Haru no Kotobuki
春の寿
Poem (translated by Yamaguchi Osamu)
| Ascending into the sky the spring haze all over (short interlude) indeed a landscape to watch From the clad tops of mountains, cranes visit the thousands of pine trees with their wings layered like clothes (short interlude) just in front of our eyes Talking about the old days are the aged couple in privacy How auspicious longevity is to keep the elegant manliness and to surpass the age someday reaching the immortal mountain of Horaisan as famed from ago (instrumental interlude - introduction) (instrumental interlude - main section) Truly rich and noble for years longing for longevity for years learning the teachings of immortality praying for longevity on this day May the echoes in the valleys invite the sounds of temple bells lasting long like many months and days! |
Haru no Kotobuki appears on the following albums
| Album | Artist | |
 | Musical Cosmos of Yonekawa Toshiko 2 |
Voice : Yonekawa Toshiko Koto : Yonekawa Toshiko Voice : Yonekawa Toshiko II Shamisen : Yonekawa Toshiko II Shakuhachi : Yamaguchi Gorō |
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Felicity in spring The poet and composer of this tegoto mono piece are unknown. As it is seldom performed by any other lineage, it was probably developed around, the birth place of the koto arranger YONEKAWA Kin'o (present day Takahashi in Okayama prefecture). It is thought to be a piece transmitted only from this lineage. Apart from this piece in the lineage of YONEKAWA, there are many other pieces such as the previous Kinuta, No asobi, Matsu no kotobuki and Tokiwa no iro which are not transmitted by any other lineage. They display the particular characteristics of the tradition in that area and, as additional koto parts by Kin'o preserved up to the present day, they make a valuable collection. The song text is structured in the classic style of auspicious pieces and, in describing gentle spring scene, they relate felicitous themes and legends such as Hagoromo, the old man and woman related to the no drama Takasago (this is drawn from a connection with Onoe no Matsu, and Horai san a legendary mountain in China. It is probably a piece composed to celebrate some person's felicitations. The line "arisi mukasi no" towards the end of the maeuta is sung as dokugin (unaccompanied recitation) and changes the mood of the piece. From here, a tegoto mono is inserted and the legend of Horai san is treated. The tegoto section has a comparatively simple structure and a short makura is added. In particular, the sangen part with sukui techniques flows on a markedly continuing delicate rhythm. There are also many repetitions of the same note and melodic pattern. In contrast to this, in the koto, there is a section which treats the sangen as a kind of ostinato. And a skilful kaete with a strong sense of independence is added. The sangen is tuned in hon tyosi and, in the ato'uta it changes to ni agari. The koto is in hira zyosi with the 9th string raised a tone. At the end of the first ai, the 8th string is lowered a semitone and the tuning becomes han kumoi tyosi. In the middle of the tegoto the 8th string is both raised and lowered. In the ato'uta, the tuning changes to hira zyosi. This recording is a standard trio with the shakuhachi as the added instrument: the shakuhachi part follows the arrangement of the first generation AOKI Reibo (1890-1955). | ||