point to new wonderful web which converts all vimeo videos into ASCII (three modes). This is a link for five pieces for shakuhachi chikurai in this format. www.asciimeo.com/2653776
But you can experiment with watching different videos in different modes. Very interesting really.
Cheers,
Marek
Offline