Perhaps because generations of my ancestors came from that area, I have a great affinity for the landscape of Nara. With its pleasing melodic repetitions, Kyukyokushi evokes an even lighter mood and might be suitable accompaniment for the dances of the apsaras, the female celestial beings that fly through the skies and play musical instruments in the ancient Buddhist Dunhuang cave murals in China. Kyukyokushi originally followed the piece Ishu, which brightly paints a picture of the waters of the Yi River flowing south from Luoyang, capital of various Chinese dynasties from ancient times to the late Tang. Classical gagaku works are structured as Jo (slow introduction), Ha (livelier development), or Kyu (quick-paced climax) this piece corresponds to the last, the Kyu. Kyu Kosomon is a relatively fast piece that depicts a barbarian from the western regions of Asia asking his beloved for her hand, followed by a love duet. Notesīoth of these works are reconstructions from fragments of musical notation preserved in the Shoso-in. Audio preservation and editing of this recording were supported by funds from the Smithsonian Women’s Committee. It was presented in conjunction with Silk Road Luxuries from China and as part of the Music From Japan Festival 2012. This concert and podcast were made possible through support from the Thaw Charitable Trust. Set to a haiku by “madei ambassador” Madoka Mayuzumi Washington area premiere, commissioned by Music From Japanįour Haiku: Four Seasons in Iitate (2012) Kugo, voice, and haisho, based on a poem by Jotaro Wakamatsu
Kugo, sho, Shoso-in shakuhachi, hichiriki, and hokyo Takeshi Sasamoto, haisho (panpipes) and Shoso-in shakuhachi (vertical bamboo flute) Hitomi Nakamura, hichiriki, o-hichiriki (double-reeds), and voice Music From Japan: Echoes of the Silk Road