Art of the Koto - Volume III

"This recording comprises five works written between 1969 and 1989 for the nijugen, a version of the koto with 21 rather than the traditional thirteen strings."

Yoshimura Nanae
Celestial Harmonies - CD 0 1371 13188 2 1

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Tennyo	天如	17'22	Koto: Yoshimura Nanae
	Miki’s Tennyo, gains this place of honour by virtue of the fact that is was the first ever composed for the instrument.
2	Itsutsu no Shohin - Nishikigi ni Yosete	錦木	13'58	Koto: Yoshimura Nanae
	This piece, as set of five sketches named after traditional colours, was written in 1973 by Katsutoshi Nagasawa. Their warm and approachable melodies have contributed much to developing a fan base for the instrument, while the comparative simplicity of the techniques required to play them means that most nijugen players study them as part of the learning process.
3	Aki no Kyoku (Modern)	秋の曲	13'32	Koto: Yoshimura Nanae Koto: Mitsuhashi Kifu
	Miki’s Aki-no-kyoku (Autumn Fantasy) of 1980 was chosen for its fresh approach toward melody for the nijugen and shakuhachi, and its exploration of the limits of virtuosity on the former.
4	Nanae	七重	12'12	Koto: Yoshimura Nanae
	Nanae, by Akira Nishimura, freely explores the historical roots of the flat zither, outside the restraints of the Japanese koto tradition.
5	Kamu Ogi Guoto	神招琴	13'12	Koto: Yoshimura Nanae
	Kamu-Ogi-Guoto, by Somei Sato, travels back to the ancient world of Japan’s mythological age, when the koto was used as a medium of communication with the gods. It was written with the sincere wish that the ancient gods would deign to dwell in this modern incarnation of this instrument.