Best Take 7 - Tazuko Miyashita

Miyashita Tazuko
Victor - VICG-8008
1991

Track	Title	Kanji	Length	Artist
1	Ku	空	03'11	Koto: Miyashita Tazuko
	“Emptiness (KU)” Solo work for 30-stringed koto This purely instrumental, two-section piece lays out the profound Buddhist-philosophical theme of total emptiness on the 30-stringed koto. The highly technical piece plays on the wide melodic range of the 30-stringed koto while drawing on various new techniques to make a profound philosophical statement amid a generally austere mood. The first section of the atonal work quietly sets out the spirit of total emptiness; the transcendence of phenomenal reality. A unique sensation is created toward the middle of the first section in a passage consisting of a series of quarter-tones. The section concludes with the quiet reverberations of the plectrum striking against the strings. In sharp contrast to the placidity of the first section, the second section begins with a percussive rhythmic technique and develops into fast-paced movement. It gradually slows during the course of a number of transitional passages before concluding with a return to the original image and a long series of tremelos.
2	Ku	空	03'04	Koto: Miyashita Tazuko
	“Emptiness (KU)” Solo work for 30-stringed koto This purely instrumental, two-section piece lays out the profound Buddhist-philosophical theme of total emptiness on the 30-stringed koto. The highly technical piece plays on the wide melodic range of the 30-stringed koto while drawing on various new techniques to make a profound philosophical statement amid a generally austere mood. The first section of the atonal work quietly sets out the spirit of total emptiness; the transcendence of phenomenal reality. A unique sensation is created toward the middle of the first section in a passage consisting of a series of quarter-tones. The section concludes with the quiet reverberations of the plectrum striking against the strings. In sharp contrast to the placidity of the first section, the second section begins with a percussive rhythmic technique and develops into fast-paced movement. It gradually slows during the course of a number of transitional passages before concluding with a return to the original image and a long series of tremelos.
3	Hana (Miyashita)	花	08'24	Koto: Miyashita Tazuko
	“Flowers (Hana)” composed in 1950 This instrumental work expresses the joyousness of people frolicking amid a vibrant explosion of blossoming flowers. In doing so, it draws on the melodic themes of a well-known flower-viewing melody and "Sakura, sakura," the wistful laud to the fleeting cherry blossoms. Through the incorporation of the flute melody of "Genroku Hanami Odori" and skillful interweaving of passages from "Sakura, sakura," this work underscores the artistic integrity of such popular works.
4	Enishi (Modern Koto)	縁	04'21	Koto: Miyashita Tazuko
	"Destiny (Enishi)” solo work for koto composed 1984, revised 1987 This purely instrumental work for solo koto depicts the profound philosophical principle of "destiny"--the unseverable emotional ties that link people, or the notion of cause and effect that forms the basis of the world as we know it. This atonal three-part work is grounded in Noh music principles. The first section exudes a sense of realism, which develops into a romantic mood in the second section before the final denouement. Scattered appearances of quarter-tone phrases in the central portion of the piece produce an unusual effect. The piece contains a number of unusual cacophonous effect, including atonality, and the striking of the strings and the koto's sound board.
5	Enishi (Modern Koto)	縁	02'42	Koto: Miyashita Tazuko
	"Destiny (Enishi)” solo work for koto composed 1984, revised 1987 This purely instrumental work for solo koto depicts the profound philosophical principle of "destiny"--the unseverable emotional ties that link people, or the notion of cause and effect that forms the basis of the world as we know it. This atonal three-part work is grounded in Noh music principles. The first section exudes a sense of realism, which develops into a romantic mood in the second section before the final denouement. Scattered appearances of quarter-tone phrases in the central portion of the piece produce an unusual effect. The piece contains a number of unusual cacophonous effect, including atonality, and the striking of the strings and the koto's sound board.
6	Enishi (Modern Koto)	縁	03'47	Koto: Miyashita Tazuko
	"Destiny (Enishi)” solo work for koto composed 1984, revised 1987 This purely instrumental work for solo koto depicts the profound philosophical principle of "destiny"--the unseverable emotional ties that link people, or the notion of cause and effect that forms the basis of the world as we know it. This atonal three-part work is grounded in Noh music principles. The first section exudes a sense of realism, which develops into a romantic mood in the second section before the final denouement. Scattered appearances of quarter-tone phrases in the central portion of the piece produce an unusual effect. The piece contains a number of unusual cacophonous effect, including atonality, and the striking of the strings and the koto's sound board.
7	Jaku	寂	02'50	Shakuhachi: Sakai Shōdō Koto: Miyashita Tazuko Koto: Yazaki Akiko
	"Tranquility (Jaku)" Work for koto, 30-stringed koto and shakuhachi composed 1966 This piece received the Education Ministry's Artistic Encouragement Award at the 1966 Arts Festival. This chamber-music style piece embodies a unique musical mood to symbolically express the bliss of entering Nirvana. A purely instrumental work for 30-stringed koto, 13-stringed koto and shakuhachi, the piece is a meditative atonal work in five sections. The austere and profound theme-the tranquility of nirvana (salvation)-is highlighted throughout the piece with abundant nuances. The piece employs the subtle tonality of the 13-stringed koto to create a delicate mood, while the broad range and multi-faceted timbre of the 30-stringed koto are borrowed to eloquently enhance the expression of the work's central image. The introduction crystallizes the spirit of the entire piece in a duet between the 30-stringed koto and the komuso-style low-pitched shakuhachi. The first section is further subdivided into three-parts for the 13-and 30-stringed kotos. The 5/8 meter canon for the stringed duet at the beginning of the section stands out in particular. A lasting impression is left on listeners in the second section, in which an atonal passage for the koto is accompanied by a bell and the deep strains of the low-pitched shakuhachi. The 6/8 meter trio dance piece-style taken in the third section evokes a unique mood, with the high-pitched shakuhachi setting out a romantic melody against the backdrop of the rhythmic portamento stringed accompaniment. The piece comes to a climax in the fourth section, as the meditative sounds the low-pitched shakuhachi emerge from the stillness and tensely harken to the melancholy sound of the stringed instruments. This call-and-response, representing the transcendation of sorrow and the entrance into Nirvana, leads to a tranquil denouement.
8	Jaku	寂	03'11	Shakuhachi: Sakai Shōdō Koto: Miyashita Tazuko Koto: Yazaki Akiko
	"Tranquility (Jaku)" Work for koto, 30-stringed koto and shakuhachi composed 1966 This piece received the Education Ministry's Artistic Encouragement Award at the 1966 Arts Festival. This chamber-music style piece embodies a unique musical mood to symbolically express the bliss of entering Nirvana. A purely instrumental work for 30-stringed koto, 13-stringed koto and shakuhachi, the piece is a meditative atonal work in five sections. The austere and profound theme-the tranquility of nirvana (salvation)-is highlighted throughout the piece with abundant nuances. The piece employs the subtle tonality of the 13-stringed koto to create a delicate mood, while the broad range and multi-faceted timbre of the 30-stringed koto are borrowed to eloquently enhance the expression of the work's central image. The introduction crystallizes the spirit of the entire piece in a duet between the 30-stringed koto and the komuso-style low-pitched shakuhachi. The first section is further subdivided into three-parts for the 13-and 30-stringed kotos. The 5/8 meter canon for the stringed duet at the beginning of the section stands out in particular. A lasting impression is left on listeners in the second section, in which an atonal passage for the koto is accompanied by a bell and the deep strains of the low-pitched shakuhachi. The 6/8 meter trio dance piece-style taken in the third section evokes a unique mood, with the high-pitched shakuhachi setting out a romantic melody against the backdrop of the rhythmic portamento stringed accompaniment. The piece comes to a climax in the fourth section, as the meditative sounds the low-pitched shakuhachi emerge from the stillness and tensely harken to the melancholy sound of the stringed instruments. This call-and-response, representing the transcendation of sorrow and the entrance into Nirvana, leads to a tranquil denouement.
9	Jaku	寂	04'35	Shakuhachi: Sakai Shōdō Koto: Miyashita Tazuko Koto: Yazaki Akiko
	"Tranquility (Jaku)" Work for koto, 30-stringed koto and shakuhachi composed 1966 This piece received the Education Ministry's Artistic Encouragement Award at the 1966 Arts Festival. This chamber-music style piece embodies a unique musical mood to symbolically express the bliss of entering Nirvana. A purely instrumental work for 30-stringed koto, 13-stringed koto and shakuhachi, the piece is a meditative atonal work in five sections. The austere and profound theme-the tranquility of nirvana (salvation)-is highlighted throughout the piece with abundant nuances. The piece employs the subtle tonality of the 13-stringed koto to create a delicate mood, while the broad range and multi-faceted timbre of the 30-stringed koto are borrowed to eloquently enhance the expression of the work's central image. The introduction crystallizes the spirit of the entire piece in a duet between the 30-stringed koto and the komuso-style low-pitched shakuhachi. The first section is further subdivided into three-parts for the 13-and 30-stringed kotos. The 5/8 meter canon for the stringed duet at the beginning of the section stands out in particular. A lasting impression is left on listeners in the second section, in which an atonal passage for the koto is accompanied by a bell and the deep strains of the low-pitched shakuhachi. The 6/8 meter trio dance piece-style taken in the third section evokes a unique mood, with the high-pitched shakuhachi setting out a romantic melody against the backdrop of the rhythmic portamento stringed accompaniment. The piece comes to a climax in the fourth section, as the meditative sounds the low-pitched shakuhachi emerge from the stillness and tensely harken to the melancholy sound of the stringed instruments. This call-and-response, representing the transcendation of sorrow and the entrance into Nirvana, leads to a tranquil denouement.
10	Jaku	寂	01'54	Shakuhachi: Sakai Shōdō Koto: Miyashita Tazuko Koto: Yazaki Akiko
	"Tranquility (Jaku)" Work for koto, 30-stringed koto and shakuhachi composed 1966 This piece received the Education Ministry's Artistic Encouragement Award at the 1966 Arts Festival. This chamber-music style piece embodies a unique musical mood to symbolically express the bliss of entering Nirvana. A purely instrumental work for 30-stringed koto, 13-stringed koto and shakuhachi, the piece is a meditative atonal work in five sections. The austere and profound theme-the tranquility of nirvana (salvation)-is highlighted throughout the piece with abundant nuances. The piece employs the subtle tonality of the 13-stringed koto to create a delicate mood, while the broad range and multi-faceted timbre of the 30-stringed koto are borrowed to eloquently enhance the expression of the work's central image. The introduction crystallizes the spirit of the entire piece in a duet between the 30-stringed koto and the komuso-style low-pitched shakuhachi. The first section is further subdivided into three-parts for the 13-and 30-stringed kotos. The 5/8 meter canon for the stringed duet at the beginning of the section stands out in particular. A lasting impression is left on listeners in the second section, in which an atonal passage for the koto is accompanied by a bell and the deep strains of the low-pitched shakuhachi. The 6/8 meter trio dance piece-style taken in the third section evokes a unique mood, with the high-pitched shakuhachi setting out a romantic melody against the backdrop of the rhythmic portamento stringed accompaniment. The piece comes to a climax in the fourth section, as the meditative sounds the low-pitched shakuhachi emerge from the stillness and tensely harken to the melancholy sound of the stringed instruments. This call-and-response, representing the transcendation of sorrow and the entrance into Nirvana, leads to a tranquil denouement.
11	Jaku	寂	04'32	Shakuhachi: Sakai Shōdō Koto: Miyashita Tazuko Koto: Yazaki Akiko
	"Tranquility (Jaku)" Work for koto, 30-stringed koto and shakuhachi composed 1966 This piece received the Education Ministry's Artistic Encouragement Award at the 1966 Arts Festival. This chamber-music style piece embodies a unique musical mood to symbolically express the bliss of entering Nirvana. A purely instrumental work for 30-stringed koto, 13-stringed koto and shakuhachi, the piece is a meditative atonal work in five sections. The austere and profound theme-the tranquility of nirvana (salvation)-is highlighted throughout the piece with abundant nuances. The piece employs the subtle tonality of the 13-stringed koto to create a delicate mood, while the broad range and multi-faceted timbre of the 30-stringed koto are borrowed to eloquently enhance the expression of the work's central image. The introduction crystallizes the spirit of the entire piece in a duet between the 30-stringed koto and the komuso-style low-pitched shakuhachi. The first section is further subdivided into three-parts for the 13-and 30-stringed kotos. The 5/8 meter canon for the stringed duet at the beginning of the section stands out in particular. A lasting impression is left on listeners in the second section, in which an atonal passage for the koto is accompanied by a bell and the deep strains of the low-pitched shakuhachi. The 6/8 meter trio dance piece-style taken in the third section evokes a unique mood, with the high-pitched shakuhachi setting out a romantic melody against the backdrop of the rhythmic portamento stringed accompaniment. The piece comes to a climax in the fourth section, as the meditative sounds the low-pitched shakuhachi emerge from the stillness and tensely harken to the melancholy sound of the stringed instruments. This call-and-response, representing the transcendation of sorrow and the entrance into Nirvana, leads to a tranquil denouement.
12	Kagerou no Odori	陽炎の踊り	06'30	Koto: Miyashita Tazuko
	"Shimmering Heat Waves (Kagerou-no-Odori)" composed 1925 This work is a fantasia-like expression of heat waves dancing on a spring field. It has no particular melodic theme or musical form. The piece starts with a trill using the technique in which the plectrum strike the strings rather than plucking them. From this absorbing reverberation springs a clear, high-pitched introductory melody. Following this allusionary introduction comes a passage that delineates the bright tranquility of a spring field. Soon after the work moves into the world of illusion via the repetition of glissandos. The central portion of the work, comprising the sukuizume technique of repeated downstrokes and upstrokes, develops into a magnificent passage which depicts the slender waves of quivering heat. Although this section does not employ any new or unusual techniques, the repetition of rapidly moving melodic patterns requires a high degree of virtuosity to produce a brilliant effect. The shimmering heat waves gradually fade out, leading to the return of the spring theme before closing with quiet lingering reverberations.
13	Shikyoku No 1	詩曲一番	13'34	Shakuhachi: Yamamoto Hōzan Koto: Miyashita Tazuko
	"First Lyric Piece (Shikyoku Ichiban}” This work was composed for airing at the Matsushita pavilion at the 1970 Osaka Expo. It represents Matsumura's maiden work for traditional Japanese instruments. Matsumura's approach to the piece was to free himself from any associations with contemporary aesthetic concepts, to empty his heart of all self-assertion and pay homage to traditional Japanese instruments and music. This work can be said to reflect Matsumura's candid spiritual state of mind.