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Emptiness of the Sky, The

Emptiness of the Sky, The

"Kinko Honkyoku prepared by Miura Kindo."

Andreas Fuyu Gutzwiller
Jecklin Musikhaus - JD 665-2
1993

Track Title Kanji Length Artist
1  Play Button Ashi no Shirabe 芦の調 03'35 Shakuhachi: Andreas Fuyu Gutzwiller
A short piece, possibly a fragment, that can be played as an introduction to any other honkyoku.
2  Play Button Kokū Reibo 虚空鈴慕 21'00 Shakuhachi: Andreas Fuyu Gutzwiller
This is one of the three central pieces in the Kinko school of shakuhachi playing. The title means 'The emptiness of the sky'. According to legends, this piece has its origin in the monk Kichiku, who lived in the second half of the 13th century. The piece is
said to have been imparted to him in a dream on Mount Asama. The additional designation Reibo ('Yearning for the bell [of the Zen master Fuke]') indicates a piece that enjoys a high standing in the hierarchy of the music of the Kinko school.
3  Play Button Akita Sugagaki (Kinko Ryu) 秋田菅垣 10'44 Shakuhachi: Andreas Fuyu Gutzwiller
During his wanderings through Japan, Kurosawa Kinko learnt this piece from the monk Baio in the town of Akita in the extreme north of the country. There are obvious folk music influences in this piece, which may originate in the Akita area.
4  Play Button Reibo Nagashi 鈴慕流 13'41 Shakuhachi: Andreas Fuyu Gutzwiller
The verb nagasu literally means 'to flow'; in a figurative sense, it means 'to lead an itinerant life'. In other words, this is one of the pieces played by the monks of the Fuke order during their travels. The word Reibo indicates the high standing of the piece. Formally the work consists of three sections; an introduction, a middle section with a characteristic motif, and a section in the shakuhachi's high register (takane), which ends abruptly and thus gives the piece an unexpected conclusion.
5  Play Button Tsuki no Kyoku 月の曲 10'34 Shakuhachi: Andreas Fuyu Gutzwiller
This is the only piece to have been included in the complete edition of the Kinko school's honkyoku, although it does not belong to the pieces legitimized by Kurosawa Kinko in the 18th century. It was composed by Araki Chikuo (1823-1908), and is set almost entirely in the classical style. The title means 'Moon music'. A striking jump over the space of two octaves, which is heard roughly two-thirds of the way through the, work, symbolizes the rising moon. Shortly before the end, the piece modulates -which is unusual for classical shakuhachi music -from the honchosi key (D) to akebono joshi (A).