Tamada Nyohyō
玉田 如萍
10/12/1894 - 9/??/1969
Shakuhachi
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Tamada Nyohyō (Tamada Kitarō) came to the United States in 1918. He was the Director of the San Francisco branch of the Nyodō-kai. He met composer Henry Cowell in 1932 and became his shakuhachi teacher, shortly thereafter performing at a house concert organized by John Cage in April 1935. Tamada was interned at Manzanar during WWII. Following the war, he made his home in Southern California, performing and teaching in Los Angeles until his passing in 1969. A letter from Kitarō Nyohyō Tamada to Henry Cowell: Manzanar, Cal Feb. 3, 1943 Dear Mr. Cowell: I have been wanting to write to you for a long time but somehow there is always so much to do and also I am a bad correspondent, as you know. I thank you very much for your nice letter and so glad to hear from you that you are very well. Your letter make me so joy and happy all day today. I often too thinking of you and try to write something. I am glad to hear about Alice who are now studying for music at Oberlin from out the relocation enter. I suppose how her parents happy to get so nice school and study for. Now, may I ask you again to buy to me, I want a tune pipe for to use a koto player. My friend koto teacher wants it. But I do not know tune pipe number, so get me it, your judgment from your music store. Scale is D (international pitch) or F or E? I want good one. Last November, we made program at Manzanar as following number: 1. Kumoi-jishi (only shakuhachi) 150 years old 2. Chidori no Kyoku (koto & shakuhachi) 60 years old 3. Shika no To-ne (shakuhachi) 200 years old 4. Rokudan (koto, shamisen & shakuhachi) 5. Choshi (shakuhachi) 400 years old 6. Yamaji (koto, shakuhachi) 20 years old – new composed I thought you may interest how few persons felt about our music. 1) Because I am not a musician I am unable to comment except in a very personal way. The more I hear the Japanese instruments the more I enjoy them – particularly the harp. The numbers played are beautifully executed, but the mood of the first three numbers is hard for a western mind to grasp. Some time I hope to hear the symphonic music to which we are accustomed, enriched by the Japanese instruments. Thank you for (the) music. Ralph R. Merritt, Project Director 2) The quality of tone of the shakuhachi is hauntingly lovely. The artistry of the players in blending their tones to such a fine unison is evident. All the selections successfully established a real mood and sense of the beautiful. The ensemble work koto and shakuhachi was very fine. The deer selection might well have been Debussy’s inspiration for “L’apres-mid d’un faun”. Our artists tonight speak a truly international language. The last selection is especially fine music, even to my “western ears”. Sincere thanks for a real treat. Mrs. A. Nielsen, Head of High School music department I am still teaching shakuhachi at night and keeping well! In anytime, I am working so hard to dig up old concrete pipes from ground with fifteen crews on the Farm. We get $16.00 a month. Thank you for the string for the koto. That is very good to suitable as good as other, I think, and my friend are using every day to play with it. But I think the price of string is higher (18ft. length of gut @ $2.50. For the koto instrument, we need “seven” 18 ft. length of gut; that cost about $17.50. My friend has payed for bill when I get a strings. I do not expect to pay by you. Thank you for your trouble. Yours very truly K. Tamada
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| También Conocido Como 玉田 喜太郞 (Tamada Kitarō) |
Estudiantes
Sugiyama Hōrei 1911 - ????
Yamaguchi Hōdō 1903 - ???? |