"Koten and Kinko honkyoku."

Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
Hogaku Society Records - HS 203C
1983

Track	Titel	Kanji	Länge	Künstler
1	Kumoi Jishi	雲井獅子	04'29	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	Kumoi Jishi belongs to a lighter category of honkyoku called gikyoku. It was played at Itcho-ken. a temple on Kyushu which was a branch of the famous Kyoto temple. Meian-Ji. The "Jishi" in the title of this piece refers to the mythical Chinese dog-lion, often depicted as dancing playfully among peony flowers, accompanied by butterflies. In Kumoi Jishi, the lion is seen to be playing about in the clouds.
2	Hi Fu Mi Hachigaeshi no Shirabe (Kinko Ryū)	一二三鉢返の調	07'54	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	This interesting honkyoku was often played by komuso in front of houses, and is made up of two different shorter pieces. The Hifumi or "1.2.3" melody is used as a warm-up, to flex the fingers and calm the mind: next is the Hachikaeshi, or "Returning the Bowl" melody which describes the actions of the komuso as he receives alms in his bowl: this is then followed by a section of music where he plays his gratitude on the shakuhachi, and finally, the "1.2.3" melody returns to form the conclusion.
3	Yugure no Kyoku	夕暮の曲	06'58	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	The title of this honkyoku means "Evening Song", and the music describes the slow, rolling sound of the famous bell at Chioin Temple of Kyoto, as is heard at the end of the day.
4	San'ya Sugagaki	三谷菅垣	07'53	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin Shakuhachi: Barry Kyuko Weiss
	"Sugagaki" means literally, a hedge or fence of thickly-grown reeds. and as the shakuhachi player performs this piece, it is appropriate for him to think in terms of the rustling murmurs off the wind as it blows through the reeds. Historically, "Sugagaki" was the name of one of the oldest compositions for the Koto (a Japanese 13-stringed instrument), and some say that it may have formed the basis for this shakuhachi honkyoku, as it is more metrical than some of the other honkyoku. "Sanya" is a term which refers to a condition of "no-mind," one of the important Zen states of consciousness. In this performance, "Sanya Sugagaki" is played as a heterophonic duet for two shakuhachi.
5	Azuma no Kyoku (Kinko Ryu)	吾妻の曲	03'40	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	This honkyoku is more secular in feeling than the usual Zen piece: these lighter pieces are given the special name gikyoku. When a komuso would play before a large crowd. he would sometimes want to play something with a lighter feeling, such as “Azuma no Kyoku”. The title means “Music of Azuma” which is the old name for the Eastern part of Japan around the old city of Edo, now known as Tokyo. Historically, certain people were detained there as political hostages, which is perhaps why the music is said to represent the feelings of loneliness of a samurai who is far from his family and home.
6	Akita Sugagaki (Kinko Ryu)	秋田菅垣	10'08	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	This version of "Sugagaki" or, "The Wind in the Reeds." comes from Akita, a far northern province in Japan. Although it may also be played as a duet, it is performed here as a solo.
7	Sokaku Reibo	巣鶴鈴慕	08'28	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	This is one of the many well-known versions of "Reibo" (the Passing of the Bell. which is perhaps the most famous of all honkyoku. It is played in honor of the "founder" of the Zen tradition of the shakuhachi, the legendary monk Fuke Zenji, who is said to have always rung a small bell in one hand while he walked or played shakuhachi. This version is called "Sokaku," or "Nesting Crane"- it also goes by the name "Tsuru no Sugomori," which has the same meaning - and the music expresses the theme of the safety and security of the home nest, as contrasted to the dangers of the outside world. The music is in four sections (1) the sound of the bell: (2) the image of a crane flying home to her nest: (3) a mother and baby crane flying about together: (4) the return of both cranes to the nest. In the music a special trill-like technique represents the sounds of the cranes calling out to each other.