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Koten Shakuhachi

Koten Shakuhachi

Kakizakai Kaoru
Victor - VZCG-304
2003

Track Title Kanji Length Artist
1  Play Button Kokû (Dokyoku) 虚空 10'12 Shakuhachi: Kakizakai Kaoru
Koku is said to be around 700 years old and originating from the North-East area of Japan. The first breath seems to carry a lot of meanings, similar to “- (one)" in calligraphy. Seemingly simple, it is difficult to write a good "-".
2  Play Button Yamagoe (aka Reiho) 鈴法 03'56 Shakuhachi: Kakizakai Kaoru
Transmitted in the Kyushu area, this piece is characterized by strong musical transitions and concentrated, palpitating energy. How much energy can I put into this music? If either, technique, concentration or physical strength is lacking, failure will result.
3  Play Button San'an 産安 07'04 Shakuhachi: Kakizakai Kaoru
This music, from the Niigata area, is said to be a prayer for "safe delivery during childbirth". In playing San'an, I feel that the prayer for safe delivery should have been unimaginably earnest in ancient times.
4  Play Button Hon Shirabe 本調 03'38 Shakuhachi: Kakizakai Kaoru
One meaning of Shirabe is "beginning" and this version is from the Hamamatsu region. It is a grounding piece that reminds me the poem of "Dogyu Sekiden o Tagayasu (Cow made by soil cultivates rocky barren fields)" written by Kanzan, a poet in Tan Dynasty. This is a demanding piece because if our inner energies are not gathered, the image will be limited, as if to see only the tip of an iceberg.
5  Play Button San'ya (Dokyoku) 三谷 07'14 Shakuhachi: Kakizakai Kaoru
This piece originates from around the Nagoya area. I was deeply impressed by a recording of this music made by my teacher Katsuya Yokoyama when he was young. He expressed an image for this honkyoku (traditional piece) which was quite new to me and it had a strong impact.
6  Play Button Tamuke 手向 04'37 Shakuhachi: Kakizakai Kaoru
From Ise region, Tamuke has meanings of requiem or elegy of Western music and I experience the calm graciousness of abundant forgiveness.
7  Play Button Reibo (Shôganken) 霊慕 (松巌軒) 11'52 Shakuhachi: Kakizakai Kaoru
This piece was transmitted in a Fuke temple named Shoganken in Hanamaki which was in Iwate. After starting to play this piece, I recalled one of my university colleagues from Hanamaki telling me that the house he lived in had once been an old temple. Upon enquiry, as imagined, it was indeed the same Shoganken Temple and therefore I feel some special affinity with this piece.
8  Play Button Shingetsu 心月 05'14 Shakuhachi: Kakizakai Kaoru
An image of a slender crescent moon shining starkly in the sheer darkness of late autumn comes to mind. The breath is never enough, no matter how hard one tries.