Mujitsu and Tairaku's Shakuhachi BBQ

Eddie, did you see the Tamuke by Watazumi download that our friend Eiryuu put on his website recently? Recorded in 1952. 
http://www.sepia.dti.ne.jp/shakuhachi/m … nryuu.html

There is also an mp3 of Eirei ni Sasagu ("Pray to the spirits of the deceased") composed by Yokoyama Ranpo (Yokoyama Katsuya's father) which is quite wonderful. (I'd love to see a kinko transcription of it some day).
http://shakuhachi.komusou.jp/kinkoryuu/kinkoryuu.html

When I learned Tamuke in Japan from Kinya, his wife Laurie explained that it was historically played by Komuso for the safe passage of a soul.  The Kanji, or characters of Tamuke in Chinese read Hands Folded in Prayer. Then she said a very well known shakuhachi master played it at his daughter's wedding.

Have a great day! Perry

Last edited by Yungflutes (2007-03-02 11:40:45)

I was told that parts of Tamuke were derived from the minyo piece Itsuki Komoriuta.

Last edited by caffeind (2007-03-02 04:40:08)

Hi Perry you and your family will be in our thoughts today, thank you for Tamuke, sounds lovely!

caffeind wrote:

I was told that parts of Tamuke were derived from the minyo piece Itsuki Komoriuta.

The first six notes of line 12 of Tamuke are the same as the first six notes of Itsuki Komoriuta (Lullaby of Itsuki). I'm always intersted to hear how each player approaches that passage.

Tamuke is considered an elegy ("a reflection on the death of someone or on a sorrow generally; usually in a sad and somber attitude") and a requiem ("Its theme is a prayer for the salvation of the souls of the departed"). (Thanks Wikipedia for the definitions.)

To interject an exact phrase into this somber piece from a folk music lullaby is both incredibly sweet and melancholy.

Some players treat it very staccato to separate it from the rest of the piece. Others make little dynamic change from the rest of the reading so it blends in almost without notice.

Yokoyama Katsuya-sensei's versions seem to spotlight the phrase with a tender wistfull quality, lightly staccato on the first two notes then a soft, faster reading of the the remaining notes of the phrase. Very much like a mother's tender voice singing to her child.

Then on the next line (13) a return to the elegy with a pang of searing emotion in the kan register re--chi--OU-SAN--chi-re ...

Quite a challenging piece of music.

I played Tamuke yesterday at a funeral for my Uncle Jean-Paul. I have played this piece many times, but this time was completely different.. I felt the MA like I never have. It was such a beautiful, intense experience. My sister, who is within earshot of my practicing most of the time(much to her dismay MUCH of the time:), mentioned that she had never heard me play Tamuke in that way before.