Music from Japan

choi

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Steve Smith, Echoes of Antiquity, With Avant-Garde Influences; JapanNYC honors the composer Toru Takemitsu. New York Times, Dec. 18, 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/18/arts/music/18winds.html?scp=1&sq=kotoist&st=cse

My comment:
(a) hogaku 邦楽 (n): (traditional) Japanese music

gagaku 雅楽 (n): old Japanese court music

All Japanese definitions are from Jim Breen's online Japanese dictionary.
(b)  Carnegie Hall
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnegie_Hall
(built by philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1891)
(c) Tōru TAKEMITSU
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dru_Takemitsu
(武満 徹; 1930-1996)
(d) biwa
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biwa
(chosen instrument of Benten 弁天 [the Japanese name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati]; section 1 History)

The barbat of ancient Persia as well as modern-day biwa and (Chinese) pipa are four-stringed instruments. Modern oud has eleven strings (ten of these strings are paired together in courses of two, with the eleventh, lowest string remaining single). The standard guitar has six strings but four-, seven-, eight-, nine-, ten-, eleven-, twelve-, thirteen- and eighteen-string guitars are also available. Wikipedia.
(e) Yukio TANAKA 田中 之雄
Kifu MITSUHASHI 三橋 貴風)
(f) shakuhachi 尺八
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shakuhachi
(a Japanese end-blown flute)

尺八 refers to the length of a flute: 1 尺八寸.
(g) Koto (musical instrument)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koto_(musical_instrument)
(琴 or 箏; section 1 History)

Yoko NISHI 西 陽子 - 筝曲家
www.nishi-yoko.com

midare 乱れ (n): "disorder; disturbance; unrest"
(h) James Nyoraku Schlefer; Shakuhachi Grand Master
http://www.nyoraku.com/index.php?section=Profile&subsection=Bio

Nyoraku 如楽 is derived from Confucian's statement 人而不仁、如礼何、人而不仁、如楽何. But the phrase 如楽 does not mean anything in Japan (certainly not a music).

I am clueless how it became his middle name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Nyoraku_Schlefer
(Japanese: ジェイムス　如楽　シュレファー)
(i) YATSUHASHI Kengyo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yatsuhashi_Kengyo
(八橋 検校; 1614–1685; a Japanese musician and composer from Kyoto. The name Kengyō is an honorary title given to highly skilled blind musicians)
(j) shamisen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamisen
(三味線; section 5 History and genres)
(k) Tsuru no Sugomori 鶴の巣籠り
http://www.wiloffermans.com/ja/books/solo/tsuru.html
(この「鶴の巣籠り」の編曲は尺八の巨匠、横山勝也氏の演奏が基になっています)

The translation of quotation is: this booklet is based on flute master 横山 勝也's performance.

sugomori 巣籠り (n): "nesting"
(l) Dan no Ura 壇ノ浦
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A3%87%E3%83%8E%E6%B5%A6
(山口県下関市周辺の海域名および地名)

および 及び (conj): "and"

Battle of Dan-no-ura
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Dan-no-ura
(壇ノ浦の戦い; Apr. 25, 1185; Genji 源氏 annihilated Taira clan 平家, whose six-year-old Emperor Antoku 安徳天皇 and his grandmother, the widow of Taira no Kiyomori 平 清盛 and head of the clan, committed suicide by jumping into water of the strait 関門海峡).

源 and 平 are family names of teh two rival clans.
(m) Kinshi TSURUTA 鶴田 錦史
Yoko MIZUKI 水木 洋子
(n) Michiyo MIYAGI 宮城 道雄
Haru no Umi 春の海 The Sea in Spring
(o) arpeggio (n; Italian, from arpeggiare to play on the harp, from arpa harp):
"1: production of the tones of a chord in succession and not simultaneously
2: a chord played in arpeggio"

Both English definitions are from www.m-w.com.
(p) Tadao SAWAI 沢井 忠夫記念館
www.sawai-tadao.jp
(kotoist)

Click in the home page the button (作品一覧 Works) in the top horizontal bar, and you will find Gaku "楽（がく）." So the NYT report incorrectly translates it as "bliss."
(q) Chikurai Gosho 竹籟五章 Bamboo Soundings in Five Movements

Makoto MOROI 諸井 誠
www.makoto-moroi-music-office.com
(r) The register in"leaps in register" (n): "a condition of correct alignment or proper relative position"
(s) Yukyu no Shirabe 悠久の調べ (released in 2005) Meditation on Eternity
(t) Taira no Tsunemasa 平 経政


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