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August 2001
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Ensembleconcerts
Tradition and Modern from Japan
"Hirajyo no Choshi" (Sho solo) - Traditional Gagaku
Hyohjyoh no Choushi (Traditional piece in 7th century /composer: unknown)
"Choushi" is a piece which exist for all modes of "gagaku"(the court
musicin Japan since 7th century) , usually played at the beginning of a
performance."Hyojyo" is the mode which equivalent of Dorian species on
E (e f# g a b c#d ) . According to anicient cosmology, "hyojyo" is associated
with the direction west, the color white, the element metal and season
autumun. The "choshi" introduce the chalacteristic of the mode to follow
and tune the tonal atmosphere of the whole space. "Sho" is a wind instrument
of "gagaku" orchestra. The shape of "sho" takes a image of phoenix and
the tone symbolizes the light of heaven in a tradition. The special feature
of this instrument are the sound charactor and soud generating system.
"Sho" makes very rich, sound, the peak of frequency is over 60khz and it
gives fascinating sound character with complex over tones. The other hand,
"sho" makes sound when both breathing in and out. It gives the sequence
of physical information to music. (Tono and Nagashima approach this unique
system into communicate with multi media performance. See "Breathing Media
Project " Site: www.breathingmedia.org ).
"Tsuru no Sugomori" (Shakuhachi solo) - composed 500 years ago
This piece was composed about 500 years ago, the name of composer is unknown.
There are many version of arrangement in Japan, and "Nakao Tozan" version
will be performed. The theme is whole life of crane (Tsuru in Japanese),
from the birth of crane, growth with parents, departure of child and the
death of parents of crane. This story is a metaphor of human life, parental
love and love of family. The Shakuhachi was intorduced to Japan from China
more than 1400 years ago. It is said that Shotokutaishi played it for the
first time. The particular sound produced from the five holes seduces even
the foreigners, and there are some professional foreign players. This is
a wonderful musical instrument to know Japanese culture and to keep our
health.
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"Midare" (Koto solo) - composed 350 years ago
This piece was composed by Yatsuhashi Kengyo, and using the traditional
tuning called "Hira-choshi". "Midare" belongs the group "Shirebe-mono"(Dan-mono)
which have 52 beats per block. There are many Dan-mono pieces with 6 blocks,
8 blocks, 9 blocks, etc, but this "Midare" is specially breaks the rule,
having free beats and blocks with the improvisation of the performer. In
the Nara Era(8th century), the Koto was brought from China as one of the
instruments used in Gagaku. In the Edo Era, a remakable musician called
Yatsuhashi Kengyo (maestro) established the Rokudan and Midare styles of
Koto playing, these styles are still the basis of Japanese Koto playing
to this day. Incidentally, in the year Yatsuhashi died, Bach and Handel
were born.
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"Ichikotsu" (Shakuhachi and Koto) - Traditional
This piece, for Shakuhachi and Koto Duo, was composed by Yamamoto Houzan
in 1966. There are three sections, and whole tuning is based on D (Ichi-Kotsu).
This is duo piece, but the Koto part may be performed as a Koto solo piece.
Section 1 (Adagio - Moderato) Starting with Koto solo and introduction
of this piece, then metamorphoses freely. Section 2 (Largo - Adagio) Starting
with Shakuhachi solo using specially diatonic scale, and continue to main
part of the piece. This is different from Japanese traditional feeling,
but the character of the instruments enables the speciality. Section 3
(Moderato - Allegor) This section contains the same motif as the 1st section.
There are many traditional techniques of performances, like as Sukui-Tsume,
Kakite in Koto part.
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"Bio-Cosmic Storm II" (BioSensor and live Computer) - premiere
This piece is composed and performed by the composer with a new original
bio-sensor system produced by the composer. The sensor system, called "MiniBioMuse-III"
is 16-channels EMG sensor for both arms detecting the musical performance
in real-time. The output information is live-processed and genarate sounds
with Max/MSP and Kyma signal processing engines. The main theme of this
piece and development is improvisation and reality of life (live). Graphical
part of this piece helps recognition between performance and sound, so
this is one style of multimedia art.
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"Visional Legend" (Sho, Graphics and live Computer)
Visional Legend" is a work of live computer music and live graphics with
a SHO performer. This composition is inspired with the poem written by
Shimpei Kusano and the SHO sounds performed by Tamami Tono. The SHO sound
is directly amplified and is real-time processed by signal processing wrorkstation
with live control via MIDI. The SHO performer may control the "special
breath sensor for SHO" produced by the composer, and the sensing information
also modify the live SHO sound part. The background sound part is pre-processed
with Kyma and Indy, and fixed to CD. All sound materials of this part are
SHO sound performed by Tamami Tono and reading speech of the poem by Junya
Sasaki (Baritone). The graphical part of this piece is creatred by two
young collaborators, Masumi Ooyama and Misaki Kato. The source images and
movies are live controlled with Image/ine software. The SHO performer may
switch the graphics with the special SHO sensor. The algorithm of real-time
composition and graphical control is realized as a MAX patch. The SHO performance
is described in this score, but the most important policy is the "improvisation".
The performer may have a Stop Watch to detect the position of the piece
with this score, but playing points are not fixed exactly. She may perform
with the improvisation spirit of her own, and she must listen to the sound
in the whole performance.
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"Getsuro" (Shakuhachi solo) - premiere
This piece, Shakuhachi sole, is composed and performed by Genzan Miyoshi
as the world premiere. This music tells the calm feeling of Kyoto in autumn,
and will be performed partly with improvisation of the performer.
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"tegoto" (Koto and live Computer) - premiere
This piece "tegoto" was composed and performed for Akiko Miyoshi with 13-strings
Koto and 17-strings Koto. This version for only 13-strings Koto is the
revised version of this, and will be premired. There is no "recorded" sounds,
so all sounds are played and real-time arocessed in real-time. Some sounds
are live-sampled by the composer beside the stage, algorithmic processed
in time-domain and effected. The title "tegoto" means one style of Japanese
traditional music with Koto, Shamisen and Shakuhachi. The concept of this
piece is the virtual "tegoto" conversation in computer music with traditional
instrument. Under composer's request, the performer may play with fully
improvisation.
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"Japanesque Germanium" (all 4 players) - premiere
This piece is specially composed for this ensemble's concert tour in Germany.
There are some special scenes for Shakuhachi, Sho and Koto performer. The
computer part is not fixed, and real-time composed with environmental parameters
detected by sensors. Germanium is a kind of semiconductor, and its conjunction
is the basis of electronics technology. Of course this naming means the
friendship between Japanese culture and German culture in music. |
