Hotchiku (CD) - Die internationale Shakuhachi Gesellschaft

Hotchiku (CD)

Watazumi Dōso Roshi
Universal Music K.K. - UDC-499
2000

Track	Titel	Kanji	Länge	Künstler
1	Saji	薩慈	06'34	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	Saji is a rhythmic piece from Kyushu, and is the genesis for all of Watazumi's playing. The song expresses the Way of Nature of Watazumi-Do, and has been rendered here into something uniquely Japanese. This song's purpose is to immerse oneself in the workings of the heart and spirit, and its tone should be reminiscent of the wide, unbound sea. The transmission of Saji might occur only once in a lifetime. First one trains with the song Saji, then progresses to Saji, then finally to the pinnacle Bosatsu. To complete this discipline is so difficult that the transmission of Saji and Daibosatsu may not occur, and these pieces may end with Watazumi. Since Saji is the most challenging of all the pieces, Watazumi tried and discarded many hocchiku before finding one capable of playing it. The hocchiku he finally settled on was a piece named So made especially for him by someone who, if he were alive today, would be over 100 years old. It is a 2.4 shaku hocchiku.
2	Hon Shirabe	本調	06'14	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	Watazumi no Shirabe ("Watazumi's Tuning") The first step in learning the pieces of Watazumi-Do is training with Shirabe pieces. There are many Shirabe pieces and each has its own purpose, such the exploration of one's state of mind, warming up, or the development of "Aun" breathing. Watazumi no Shirabe is at the height of all Shirabe pieces. It and Shura no Shirabe are contrastive with Saji. The piece expresses a feeling of distance and remoteness, and displays profound and subtle techniques. It originates from northern Japan, but has been altered into a uniquely Watazumi-Do flavor. The hocchiku used is a 2.85 shaku flute that expressing stillness.
3	Sugagaki	菅垣	02'04	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	In the Watazumi school, there are philosophical pieces such as Saji whose purpose is the expression of the workings of the heart and spirit, but there are also purely musical pieces such as Shishi. Sugagaki is one of these pieces. It comes from Shikoku. The piece has a pleasing melody, but from the perspective of sui-jo pieces like this present little challenge. Since these songs are a performance rather than a blowing of jo, special breath techniques are not called for. Thus these pieces are often used as an interlude or as relaxation songs. The hocchiku used for this piece is a 1.1 shaku piece of bamboo about as thick as one's middle finger. It was found discarded on the side of the road and given new life as a hocchiku, but it has not been tuned or otherwise altered from its natural state.
4	Mushirabe	無調	01'10	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	("No Tuning") The Shirabe piece that contains no tuning at all is called Mu-Shirabe. It comes from the Kanto region of Japan, and although it was originally intended solely for testing the capabilities of a hocchiku, it eventually evolved into a Shirabe piece. The piece is called Mu-Shirabe because it contains no melody or theme. It is strictly for training the breath and fingering techniques. A 2.45 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.
5	Tsuru no Sugomori (Dokyoku)	鶴の巣籠	02'52	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	Suzuru ("Nesting Cranes") In ancient times, cranes were worshipped as spirit birds. The piece Tsuru so Sugomori, which is one of the last pieces one learns, expresses the joy and love inherent in these birds. There are many versions of Tsuru no Sugomori. That which has the oldest form and is the most succinct is the one learned first, Suzuru. This piece was transmitted in the Kansai region, and is centered around fingering techniques, although some breathing techniques have been introduced as well. Usually a 1.7 or 1.8 shaku hocchiku is used for this piece, but for this recording 2.3 hocchiku is specially used to express the flight of the cranes, their lively stepping, and their cries.
6	San'ya (Dokyoku)	三谷	11'23	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	("Mountain Valley") The piece Sanya expresses a state of contemplation, as symbolized by the serene flowing of a stream hidden deeply in the mountains. Contemplation is a part of Watazumi-Do's Way of Nature, and is centered around the secret breathing techniques whose purpose it is to train the breath and attain the unification of mind and body. Sanya began in Oshu, and, through sound, expresses the state of contemplation. A 2.7 shaku hocchiku named Rin was used for the playing of this piece. It was made by a 13-year old boy from a piece of bamboo that had been used for drying laundry, and is so flawed that some of the holes are placed on joints. Using such flawed instruments flawlessly is part of the challenge of the Way of Dharma. Those who progress down this path are called "Followers of the Way of Dharma."
7	San'an	産安	09'22	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	("Safe Birth") The name of this piece comes from an old saying that playing it for a pregnant woman means she will give birth safely. San-An originally came from Sanya, which is connected to the practice of begging for alms. San-An comes from the Hokuriku region, and its techniques show the traits of that region. It is known for its extensive use of the yurine techniques of kanmuri. A 2.55 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.
8	Sagari Ha (Kansai)	下り葉	01'39	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	Kudari-Ba (Pre-) (Kansai Region) Kudari-Ba is a piece used for begging for alms; therefore it is meant to be played for and in front of people. Also called Sagari-Ha, it comes from the Kansai region, and was once played by Gonpachi Hirai, a famous outlaw from the Edo period. The hocchiku used for this piece is 1.3 shaku (relatively tuned).
9	Sagari Ha (Oshu)	下り葉 (奥州)	03'10	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	Kudari-Ba (Post-) (Oshu) This piece was transmitted in Tsugaru, and is said to have been loved by the nobility of that region. It contains the sounds of wind hitting snow-laden bamboo. A 2.3 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.
10	Kokû (Dokyoku)	虚空	08'33	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	Koku-Ji ("Emptiness") Legend says that Koku-Ji is the oldest piece in Japan. It comes from Kyoto. The title does not refer to the emptiness of space, but to the state of not being attached to Form, not being attached to Nothingness, and not being attached to the concept of not being attached. Everything emerges naturally. This surpassing of Form and Nothingness is at the core of Koku, which is expressed through a bamboo flute. (ji) to become Koku-Ji. Koku-Ji has been handed down for over 700 years, and so it contains both a sense of those who created it 700 years ago and a sense of mystery for those who play it today. A 2.95 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.
11	Tamuke	手向	03'08	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	("Offering") Tamuke gives the feeling of old Nara, which is where this piece comes from. It is meant to be played for and in front of people. A 2.55 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.
12	Hi Fu Mi no Shirabe (Don't know which version)	一二三の調	01'53	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	("One-Two-Three Tuning") "Hi-Fu-Mi" refers to the flute's lowest notes, so this piece, which explores the ostu, or low, octave, is called Hi-Fu-Mi no Shirabe, or sometimes, Dai-Otsu no Shirabe. Hi-Fu-Mi no Shirabe engages the player in a deep study of low tones, where each sound is experienced one by one. A 3.15 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece. It was made by a 14-year old boy just before the piece was played, so during the playing bits of bamboo dust from the opening of the holes flew from the bamboo, showing graphically how little this huge piece of bamboo had been altered from its natural state.
13	Hon Shirabe	本調	01'58	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	("Original Tuning") The first Shirabe piece that one trains in is Hon-Shirabe. The "Bon" of Hon-Shirabe means "fundamental," and is the same "Bon" from the phrase "hon-ne wo haku," meaning "revealing one's true self." "Hon-ne" is also "kyo-on," or empty sound, which means discarding conceptions of playing the tuning of the piece or performing it well and instead single-mindedly driving each breath into the bamboo and cultivating self-control in each breath. This results in a feeling like that of a wind descending from the sky to hit a bamboo grove and disappearing, leaving no trace. Hon-Shirabe comes from the Kinki region, and is often considered a warm-up piece for Koku-Ji. A giant 3.4 shaku hocchiku made by a child and with no tuning was used for this piece. Creating a tone and suijo with this hocchiku was a nearly impossible task, but it was achieved.
14	Yamagoe (aka Reiho)	鈴法	03'11	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	Reiho has been transmitted in Hakata's Icchoken temple. Here a strictly faithful rendition of it has been given, expressing a state of purification. A 2.6 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.
15	Shingetsu	心月	05'05	Shakuhachi: Watazumi Dōso Roshi
	("The Moonlit Soul") The title Shingetsu is taken from the words of Chinese Zen master Panshan, "The enlightened soul is like the solitary moon, its light engulfing all." The workings of the heart and soul are often compared to light. This piece is a tone poem expressing the light of the moon that illuminates the world beneath it. Watazumi describes the piece as "Expressing the state of contemplation of Watazumi-Do through the medium of the hocchiku." A 1.7 shaku hocchiku was used for this piece.