Fascination of the Koto 4 - The International Shakuhachi Society

Fascination of the Koto 4

Yonekawa Toshiko
King Record Co., Ltd - KICH 2057
1997

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Haru no Kyoku	春の曲	20'08	Koto: Satō Chikaki Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko Voice: Satō Chikaki
	Composed by Yosizawa kengyo II (1801/08-1872). He composed numerous koto pieces using the tanka poems included in the Kokin waka syuu. This particular piece represents the progression from early spring to the end of spring. The composer invented the tuning specific to these pieces by adding semi-tone pregressions to an anhemitonic (without any half tone steps) tuning of the gagaku koto.
2	Keshi no Hana	けしの花	14'01	Koto: Yonekawa Megumi Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko
	The original sangen version was composed by Kikuoka kengyo (1702-1847) and the koto part was added by Matuzaki kengyoo II (d. 1871). Accepting the burden of her sever life, a courtesan is symbolized by both a poppy flower and porcelain doll because of their beauty and fragility. The high-registered song phrases could be considered to represent the beauty of pitiful woman. The following musical points would interest listeners: the beginning part is song without the sense of meter, and neither the sangen nor the koto change tunings at all.
3	Kaede no Hana	楓の花	19'20	Koto: Yonekawa Fumiko II Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko
	Composed by Matuzaka Syun'ei (1854-1920) at the end of the 19th century. The text depicts landscapes of early summer in the suburb of Kyoto. The form of this composition is classified as tegoto mono (pieces with a long instrumental interlude). However, unlike traditional tegoto mono, this piece is performed by high and low koto parts which is characteristic of the early Meizi era.
4	Matsu no Kotobuki	松の寿	12'54	Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko II Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko II
	Composed as a ziuta pieces, i.e. witht the sangen and vocal parts by Arihara kot (d. 1867). Later several composers added their own koto parts creating several different versions. In this recording the koto part was composed by Yonekawa Kin'o (1883-1969), Yonekawa Tosiko's father. Although the title rocuses on pine trees, the song text depicts two sets of festivity symbols: the set of pine, bamboo and plum, and the set of crane and turtle. Both syamisen and koto players can demonstrate their virtuosity in the long instrumental interlude (tegoto) placed in the middle.