Yamaguchi Gorō
Auvidis under license of Japan Victor H.M.V. - A 6139
1988

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Yugure no Kyoku	夕暮の曲	15'01	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō
	The title means "the Tune of Evening". It is said that this piece was composed from the musical impresions of the evening bell of Chi-On-In, a famous temple in Kyoto. There are some sections which suggest the sounds of the temple bell. This is an artistic music and not of religious use.
2	Igusa Reibo	葦草鈴慕	18'00	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō
	Igusa, or the rush is a plant which tatami, Japanese mattings, are made of. This piece comes from Reihoji, a temple in Ome near Tokyo, which was one of the headquarters of komuso. According to the tradition, a komuso belonging to this temple composed the present piece developing an inspiration which had been given to hime while going through a rush field. Among the religious shakuhachi music of the Fukeshu there are many that bear titles containing reibo at the end. Its literal meaning is "the yearning for the bell"". Tradition says that Fuke Zenji, the founder of the Fukeshu, used to ring a bell in his hands when he walked around the streets to propagate. So, reibo was used at first in remembrance of the founder of the sect. But, later, they came to use it very commonly in the titles, the original significance being lost gradually.
3	Sokaku Reibo	巣鶴鈴慕	21'33	Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō
	Known popularly as "Tsuru no Sugomori (Nesting of a Crane)", it has the above formal title in Kinko-ryu. They say that it symbolizes the parental love of the bird. An old syaing, "Pheasants in the burning fields and cranes in the night", expresses the idea of maternal love in that mother pheasants protect their babies from fire and mother cranes from coldness. The music is programmatic, exceptionally to the general characteristics of Classical Honkyoku as a kind of absolute music. It depicts a scene of parent cranes departing from their children when they have grown up. An onomatopoeticed technique is applied. Another technique is used in describing the sounds of flapping. It has twelve sections with frequent repetition of melodies and phrases. In former days many different versions of "Tsuru no Sugomori" were being transmitted in komuso temples in various parts of the country. Nowadays, however, this version of "Sokaku Reibo" of Kinko-ryu is most widespread. "Sokaku Reibo", Shika no tone", etc., are called gaiten-kyoku and are artistic in purpose rather than ceremonial or ritualistic as are other pieces.
4	Hoshosu	鳳将雛	11'31	Shakuhachi: Matsumura Hōmei Shakuhachi: Yamaguchi Gorō
	This piece was added to Honkyoku repertoire in 1772. The title name means young ho-o (phoenix). A special technique, korone, as can be heard in the beginning part is said to imitate the crying of the bird. Ho is male and o female. And a young male phoenix, ho-su, usually represents a young, prominent person. Ho-o is believed to be more felicitous than cranes and to appear only when a saint is in throne. Among the Honkyoku pieces it is regarded high in ranking and used to be ceremonial music.