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Mujunshin Kyoku

無住心曲

[Genres]Modernes Honkyoku
[Auch bekannt als]Jin Nyodo Shokyoku Mujushin Kyoku
[Komponiert]Jin Nyodo - Shakuhachi

Geschichte (Jin Nyodo):

Jin Nyodo Shokyoku: MUJUSHIN-KYOKU

1. About the Title:

This composition was born at the time of Jin Nyodo's trip to mainland China in 12 Showa (1937). Jin Nyodo himself did not regard this as a "composition," but rather called it a shokyoku ("born piece") -- a sort of transcription of a work that emerged naturally by itself. The title derives from a passage in the Diamond Sutra: "Just at the point when one has no place to dwell (muju), such a spirit (shin) is born. For more details regarding the development of this piece please see the article "Jin Nyodo's Musical Lineage -- From his own Writings" which contains a section on "Sakkyoku (composition) and Shokyoku."

2. Structure of the piece:

It has the balanced kisho-denketsu structure (a four-part structure characteristic of classical Chinese verse): [Ki (shirabe) - Sho (honte) - Ten (takane) - Ketsu]. This is a structure that pervades honkyoku of the Tohoku style.

Shirabe - It starts quietly with kyosui playing in a low tone. In the second melody the playing technique called tsuzumi-buki, which is unique to this piece, is utilized. In this method of playing, the melody is blown forcefully; then in the middle of the phrase the tone is weakened as if (echoing) in the interior of a tsuzumi (drum). Then again the breath is blown more strongly. This was a new technique introduced by Jin Nyodo and is used frequently throughout this piece with the result that it lends a uniquely strong dynamic effect to the flow of the composition.

Next, the melody climbs to the middle range with gentle yuri-buki. It ends quietly after descending again to the lower range.

Honte This section begins with resonant blowing in the Ko-no-re tone. The melody which follows is characteristic of this piece in its gentle flow and abundant emotional quality. After this melody is repeated, there is a section forcefully played in the mid-range and rich in modulation.

Takane It begins in a strong Ko-no-re tone, proceeds to a beautiful melody focusing on the hi and ha tones then moves again to the upper range. A soft re-tone in Dai-ko (third octave) leads to the most emotional point. Just then, like a flow bursting through a dam, a melody occurs filled with an infinite sense of sorrow and desolation. This takane then reoccurs once as a kaeshi (return) with some alteration in expression by means of tamane.

Musubi One of the melodies from the honte is repeated in the middle of the Ro-range (first octave), and the piece ends tranquilly.

3. Special features of the piece:

The composition could be said to arise from elements that Jin Nyodo received from classical honkyoku and let crystallize. Uramoto Setcho evaluates it as "the work of Jin Nyodo's lifetime." This may remind us of the Fuke Sect saying: "One temple = one melody." In each of the Fuke temples, there was a tradition that in each temple only one piece was handed down as its seikyoku (true piece). Probably it was felt that in the case of outstanding classical honkyoku, one piece was capable of containing infinitely deep emotion. A composition that could contain such varied mental states was called ichiritsu (one melody). This piece could be called Jin Nyodo's one melody.

Mujunshin Kyoku spielt auf den folgenden Alben

Album Künstler

Art of the Shakuhachi Vol I Shakuhachi : Mitsuhashi Kifu
The title of this piece means ‘A heart with no abode’ or ‘an unattached spirit’. This Zen notion of remaining unattached to the world of appearances became a shakuhachi piece in 1937 when Jin Nyodo (1891-1966) was traveling through China in search of the spot where the legendary Fuke had been summoned to heaven. Since Jin had not sought to ‘compose’ this piece, he did not view himself as its creator. Instead, it only ‘came to be.’

The music is divided into four sections. In the first part (to 1' 24’) is a take-shirabe, a short melody is heard in the low range of the instrument. The second segment (to 6' 29’), known as honte (basic melody) features higher pitches in a flowing musical line with considerable dynamic range. In the third section (takane, to 9' 58’) this continues, but the music reaches for an even higher register. The fourth part, musubi (coda), returns to the lower end of the shakuhachi range and ends quietly. Mujushin kyoku includes much music that is the essence of the traditional honkyoku style. Only the pitches in the extremely high range of the third section, which allows for the expression of boundless sadness and loneliness, is not found in older traditional music.
Play ButtonJin Nyodo No Shakuhachi 02 Shakuhachi : Jin Nyodo
Jin Nyodo Shokyoku: MUJUSHIN-KYOKU

2-shaku 3-sun
8 min. 30 sec.

1. About the Title:

This composition was born at the time of Jin Nyodo's trip to mainland China in 12 Showa (1937). Jin Nyodo himself did not regard this as a "composition," but rather called it a shokyoku ("born piece") -- a sort of transcription of a work that emerged naturally by itself. The title derives from a passage in the Diamond Sutra: "Just at the point when one has no place to dwell (muju), such a spirit (shin) is born. For more details regarding the development of this piece please see the article "Jin Nyodo's Musical Lineage -- From his own Writings" which contains a section on "Sakkyoku (composition) and Shokyoku."

2. Structure of the piece:

It has the balanced kisho-denketsu structure (a four-part structure characteristic of classical Chinese verse): [Ki (shirabe) - Sho (honte) - Ten (takane) - Ketsu]. This is a structure that pervades honkyoku of the Tohoku style.

Shirabe - It starts quietly with kyosui playing in a low tone. In the second melody the playing technique called tsuzumi-buki, which is unique to this piece, is utilized. In this method of playing, the melody is blown forcefully; then in the middle of the phrase the tone is weakened as if (echoing) in the interior of a tsuzumi (drum). Then again the breath is blown more strongly. This was a new technique introduced by Jin Nyodo and is used frequently throughout this piece with the result that it lends a uniquely strong dynamic effect to the flow of the composition.

Next, the melody climbs to the middle range with gentle yuri-buki. It ends quietly after descending again to the lower range.

Honte This section begins with resonant blowing in the Ko-no-re tone. The melody which follows is characteristic of this piece in its gentle flow and abundant emotional quality. After this melody is repeated, there is a section forcefully played in the mid-range and rich in modulation.

Takane It begins in a strong Ko-no-re tone, proceeds to a beautiful melody focusing on the hi and ha tones then moves again to the upper range. A soft re-tone in Dai-ko (third octave) leads to the most emotional point. Just then, like a flow bursting through a dam, a melody occurs filled with an infinite sense of sorrow and desolation. This takane then reoccurs once as a kaeshi (return) with some alteration in expression by means of tamane.

Musubi One of the melodies from the honte is repeated in the middle of the Ro-range (first octave), and the piece ends tranquilly.

3. Special features of the piece:

The composition could be said to arise from elements that Jin Nyodo received from classical honkyoku and let crystallize. Uramoto Setcho evaluates it as "the work of Jin Nyodo's lifetime." This may remind us of the Fuke Sect saying: "One temple = one melody." In each of the Fuke temples, there was a tradition that in each temple only one piece was handed down as its seikyoku (true piece). Probably it was felt that in the case of outstanding classical honkyoku, one piece was capable of containing infinitely deep emotion. A composition that could contain such varied mental states was called ichiritsu (one melody). This piece could be called Jin Nyodo's one melody.
Play ButtonKi-Sui-An Honkyoku Vol 1 Shakuhachi : Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
Play ButtonSui Zen - Blowing Meditation on the Shakuhachi - 05 Shakuhachi : Ronnie Nyogetsu Reishin Seldin
This was written down by Jin Nyodo in 1937, probably at the time of his trip to mainland China, searching for the spot where the legendary Fuke-Zenji was transported to heaven, leaving behind only an empty coffin and the sound of his bell. When he visited the tomb of Confucius, he supposedly improvised this melody, played it a few times, and wrote it down that night.

It is considered his major work, along with Daiwagaku. Both are called "shokyoku" (born pieces) because he said that they emerged on their own, and were not composed, as such.

The title, which is taken from the Diamond Sutra, is reminiscent of the komuso 's life.

"Just at the point where one has no place to dwell (muju), such a spirit (shin) is born."

Therefore, it means "A heart with no abode," or "an unattached spirit," and is reminiscent of the komuso's prescribed standard reply to a question concerning his destination, "I have no resting place."
Jin Nyodo is said to have remarked that it conveys the spirit of a lonely old person who has lost everything, and in so doing, has found his true self.

Mujushin Kyoku uses a unique tsuzumi-buki note shape, a technique introduced by Jin Nyodo. Listen for notes that are hourglass-shaped; they start forcefully, then weaken. A tsuzumi is an hourglass-shaped drum. But this technique is not just named for the shape of the drum. Its sound, also, tends to start large, become small, and then swell again.