Musical Cosmos of Yonekawa Toshiko 1

Yonekawa Toshiko
Victor - VICG 40104

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Kinuta	砧	12'42	Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko II Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko
	Fulling block A duet for sangen (another name of shamisen as used in the context of jiuta and sokyoku). Kinuta is a tool for beating and softening cloth to bring out its luster and the piece itself has, for a long time, been appreciated for its associations with autumn. The beating of the kinuta is expressed instrumentally on the koto and sangen. From this, a group of instrumental pieces called kinuta mono was formed and these fall within the categories of jiuta and sokyoku. The origins of these pieces perhaps derive from the sangen piece Kinuta by SAYAMA kengyo and the koto Kinuta by IKUTA kengyo though neither exists today and their influence is unclear. Nevertheless, attempts have been made to use these as the bases for various arrangements, and different regional traditions of kinuta mono have emerged. Common features include the form consisting of four dan (sections); the basic tune is more or less the same; at the end of each dan, there is a special melody; the repetition of the same note (in terms of length and pitch) in an even rhythm which represents the beating of the kinuta itself; timbral and rhythmical changes added to the basic pattern are interwoven; and a melody full of various instrumental devices is unfolded. The number of beats in each dan is not fixed and so there is not the same degree of uniformity as in dan mono. Consequently, in the absence of this restriction, it was possible for the composer to develop variations freely from the basic melody. All present-day Kinuta pieces are duets. However, in terms of performance method, there are examples of: 1) equal emphasis being placed on both voices; and 2) one voice leads while the other follows. However, in the Kinuta recorded here, there is neither. The sangen performer is in the tradition of YONEKAWA Kin'o and the piece is derived directly from Osaka Kinuta (ginuta) which is current in the Okayama area. It is made up of four dan though in fact the second dan of Osaka Kinuta is omitted - the first dan becomes the second section and is counted as the second dan. The circumstances surrounding this omission and details of the arranger are unclear. In Osaka Kinuta, the sangen leads and the koto follows. By contrast, Kin'o added a completely new koto part and, as a result delicate timbral shades and playing techniques are skillfully brought about in both the koto and the sangen. There is a sense of a modern duet with skillfully produced subtle textures. The sangen is tuned in hon tyosi while the koto is expressed in kumoi tyosi [zyosi]. In the 2nd dan, the 13th string is raised a minor third and in the 3rd dan, the 1st string is lowered a major second.
2	Zangetsu	残月	22'42	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko
	The morning moon This is a piece of tegoto mono (a repertoire of pieces for displaying instrumental techniques) by MINEZAKI koto. The composer of the song text is unknown. The dates of MINEZAKI's birth and death are unknown but it is known that he was a blind musician who was active in Osaka before and during the Kansei era (1781-1801) and made a major contribution to the perfection of hauta mono and tegoto mono. Many of these compositions have today become a major repertoire for Osaka jiuta. Amongst these, the piece heard here is the most highly esteemed. The piece was composed as a Buddhist memorial music for a young girl, a disciple of MINEZAKI's by the name of Matuya so-and-so from Soemon town in Osaka. The name of the piece is connected with the Buddhist name given to the deceased girl "Zangetsu Sinnyo". In addition to the difficulties in instrumental performance of the tegoto sections, the expressions of the meanings of the song text and the singing techniques require skills. This piece is valued as one of the three elaborate representative tegoto pieces ("geiko mitumono" or "sima mitumono") within the licensing system in Osaka. The tegoto is made of five dan and a chirashi and in the 1st and 2nd dan and the 3rd and 4th dan, dan awase (simultaneous performance) is possible. The sangen is tuned in hon tyosi and, before the ato'uta (post vocal section), changes to ni agari. There are not many pieces in jiuta like this where many versions of additional koto and sangen parts have been tempted. For example, the pieces Kyo Zangetsu and Osaka Zangetsu have derived from different koto parts; and in the Nagoya tradition, there is a different koto version. The duet of honte (the basic melody) and kaete (kaede) (a separate melody which accompanies the honte) of the sangen is particularly popular. In the kaete tuned in san sagari there are many varieties. This is possibly the result of musicians attempting additions to instrumental parts in which they had confidence. These are famed pieces to which performers enjoyed making their own additions. It was natural, therefore, for the renowned YONEKAWA Kin'o, who was the representative composer for the koto in his days, to attempt original additions to the koto and these reveal both his skill and emotion. As recorded here, the addition of irete (detailed variation) occurs in the 5th dan. The koto is tuned in hiku hira tyosi and immediately before the ato'uta it changes to nakazora tyosi. A performance of the most standard trio, sangen, koto and shakuhachi, is recorded here.
3	Midare Rinzetsu	乱輪舌	09'29	Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko II Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko
	Disorder The original piece is a koto solo reputedly composed by the father of early modem sokyoku (koto music) YATSUHASHI kengyo (1614-1685). The title is an abbreviation of Midare rinzetsu. However, there is also a claim for KURAHASHI kengyo (?-1724) as composer. As is the case with Rokudan no shirabe, Midare is classified as a dan mono but, in contrast to other dan mono where each dan has the same number of beats the number of beats in Midare is not fixed and the way the dan are divided differs from tradition to tradition. This is also another special feature of Midare. (In the traditions to the west from Kyoto and Osaka, there are 10 dan, in the Yamada ryu, 12 dan). As a result, there are versions called, for example, Zyu dan no shirabe. Zyu dan no Midare and Zyuni dan no shirabe. Midare has the same standing and history as Rokudan no shirabe. It is the original tune of the three dan structured Rinzetsu recorded in Sitiku syosin syu (published 1664) and Sitiku Taizen (published before 1687). It is thought that the structure of this piece became more complex and transformed into the Midare of today. It was transmitted as a koto kumiuta uragumi tukemono (depending on the traditions it is also called the omotegumi or nakagumi). When adapted to the sangen, it is call Zyuni dan sugagaki and this version is related to be an arrangement of IKUTA kengyo (1656-1715). In the case of this piece too, various ensembles of instruments are possible. Today, there are many performances either as koto solo or duets. Some of them are called Kyo Midare and Kumoi Midare on the basis of differences in the kaete and, in these versions, sangen and shakuhachi are added. However, solo performances on the sangen seldom take place. Similarly, the Sansagari Midare and other kaete (kaede) are not performed today. In this respect ensembles with sangen honte and kaete are very enterprising attempts. The kaete of YONEKAWA was first performed in 1988 and this recording has had some revisions made to it. The honte here is a sangen arrangement of the original koto and the special methods of the koto are skillfully converted to techniques which bring out delicate nuances in the sangen. In the kaete, there are a number of passages demanding a high level of instrumental skill and the marvelous texture revealed in both parts is combined with the sangen's delicate tone color and tempo change. This performance reveals completely the charm of jiuta sangen. Both the honte and the kaete are tuned in hon tyosi though in the 7th dan of the kaete the 1st string is lowered a tone and becomes iti sagari.
4	Natsu no Kyoku	夏の曲	16'17	Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko II
	On summer This is one of kokin gumi pieces composed by the second generation YOSHIZAWA kengyo (1801/8-72) of Nagoya. YOSHIZAWA kengyo is a representative koto composer of the end of the Edo period and was also conversant with, for example, gagaku, national learning, waka and the study of the Chinese classics. Apart from the 5 pieces of the kokin gumi and the 4 of the kokin sin gumi which represent a new trend in kumiuta, YOSHIZAWA kengyo also composed several hauta mono. Although both the kokin gumi and the kokin sin gumi are kumiuta, they do not preserve the format of classic koto kumiuta. The kokin zyosi used in the kokin gumi is adapted from the string tuning for the gakuso (gagaku koto) in banshiki tyo and is a mix of both the in and yo modes but has only one semitone interval. As with the gakuso, when the two strings, the 2nd and 7th strings tuned to the same pitch, are plucked simultaneously (awase zume), they give a deep impression of one sound. In addition, the special melody arising from the ordered progression from the 1st string provides a freshness full of unexpectedness not heard in previous koto music. As a result, these series of compositions illustrate a period of flourishment in which the flavor of the classic kumiuta were freely developed and which led to the new pieces of the Meiji era. The song text, following the order of songs taken from the summer section in the Kokin waka syu, moves from early summer, which has the cuckoo as its theme, to full summer. Eventually, a hint of autumn in the progression towards the end of a lingering summer end is reflected in the flow of the music. The order of the poets are SUZYO hosi, Ki no Akimine, sozyo Henzyo and OSIKOTI no Mitune. The fairly long maebiki at the beginning of the first performance calls to mind the gagaku piece Zyusuiraku. Some time before the year 1889, after MATSUZAKA Syun'ei (1854-1920) added the supplementary tegoto and kaete, "Natsu no kyoku" became famous as a tegoto mono for koto. The tegoto section is made up of two dan, the makuro (in this case, also known as gaku no te) and the tegoto. As well as adding a new kaete to the maebiki, YONEKAWA Toshiko devised a special kaete in the makura and toward the end of the tegoto which is different to other schools. Consequently, this version is more resonant than the original piece. The tuning of the strings is in kokin tyosi and in the makura, the 6th and 10th strings are raised a semitone so that all semitone intervals are removed. The original tuning is restored in the 2nd dan (which is also called tirasi in the traditions other than YONEKAWA's).
5	Rokudan no Shirabe	六段の調	07'12	Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko
	Melodies in six movements This is a solo koto piece believed to have been composed by YATSUHASI kengyo (1614-85), though a different tradition has it that the composer was KITAZIMA kengyo (?1690). The piece is also known as Rokudan. As the name suggests, except the 4 beats at the beginning of the 1st dan, there are 52 beats in each dan. The original tune of the 1st dan is presumed to be derived from Sitiku syosin syu (published 1664) or Sitiku taizen (published before 1687) and it was already performed then as an ensemble for koto, shamisen, and hitoyogiri shakuhachi. It is thought that the present form of six dan, in which there is pronounced variation, developed from repeating the dan of this original version three times. From a standpoint of the training system of specialists, Rokudan no shirabe is transmitted as a koto kumiuta omotegumi tukemono. However, as a koto piece, it has achieved the most popularity and has been variously arranged for shamisen and shakuhachi or has had kaete versions added. As sangen pieces, there are the Rokudan sugagaki (composed by HUKAKUSA kengyo) and the kaete Sansagari Rokudan (composed by KUNIYAMA koto). Similarly, in the kaete for koto there are, for example, the Nakazora Rokudan and the Kumoi Rokudan (Sansagari Rokudan in the transposed version for koto). A variety of instrumental variations are possible such as a shakuhachi and kokyu ensemble. There are many examples of complete Rokudan pieces which quote the entire Rokudan or pieces which use only a part of Rokudan. In the maebiki of MITUZAKI kengyo's Akikaze no kyoku or in Aioi no kyoku, a piece in the Meiji shinkyoku repertoire, it is possible to have an ensemble of the full Rokudan. In MITSUZAKI kengyo's Godan ginuta, however, the 5th dan of Rokudan is used and, in such pieces as the Hototogisu, Sumiyosi and Usu no koe of Yamada ryu sokyoku the 1st dan of Rokudan is performed in the ainote. This is an indication of how much Rokudan is enjoyed by so many people. The melody follows the dan and gradually the degree of variation increases so that Rokudan may be seen as a variation on a theme. The fundamental techniques of koto playing are effectively included so that it can also be used as a practice piece. It is the oldest classic koto piece with a simple form. As a performance, it is most suitable to play solo on the koto, because it enables a performer to display subtle tone colors most effectively. Yet, for the performer, it is also one of the most difficult pieces to play. The tuning is in hira zyosi throughout the piece.