Musical Cosmos of Yonekawa Toshiko 2

Yonekawa Toshiko
Victor - VICG 40105

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Kaede no Hana	楓の花	18'57	Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko
	Maple flowers This is a Meiji shinkyoku for high and low koto (with different pitches of the main strings) composed, in the style of tegoto mono, around 1897. The song text is by OZAKI Sisio. At the beginning of the Meiji period, in response to a new era, there was considerable activity in the sphere of jiuta and sokyoku in the Kansai area, particularly Osaka, and compositions for koto as the main instrument were made. Tunings made mainly of the yo mode without a semitone interval and a performance style in two parts, high and low, a new left hand techniques, improved singing and other new techniques came to the fore. This group of new pieces were later known as "Meiji shinkyoku". MATSUZAKA Syun'ei is usually known for his supplementary compositions to YOSHIZAWA kengyo's four pieces of the kokin gumi but he was also one of a few blind musicians, in comparatively conservative Kyoto, who was involved in the composing of Meiji shinkyoku. His other compositions include Haru no sakae and Sumie no asi. The supplementary compositions for the kokin gumi are also placed within his Meiji shinkyoku compositions. Kaede no hana is not only just a representative composition of his, but is also the best known piece within the shinkyoku. The song text clearly depicts a scene of early summer around the area of Arasiyama in the western part of Kyoto, long famed for its cherry blossoms and autumn leaves. The piece is one of only a few in the jiuta and sokyoku group which has summer as its theme. The whole tegoto section consists of the makura (known also as the zyo), the tegoto and the tirasi: the section of the latter half of the makura, with its fine rhythm and faster tempo, is called the mae tirasi. While following the formula of the traditional koto style of tegoto mono, the descriptive instrumental quality is strong. It is bright, and, by using freely a gorgeous polyphony, the atmosphere of early summer is painted with an abundant sense of color. The high part is tuned in roku agari tyosi with the 6th and 11th strings of hira zyosi raised a semitone. The 4th and 9th strings are raised a semitone a little before the tirasi. The low part is tuned in si ku agari tyosi with the 4th and 9th strings raised a tone and with the 1st string tuned to the same pitch with the 3rd string of the high part. In contrast to the frequent case in which ornamented variations are abundant in the high part, the special feature of this piece, is that this treatment is strong in the low part. As a result, the high part is called honte and the low, kaete. In the end, a short concluding section is added which leaves a lingering charm.
2	Haru no Kotobuki	春の寿	17'18	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko
	Felicity in spring The poet and composer of this tegoto mono piece are unknown. As it is seldom performed by any other lineage, it was probably developed around, the birth place of the koto arranger YONEKAWA Kin'o (present day Takahashi in Okayama prefecture). It is thought to be a piece transmitted only from this lineage. Apart from this piece in the lineage of YONEKAWA, there are many other pieces such as the previous Kinuta, No asobi, Matsu no kotobuki and Tokiwa no iro which are not transmitted by any other lineage. They display the particular characteristics of the tradition in that area and, as additional koto parts by Kin'o preserved up to the present day, they make a valuable collection. The song text is structured in the classic style of auspicious pieces and, in describing gentle spring scene, they relate felicitous themes and legends such as Hagoromo, the old man and woman related to the no drama Takasago (this is drawn from a connection with Onoe no Matsu, and Horai san a legendary mountain in China. It is probably a piece composed to celebrate some person's felicitations. The line "arisi mukasi no" towards the end of the maeuta is sung as dokugin (unaccompanied recitation) and changes the mood of the piece. From here, a tegoto mono is inserted and the legend of Horai san is treated. The tegoto section has a comparatively simple structure and a short makura is added. In particular, the sangen part with sukui techniques flows on a markedly continuing delicate rhythm. There are also many repetitions of the same note and melodic pattern. In contrast to this, in the koto, there is a section which treats the sangen as a kind of ostinato. And a skilful kaete with a strong sense of independence is added. The sangen is tuned in hon tyosi and, in the ato'uta it changes to ni agari. The koto is in hira zyosi with the 9th string raised a tone. At the end of the first ai, the 8th string is lowered a semitone and the tuning becomes han kumoi tyosi. In the middle of the tegoto the 8th string is both raised and lowered. In the ato'uta, the tuning changes to hira zyosi. This recording is a standard trio with the shakuhachi as the added instrument: the shakuhachi part follows the arrangement of the first generation AOKI Reibo (1890-1955).
3	Ume Dojoji	梅道成寺	14'59	Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko II Shamisen: Yonekawa Toshiko Voice: Imafuji Fumiko
	A plum at Dojoji An ensemble for sangen and koto composed in 1974 by YONEKAWA Toshiko with the commission of HANAYAGI Sigeka, who also choreographed the dance. The first performance was given as a dance piece. In the same year on June 5 at the 7th "Waka no kai" with the musicians as in this CD. The song text is taken from a jiuta sansagari hauta (anonymous) which is no longer performed. The song text of the original composition first appeared in Taisei ito no husi (published 1794), and this appears to have been performed up to the Tenpo era (1830-1844). Apart from the section after the line "yobu mo sakebu mo" which matches the sansagari hauta Shin Dojoji included in Kinsen waka no ito (published 1751), there are sections cut out and large parts which have been considerably shortened and corrected. The piece occupies an important position in various versions connected with Kisyo Dojoji. The story, in which the grudge of a young, beautiful girl turns her into the body of a snake, and the temple bell and her partner are completely burned up, is popular and has been taken up in the world of kabuki and zyoruri, has been variously dramatized and produced numerous pieces collectively called Dojoji mono. There are many of these which have altered into performance types completely different from that of no. It has achieved a common understanding among people to the extent that the legend of Dojoji is recalled directly from the various titles which include the word "Dojoji". The basic theme is the bell and the common theme is the tenacious love of a girl. This version, Ume Dojoji, provides only a glimpse of the Dojoji story and, as a whole, has changed into a story about a courtesan. The word "ume" indicates one rank of a courtesan. From the line "ume no hanagasa" the story proceeds to the deluded love of the girl turning to a spirit. Here, it has some common features with Aoi no ue in no, and, therefore, a short quotation of the text is included. The sangen is in hon tyosi and from "ume no hanagasa" it changes to niagari. From "ikite kono yo ni" the tuning is returned to hon tyosi. Against this, the koto moves from kumoi zyosi to hira zyosi and again to kumoi zyosi. In this piece, emphasis is placed on expressing the meaning of the song. The sangen and the koto include two ainote which express a mysterious atmosphere and at the same time supports both moderately and effectively the technique of the singing. By adding subtle light and shades on the koto to an expressive song supported by the rich tone color of the sangen, this piece is one of dignity.
4	Fuyu no Kyoku	冬の曲	21'28	Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko Koto: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko II Voice: Yonekawa Toshiko
	On winter As with Haru no kyoku this is one of the kokin gumi repertoire composed by YOSHIZAWA kengyo (1801/8-72). The song text is taken from the winter section of the Kokin waka syu. The poet is not known for the first song: for others KI no Akimine, MIBU no Tadamine, and HARUMITI no Turaki. The song text follows the order recorded in the Kokin waka syu and the changes through the seasons from early winter to the end of the year match the flow of music. The fairly long maebiki with kaete attached is said to be related to the gagaku piece Bairo and there is much use of hand technique, which copy the playing methods of the gakuso such as hayagaki and musubu te. Since MATSUZAKA Syun'ei wrote the supplementary tegoto and kaete some time before 1889, this is known today as a tegoto moto. The tegoto section is made up of makura, 1st dan, and 2nd dan (in other traditions, the sections are named: makura, hon tegoto, and tirasi). From the 1st dan to the end, a kaete part is added. In the three other pieces of the kokin gumi MATSUZAKA'S arrangement was made after the ainote of the original tune adds a separate instrumental part. In contrast to these, however, in this piece, Fuyu no kyoku, leaving out the last few beats, he incorporates the ainote after the 3rd song in the original tune (which begins with the osi awase technique on the 12th and 13th strings) into the middle of the makura. Here, a considerable instrumental part is supplemented. Then, the final part of the ainote of the original tune is added at the end of the 2nd dan as an introduction to the 4th song. The piece is tuned in kokin tyosi and, at the end of the makura, the 8th and 13th strings are lowered a semitone. The original tuning is returned in the 2nd dan. In the Nagoya tradition, which continues the tradition of YOSHIZAWA kengyo, the form in which the tegoto and kaete are added is claimed not to be the original and even today, the pieces are performed as in the original. However, despite this, even in the Nagoya tradition, at least with respect to Fuyu no kyoku, the maebiki matches the kaete currently used in other traditions. The person who added this kaete part is unknown: it may have been added prior to MATSUZAKA'S supplementary composition. Either way, as with MATSUZAKA'S tegoto and kaete, this piece excels amongst the 4 compositions in the kokin gumi. A flamboyant melody which makes use of such techniques as hayagake, uraren, awase zume and a fine kakeai, unfolds. Fuyu no kyoku has become noted as a piece which requires high techniques. Because of the meaning of the 3rd and 4th songs, it is also performed as a composition in Buddhist memorial services for the deceased.