Sui Zen - Blowing Meditation on the Shakuhachi - 04

Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
KiSuiAn
2004

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Yugure no Kyoku	夕暮の曲	06'53	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	The title, Yugure No Kyoku, means tune of the evening, or "sunset piece." It provides a musical impression of the sound of the Evening Bell of the Chio-In (or Chioin) Temple in Kyoto, expressing the komuso's solitary nature with no wife, no children, and no thoughts. The bell at Chio-In is traditionally rung 108 times on New Year's Eve, to ring out the 108 sins of mankind. The writing on the left of Kurahashi Yodo' s transcribed sheet music indicates that this piece was written in Kyoto, but there are conflicting thoughts about whether it was actually from Tokyo. Kinko Kurasawa supposedly got his version from the priest Hanrin at Ichigetsu Ji Temple, which was the main Fuke Shu temple in Edo, the city that now is Tokyo. The origin of the piece could be important because traditionally, honkyoku from Kyoto are played using traditional forms; pieces from Tokyo can use more "modem" sounds. The piece has a melancholy feeling until the high notes are reached. We can assume that this depicts transcendence of the world's sins. Although this piece has a religious theme, it was actually performed for entertainment, not meditation.
2	Akita Sugagaki (Kinko Ryu)	秋田菅垣	10'22	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	Akita is the name of a district in the northern part of the Japanese main island, Honshu. Akita Sugagaki is similar to Sanya Sugagaki in its possession of a special distinct rhythmical sense, and its ability to be played as a duet. It, also, may be related to the ancient koto composition called Sugagaki. The piece probably was not actually from Akita, but, rather, its title is meant to convey the image of a cold, remote place.
3	Shika no Tōne (Kinko Ryū)	鹿の遠音	12'02	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	This piece may be the most beautiful and famous of all shakuhachi pieces, and is among the standard listening requirements for Japanese junior high school students. There are many variations of this piece in the Meian (Shimpo and Taizan) Schools in Kyoto, although the Meian piece is so different as to appear to be a separate work. The Kinko School version played here, which Kinko Kurasawa got about 200 years ago from a priest, lkkei (or lkkeishi) in Nagasaki, has a richer variety of melody than most Kinko works. This is such a popular performance piece that it has become customary for virtuosos to use it to demonstrate their individual style, with clearly discernible signature variations and ornaments. This might not actually be as much of a departure from tradition that it appears to be. Though it was transcribed in Kinko style in the late 18th century, it is said to have been was one of the pieces that komuso would play to identify themselves and expose imposters (maisu). Each komuso group had its own distinctive style of playing, so that a person's origins were discernible in his style. Thus, performing this piece to demonstrate a unique style would be fully in keeping with the tradition of the piece. Shika No Tone can be considered a form of program music, taking its theme from the yearning call of a stag for a mate toward the end of autumn. The sound of the deer can be heard in the descending staccato phrases that occur toward the end of the piece, with the introduction of a characteristic technique incorporating explosive breath and tone combinations, called muariki. Shika No Tone, however, is not only about deer. It also expresses a special sense of the season, the scenery and mood of isolated mountains in the autumn, as depicted in the ancient Tanka-style poem: Far up the mountain side While tramping over the scarlet maple leaves, I hear the mournful cry of the wild deer; This sad, sad autumn tide. Shika No Tone is exceptional among classical shakuhachi honkyoku, as most are played in solo performances (though Sanya Sugagaki and Akita Sugagaki have also been scored as duets.) This piece, however, was originally written for, and is most frequently performed by, two shakuhachi, in yobikaeshi or call-and-response style. When played as a duet, one player's melody often starts before the other player ends, creating a sense of urgency and heightening sense of excitement. The piece can also be performed as a solo, without the overlapping of melodies. The solo performance tends to be more tranquil and atmospheric, rather than interactively dramatic.
4	Azuma no Kyoku (Kinko Ryu)	吾妻の曲	04'24	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	This piece, which is also a gikyoku, or lighter nonreligious piece that conveys the longing of a samurai who was far from his family. The name Azuma No Kyoku or Melody of Azuma has several possible origins. Azuma means the East, especially the area around what is now Tokyo, so the name can be explained as referring to the player's longing for a person and / or place from which he has been separated. Relocation of samurai as political hostages or for military reasons was a common practice. Azuma is also related to the older word, tsuma, which means "wife," so the name could mean "Song of my Wife." There is a legend that the Azuma area of Japan got its name when Yamato Takeru, a semi-mythical fourth- or fifth-century warlord from the Nara area conquered the "barbarians" living in the area that is now Tokyo. He took his warriors across Tokyo Bay by boat from the Miura Peninsula to the Boso Peninsula. A storm arose as they were crossing the bay, and the boats began to founder. His wife, Ototachi Banaji, who accompanied him, believed the sea gods desired a sacrifice, and nobly volunteered. She jumped into the water, and disappeared; the storm ceased. After conquering the area, he stood upon a mountain in Hakane, looked down over the bay, and said, "There lies my wife." After that, the area came to be known as Azuma. This story adds special poignancy to this music. However, this piece comes from Itchoken Temple in the west, rather than from the eastern part of Japan. Although not originally a Kinko piece, it is often performed today by Kinko-style players, so its present form incorporates many Kinko school techniques, including a drop and rise in pitch after meri notes. A less romantic theory of the origin of the name is that the piece was adapted from a melody for the higashigoto, or Eastern koto, a kind of wagon used in kagura.
5	Shirabe (Nezasa Ha)	調 (根笹)	02'37	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	These first two pieces will be played without a break because the "Shirabe" or "Choshi" is very often played as an introduction, going right into the next Neza-Sa-Ha piece. Many classical honkyoku pieces are titled "shirabe" or "choshi," or "some preface-shirabe" or "some preface-cho." No matter whether the Chinese characters representing them are pronounced shirabe or choshi, they all are derived from the verb "shirabu," which has the sense of "investigating or exploring" a particular tuning or frame of mind. The same meaning can be seen in the very famous classical trio composition, originally done for koto, Rokudan No Shirabe, which is sometimes written with the characters for choshi. Hi Fu Mi Hachikaeshi can also be called "Hi Fu Mi No Shirabe." These shirabe originally had the function of introductory pieces, but at present, many are treated as independent works because they are also complete compositions unto themselves. The term shirabe or takeshirabe may also indicate the opening section of a work. Many honkyoku are in four sections: "shirabe or takeshirabe," "Clearing the Bamboo;" "honte," which is the meat of the piece; "takane," the high section; and "musubi," the folding together, which closes things up. So, there are two meanings of shirabe. One is the section of the work, which we could designate with the convention of a small "s," and the "Capital S" Shirabe, which is a piece. "Capital S" Shirabe from different schools may not necessarily have anything in common. Each school or different style of Shirabe or Choshi will have its own structure or own sense of either a Jo-Ha-Kyu arc or a Ki-Sho-Ten-Ketsu. This composition structure reflects the four required sections of Chinese poetry. However, the "small s" shirabe or takeshirabe that is used as part of a piece, rather than as a piece in itself, usually has a quite specific structure. It starts on a low tone in low register, and usually stays in the low register, barely venturing into the high register at all. It does not modulate or change in any significant way, and does not really develop compositionally beyond the limited capacity of its introductory role in the entire piece. This "shirabe" is used for all 10 honkyoku in Neza-SaHa, with only one exception, Matsukaze, which has its own special built-in shirabe section. In fact, quite a few of the pieces recorded in Jin Nyodo's six-record album start with this "Shirabe;" he then plays the other piece. Yet, this particular shirabe of Neza-Sa-Ha, which has a special, breezy, swaying feeling, traditionally was thought to convey a sense of wind blowing through snowy woodlands or bamboo. It can serve as a truly independent piece, although it is rarely played by itself. Its most important and usual role is as a prelude of introduction to the other pieces. Not only does a shirabe warm up the bamboo, but it also serves as a choshi to examine the condition of the player, supposedly cleansing and giving repose to the kokoro (heart / mind / spirit). This piece has three sections that flow in a gentle arc, a low five-breath opening, a high four-breath section, and a low four-breath closing. The composition of this version is often attributed to : Ban Yasuyuki, who lived from 1798 to 1875. It may l be a transcription of an older piece, or based on one. Although this is the first and simplest piece studied in Neza-Sa-Ha, it is not easy to master. Kyorei and Daiwagaku and many other supposedly simple things in shakuhachi - as in life itself - are not really simple at all. Ultimately the most difficult thing you can do is playa single, perfect sound.
6	Sagari Ha (Nezasa Ha)	下り葉 (根笹)	03'19	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	This piece is also pronounced Kudari-ha, and is also attributed to Ban Yasuyuki. On the recording, this piece follows Shirabe, without a break. It is usually the second Neza-Sa-Ha piece studied, and is considered to be the oldest in its repertoire. It is usually prefaced by Shirabe, for reasons of musical structural integrity. Once these two pieces are mastered, the remainder of the Neza-Sa-Ha repertoire holds few secrets or technical difficulties. There are other pieces from other schools, that have the same name, "Sagariha." There also are Kinko and Kyoto Meian versions of this piece. Their names are written using different Chinese characters, and they appear to be totally unrelated, different compositions. According to Nesa-Sa-Ha tradition, this piece was composed by a famous member of the school, perhaps a priest, who received enlightenment while listening to either the wind blowing through the bamboo brush, or the sound of waves. Since we are no longer sure if it was the brush or the waves, the piece can also be called "Sagarinami." "Ha" means "Leaves;" "Nami" means "Waves;" "Sagari" is "Falling." There are several stories about the origin of this piece. One attributes only the introduction to Ban Yasuyuki, and says that the piece came from the samurai, not the Zen monks of the Tsugaru area. Legend states that the piece was inspired by having achieved enlightenment while listening to the sounds of nature. Since we are no longer sure if it was inspired by wind blowing through the bamboo brush, or the sound of waves, the piece can also be called "Sagarinami." "Ha" means leaves, "Nami" means waves; "Sagari" is falling. Kuma Sasa bamboo is a small, trunkless, low bamboo bush that grows on top of the seaside cliffs in Nigata. "Kuma "means "bare," and "sasa" is the same root word for bamboo found in "sasabuki." bamboo-leaf shaped breath. This type of bamboo, which is said to be "fallen to the ground," (because it never grew up) makes a rustling sound, like the sound of the waves, as the wind gusts through it. While listening to Sagariha, one can imagine meditating on the harshness and impermanence of existence, sitting on top of the cliffs in Nigata, among the "fallen" bamboo plants, surrounded by the pulsation of wind and waves blown by the cold winds coming across from Siberia. Others say that Sagariha is meant to evoke a very different image: the passing of a festival cart containing drum and flute players, with the sound growing, then retreating into the distance.
7	Matsukaze (Nezasa Ha)	松風 (根笹)	06'04	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	In some ways, this piece, played here on the 2.4, may be considered the most important piece is the Neza-Sa-Ha repertoire. It is known for its sense of courtly formality and decorum, and is the one exception to the rule that Shirabe always prefaces a Neza-Sa-Ha piece. Matsukaze contains its own internal shirabe section, so it doesn't need the added introduction. "Matsukaze" means "Wind Through the Pines" or "Wind Through Pine Trees." It is also called "Matsukaze No Kyoku," "The Music of the Pines." Kurahashi Yodo called it "The Sound of the Great Peace Within the Heart and Spirit." It is about 400 years old. It evokes an old stately pine tree, with the sound of a soft breeze blowing through his branches. In Japanese culture, the pine is traditionally a male. Plum trees represent women. There's a story related to Matsukaze that explains how Neza-Sa-Ha shakuhachi playing came to get the name Kinpu Ryu, a gold brocade bag. During the troubled times of the Meiji Restoration at the end of the Edo Period, in the autumn of 1864, to be exact, the Chief Advisor and Imperial Minister Konoe Tadayoshi was up late, beset with worries. He heard, drifting through the moonlight, the soothing sound of a shakuhachi played by Nyui Kencho, a Neza-Sa-Ha master who was in the Imperial Guard. He then proposed a new artistic name "Getsui" (moonbeams) for Nyui Kencho. Nyui gave him his shakuhachi in thanks, and the minister returned it to him in a fancy brocade bag. Combining the character kaze / FU of Matsukaze and the character nishiki / KIN from nishiki-no-fukuro ("brocade bag") he created the name Kinpu-ryu. This is why the Neza-Sa-Ha is known as Kinpu-ryu in the Tsugaru area. Kin also means "gold," so it must have been a golden bag. Kyoto was very famous for its nishikin silk, and the gold silk was the most prized. So according to that story, the "kin" could also be translated as "The School of the Golden Shakuhachi Case," Kinpu-Ryu. There's another legend that is fairly close to this, that may be related. It is said that two warring factions were in the Kyoto Gosho, the old imperial palace area. During the battle, Nyui supposedly played a piece on his shakuhachi. When the factions heard the music, they no longer wanted to fight, and put down their arms. And, according to the story, the Emperor awarded Nyui with a golden silk brocade case for his shakuhachi, thus the name "Kinpu-Ryu." This piece can be played with both Ura and Ornote versions. Both instruments take breaths at different places, and sometimes they're one octave apart, with the 1.8 against the 2.4. It's a strange, but interesting sound.
8	Shishi	獅子	06'20	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	Shishi No Kyoku, or Shishi is the next piece, played on a 2.1 flute. A shishi is the mythical Chinese lion-dog or dragon referred to in the Kinko School's Kumoijishi, as well as Meguro-Jishi, and Sakae-Jishi. Shishi is not musically related to these other jishi pieces, but, like them, can be used as a celebratory piece. If we were to divide classical shakuhachi honkyoku into two groups, honte and hate, we could say that Shishi is more likely to belong in the hate group. It is a piece for itinerant priests, and was played while they were begging for food. It is not, however, used as music for folk-art lion dances. This piece is also known as Monju-Kyoku, or Monju Bosatsu no Kyoku, derived from the portrayal of Monju-Bosatsu, the Buddha of Wisdom, often portrayed as riding on a shishi. The word "Monju" is also associated with "Chie," which means "thoughts," "wisdom" or "heavenly wisdom." Because of its association with wisdom, it is traditionally considered a good piece to play for children who are slow learners to improve their intelligence. There are several places where the tsu-meri tone is played higher than in other Neza-Sa-Ha pieces. This helps to give the piece the bright, lively, free-flowing feeling reminiscent of the lion dances of the jishi repertoire.
9	Tōri	通里	08'53	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	Jin Nyodo's notes accompanying the notation of these pieces refers to several old Chinese texts dealing with the way to attain Buddhahood and praising the Buddhist goddess of Mercy. These three pieces depict the wandering and begging activities of the mendicant Buddhist komuso. Although they are supposedly independent compositions, Tori, Kadotsuke, and Hachikaesi are played together as one piece. They seem to go together, as the endings of Tori and Kadotsuke are the same. You could treat them as one group. Hi Fu Mi Hachikaeshi also has three sections, and pieces of this type were said to have been played outdoors by komuso for the purpose of soliciting food and alms. When played together, they become the second-longest Neza-Sa-Ha piece. Koku is longer. Because of its length and the unique demands of komibuki playing, this triple performance requires special attention to balancing the flow of energy for both the performer and the listener. "Tori" means "street" or "way," and refers to playing while the komuso is walking, to purify his heart, his kokoro. It literally means passing along or through. It's also called "Fuke Jubutsu No Kyoku," or "The Piece of Becoming a Buddha." Remember that the Chinese texts associated with this piece deal with the way to attain Buddhahood. The "Kadotsuke" section is related to a specific practice. Many times, people in Buddhist households would ask a komuso to participate in memorial services for the passing of a spirit into its next incarnation. The komuso would not only take part in the memorial, but would also take the illnesses or problems of the Buddhist family for which he was playing upon himself. This was part of the practice of suppression of the ego, and related to the reason the basket was worn. A Kadotsuke was played with the priest standing at the entrance gate, which is called a Kado, and it was also known as Enmei or "longevity." Kanon No Kyoku is related to the Buddha of Longevity. The associated Chinese text praises Kanzeon, also known as "Kannon," or "Kwan Yin," the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Perhaps the implication is that showing mercy would cause one to be granted a long life. A monk might also play a Kadotsuke outside a shop or residence if he believed potential donors were within. It has been suggested that playing in the high register helped to ensure that the monk's presence was noted, as high sounds carry further, both indoors and outdoors. The final section, the Hachikaeshi, would be played after the priest received his payment, perhaps a bowl of rice. He would then hand the bowl back, and then play this piece as a parting gift. This literally means "Returning the Bowl," just like the Hachikaeshi section of "Hi Fu Mi Hachikaeshi." The associated Chinese text is referred to as Kotoku or Kudoku, which means "virtue." Jodo No Kyoku describes Buddhist virtues. As a general rule, the komuso priests did not bow, or say "thank you" when they received something for their begging; they only played this piece, "Tori Kadotsuke Hachikaeshi," as a substitute salutation. Some people feel that it may be a descendant of the original Mukaiji, as it has some musical similarities. When played as a solo, it is usually played on a longer flute, usually between 1.9 and 2.4.
10	San'ya Seiran	三谷清攬	07'14	Shakuhachi: Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
	The title of Sanya Seiran refers to gaining satori while hearing the sound of the wind in the reeds. We have had much discussion of the meaning of Sanya, which may be interpreted as literally referring to a mountain field with three valleys, or to sanmai, or samadhi, enlightenment from meditation, in which the distinctions between subject and object have been obliterated or transcended. This is why it is said that in Sanya, there is no up, down, right or left. Seiran was originally one kind of performing technique, used on string instruments such as the wagon, which was the predecessor of the koto, and used in gagaku, court music. The reason that this sanya has the same meaning as Sanya Sugagaki is because the Chinese ideogram character for the word Seiran was generally read as Sugagaki, the same word we have in the Kinko piece. In this case, though, the word is pronounced in the Sino-Japanese style, "Seiran." Sanya Seiran evokes a sense of loneliness, but it also conveys a sense of moving from stark emptiness to a transcendent, centered, dignified and peaceful solitude. While it has a melody very similar to that of the Taizan-Ryu Sanya-Kyoku, its distinctive Neza-Sa-Ha performance style conveys a different impression. This is considered by some to be the most dignified of the Neza-Sa-Ha pieces. It is also the most desolate; the manner of playing is very composed, as if within a sea of tranquility. Among the Sanya-style pieces, the most superior three are commonly considered to be Sanya Seiran, Futaiken Sanya and Echigo Sanya. Even though Sanya Seiran has virtually the same melodic framework as Taizan Ryu Sanya-Koku, its performance style is that of a very strict typical Neza-Sa-Ha piece, and therefore quite different from any of the other sanya. It is played here on a 2.1 flute.