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Fascination of the Koto 4

Fascination of the Koto 4

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

Track Title Kanji Length Artist
1  Play Button Haru no Kyoku 春の曲 20'08 Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko
Koto: Satō Chikaki
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  Play Button 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  Play Button Kaede no Hana 楓の花 19'20 Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko
Koto: Yonekawa Fumiko II
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  Play Button Matsu no Kotobuki 松の寿 12'54 Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko II
Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko
Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko II
Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko
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.