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Mysterious Sound of Bamboo Flute - 2

Mysterious Sound of Bamboo Flute - 2

Watazumi Doso Roshi
Crown - SW-5007
1968

Track Title Kanji Length Artist
1  Play Button Dai-Bosatsu 大菩薩 07'12 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
Dai Bosatsu is a piece in which one's entire body and entire soul become one with the natural bamboo to produce a reverberant flow. It was created by Watazumi when he passed 20 years of age.

The foundation of Dai Bosatsu lies in the concrete manifestation of Watazumi's Way of Nature. It elicits an atmosphere of music which breaks down ideas of music itself. Because if requires that one's entire originality be brought to bear in the performance, it is the most difficult of all songs to master, and only one transmission may be made in a lifetime.

In order to accomplish the spiritual training of Dai Bosatsu, first one must train with Reiho, then Saji. After these are mastered, one may take up the challenge of Dai Bosatsu, but up until now all those who have made such attempts have failed, and transmission of the piece has halted with Watazumi.

Watazumi searched long for a hocchiku that would be up to the task of playing Dai Bosatsu, and finally selected a 2.4 shaku hocchiku that looked to have enough power within it. During the playing of the piece, though, the bamboo failed despite Watazumi's urgings, and only a sliver of what Dai Bosatsu should be was able to be recorded here.
2  Play Button Shingetsu 心月 05'15 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
The title Shingetsu comes from the ancient Chinese poem, "The enlightened soul is like the solitary moon, it's light engulfing all."

The piece shows the way in which dynamic movement can exist within a serene, pure sound.

A 3.25 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece. This hocchiku, as well, is natural bamboo, crafted by merely opening holes in a laundry pole.
3  Play Button Shirabe (Nezasa Ha) 調 (根笹) 02'52 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
The Nezasa ha style comes from the northern tip of Oshu (northern Japan). This piece is said to have been created in the end of the Tokugawa period.

The feeling of this piece is that of a soft breeze weaving its way among a snow-laden wood. It uses the technique of tsuguri extensively.

A 2.3 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.
4  Play Button Netori 音取 01'57 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
Ne-Tori means to tune up or become warmed up. The piece Ne-Tori was transmitted in the Kinki region. It is said this piece was used long ago for communication between monks, but the techniques used in the piece at that time were much more simplified than the current piece.

A 2 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.
5  Play Button Kyorei (Don't know which version) 虚鈴 03'17 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi

Kyorei is among the oldest forms of pieces handed down to us today. It imparts a feeling of timelessness and vast space.

There are three types of Kyorei that have been passed down, shin, gyo, and sou. [These can be likened to strictly faithful version of a piece, a somewhat liberal interpretation of that piece, or a spontaneous, fully-individualized rendering of the same piece.] This version, however, fits into none of these categories, but is rather something called Kyorei-cho.

A 3.4 shaku hocchiku crafted by a child was used for this piece.
6  Play Button Ten 03'05 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
7  Play Button Mudai 01'20 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
8  Play Button Shinseki 真蹟 02'45 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
9  Play Button Hana no Kaze 06'08 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
10  Play Button Nagare (Dokyoku) 流れ 04'23 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
11  Play Button Kudariha Henge 02'35 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
12  Play Button Shura 修羅曲 03'06 Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi
13 Seikan
Shakuhachi: Watazumi Doso Roshi