ENSEMBLE EAST Thursday, February 25, 2010 8:00 p.m.

About the Music

SUE NO CHIGIRI ("Vow of Eternal Love") Matsuura Kengyô (d.1822) Koto part by Yaezaki Kengyô (d. 1848) or Urazaki Kengyô This piece is written in the traditional three-part tegotomono form (two vocal sections flank an elaborate and often lengthy instrumental interlude). However, instead of dividing one poem into two parts, the first and last vocal sections in this case consist of two separate but related poems. The title comes from the last line. Both poems concern the torments and uncertainties of love. In the first, the lover feels lost and unsure, and the lonely cry of the stork along the windy shore is used to symbolize her agitated state of mind; in the second, the lover, though separated from her beloved, fervently hopes that he will remain faithful to their vow, if not for the sake of this life, then for the next. The Japanese traditionally believed that true love could be strong enough to last through three incarnations, so that the separated lovers, if they remained true, might meet again in the next life.

MAEUTA (Opening Song) The white-capped waves rush headlong by, knowing nothing of my misery, or do they...? I spy some seaweed, symbol of love in the old poems, yet my love for you brings no joy! It's as if I were in a small fishing boat [the fishing boat symbolizes the lover whose life is governed by the whims of the sea, itself a symbol of destiny], rocking in the surf near the shore... endlessly rising and endlessly falling! How my heart yearns for a safe place to rest! [i.e., the lovers have no place to consummate their love.] Flying along the rough and windy coast I hear the lonely cry of the stork...

Tegoto (Instrumental Interlude)

ATOUTA (Closing Song) The thick bow of the archer is drawn tight, as is my heart. Seeing the fragile spring blossoms, "Oh please don't forget me!" I cry, as I wait out this life, though I may live a thousand years So long may you my beloved, not break our vow of eternal love!

Brooklyn Sanya (1999) James Nyoraku Schlefer (b.1956) Brooklyn Sanya is an original piece strongly rooted in the Honkyoku tradition yet with sections of undeniable modern sounds. Sanya is a 400 year old honkyoku of which several versions exist, distinguished by the temple or city where they were played. (Futaiken Sanya, Echigo Sanya, etc.) Brooklyn Sanya is from the composer’s hometown.

Tori no Yo Ni (Flying Like a Bird) 1985 Tadao Sawai (1937-1997) If I could fly like a bird in the big, open sky.... Everyone has a dream like this. Usually we only have this dream when we're deep asleep and aren't conscious of our thoughts. But sometimes something breaks though and we open our eyes. When we aspire to something, when we're happy, dreams fill our hearts and we float in the sky. It is one of Sawai's best known works and demonstrates his talent in creating enchanting melodies which use the kotos unique characteristics, combining a wide variety of modern and traditional playing techniques.

Sankyoku No. 1 (2010) James Nyoraku Schlefer (b.1956) 1. In a Brown Study (Adagio – Slowly – Moderato) 2. Intergroove (With Attitude) 3. Rondo-Tegoto (Adagio - Allegro) The term Sankyoku means Trio and refers to the classic chamber music ensemble of koto, shakuhachi and shamisen or second koto, in this case shakuhachi and two kotos. Sankyoku No. 1 is in three movements. As with much of my music for traditional Japanese instruments, I use Japanese scales patterns for the melodic material and combine them with Western rhythms and structure. As befits its title, In a Brown Study has a rather contemplative feel as it moves between its sections. Intergroove is just that - a short interlude with a distinct groove. Rondo-Tegoto refers to both the Tegoto, instrumental section of a traditional piece (which inspired much of the melodic writing) and a Western Rondo structure. It deteriorates into a freeform, noise-like section just before the final moments.

Okoto (1999) Hikaru Sawai (b.1964) In the first movement, the melody is expressed through the combination of the "front" rhythm and the "back" rhythm. In the second movement, the harmony between the first and the second koto acts as the driving force. The main theme of the third movement consists of chorus and exchange of phrases between the two parts. The title "OKOTO" is written the English alphabet (even in Japanese) in order to express one's respect and love towards for instrument.

Hikaru Sawai began his musical studies at the Toho Academy of Fine Arts for Children. Trained in classical koto by his father, the renowned Tadao Sawai, he later having studied the shakuhachi with the distinguished artist, Katsuya Yokoyama. Sawai took a turn away from tradition and formed a rock band composing and playing guitar. His group gained a strong following but beginning in 1986 the young performer was gradually drawn back into the world of koto through appearances in his father's "All Japan" concert series, but finally ended up having his own concert tours around the world. His progressive compositions appeal to the younger generation.

Meet the Artists

James Nyoraku Schlefer (www.nyoraku.com) is a leading performer and teacher of shakuhachi in New York City. He has appeared at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Tanglewood, the Metropolitan, Brooklyn and Philadelphia Museums, and has toured internationally in Europe, Asia and South America. His music was featured on NPR's All Things Considered. He received the Dai-Shi- Han (Grand Master's Certificate) in 2001, and in 2007, he received a second Shi-Han license, from Kurahashi Yodo’s Mujuan Dojo in Kyoto. In Japan he has also studied with Aoki Reibo, Yokoyama Katsuya, Yoshinobu Taniguchi, and Kifu Mitsuhashi. He holds a Master's degree in music from Queens College and is on the CUNY faculty where he teaches courses in Classical Music, World Music and Jazz. An active composer as well, Schlefer has written solo and ensemble music for Japanese instruments and in combination with Western instruments. In 2009 his “Shakuhachi Concerto” was premiered at Merkin Concert Hall in NYC. James is the Japanese Music Curator for the Arts at Tenri in NYC, presenting four concerts annually of traditional and contemporary music for Japanese instruments, and for ensembles of mixed Japanese and Western instruments. Recently Mr. Schlefer co-founded Kyo-Shoin-Arts a not-for-profit dedicated to the appreciation and integration of Japanese instruments into Western classical music. (www.kyoshinan.org)

Masayo Ishigure (masayo-koto.home.att.net) began playing the koto and jiuta shamisen at the age of five in Gifu, Japan. After initial studies with Tadao and Kazue Sawai she became a special research student in 1986 at the Sawai Koto Academy of Music. The aim of the academy was to shed new light on koto music by incorporating everything from Bach to jazz and thus change the koto from being thought of only as a traditional Japanese instrument into an instrument of universal expressiveness. Later she became one of a small group of virtuoso disciples of the Sawais and successfully completed the 33rd Ikusei-kai program sponsored by NHK to foster and train aspiring artists in Japanese music.

In 1988, Ms. Ishigure received a degree in Japanese Traditional Music at Takasaki Junior Arts College with a concentration on koto and shamisen. In 1994 she appeared on the CD entitled "Tori no Yoni" (Flying Like a Bird) Tadao Sawai compositions, and in 2001 released her own solo CD "Grace.” In 2003 she recorded "East Wind Ensemble" which featured Miyazaki's animation songs arranged for koto and shakuhachi music. Since arriving in New York City in 1992 Ms. Ishigure has performed at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall- Weill Recital Hall, BAM and Merkin Hall, She has performed at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and many otherUniversities and Colleges. She made several duo appearances with NY City Ballet Principal Dancer Peter Boal, and was guest artist with the San Diego and New Haven Symphony Orchestras. Ms Ishigure has appeared in concerts for World Music Institute, Japan Society, Music from Japan, China Institute, and many others. She has participated in music festivals in Japan, Thailand, Brazil, Holland, France, Germany and has performed in Mexico, Russia, Belarus, Jamaica, Hawaii, Alaska, and many venues throughout the US. She recorded music for the soundtrack of the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha" by John Williams in 2005 along with Yitzhak Perlman, Yo Yo Ma, and others.

Charles Wei-Ting Tang, Koto, was born in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan. He holds a B.M. and M.M. in piano performance from The Juilliard School, a B.S. in computer science from Columbia University and an M.S. in media technology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Tang began his musical training on the piano at the age of five. In 1982, he was officially recognized by the Republic of China Ministry of Education as a “Gifted Child in the Performing Arts.” He came to the U.S. later that year, and continued his studies at The Juilliard School under Kathrine Parker, and later Martin Canin. Mr. Tang also studied koto (Japanese zither) with Masayo Ishigure. He has lectured and performed at The Juilliard Theater, Lincoln Center, Merkin Hall, Japan Society, Shea Stadium, Tribeca Theatre, and many other concert halls throughout the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil. Mr. Tang’s compositions have also been featured and performed by the Drum Spirit of China, Chinese Folk Dance Company, and in State of the World Forum, hosted by the United Nations. He has been a member of the Sawai Koto School since 1996.

About the Instruments

The shakuhachi is an end-blown bamboo flute that has been played in Japan for over 1200 years. It is the only instrument associated with the practice of Zen Buddhism, and was performed during religious rituals by priests of the Fuke sect. During the Edo Period (1600-1868), Shakuhachi-playing monks known as Komusô (“Priest of Nothingness”) wandered throughout Japan playing the shakuhachi in exchange for food or alms. They would pass from temple to temple, learning pieces that were played at the various temples, as each had developed its own music. Thus was the repertoire expanded and shared as they sought to strike a perfect sound that would enlighten the world.

Traditional shakuhachi music, or honkyoku, are performed solo and are considered to express the original voice of the bamboo. The music is reflective and contemplative, and the instrument’s penetrating sound often produces an effect similar to sitting in meditation. As the music, playing technique, and instruments themselves developed over the centuries, concert performances of honkyoku became more frequent and many of the pieces became stylized, emphasizing the musical as well as the spiritual elements. Today there are several different and distinct styles of shakuhachi honkyoku which represent different schools of playing.

Shakuhachi music is at once spiritual and sensual. It combines breathing and silence with rhythm, melody, and the other elements of music to create a captivating and entirely unique art form of great depth and beauty. This extends to the secular, chamber music pieces, called sankyoku. Played together with shamisen (3-stringed lute) and koto (13-stringed harp/zither), this music has been performed for over three hundred years

The koto is a string instrument that originated in China and came to Japan in the 7th–8th century. The Japanese koto is a large instrument, about six feet long, consisting of a hollow body made from Paulownia wood (kiri). Underneath the body are two sound holes, one at each end. There are 13 strings each the same size and gauge. Movable bridges, called a ji, are placed along the length of each string. The ji lift the strings off of the body so that they will resonate when plucked. The strings are tuned by sliding the movable bridges back and forth. At first the koto was used only in court life but, later it was played mainly by blind musicians. (Almost all Japanese pre-modern music was played by blind musicians or monks and court people.) In the 17th century (Edo period), Yatsuhashi Kengyo (1614– 1685), a blind koto master, succeeded in making the koto a solo instrument by composing many new pieces for the instrument. Thus he is known as the father of modern koto music. In the 20th century, Michio Miyagi (1894–1956), who was also a blind koto player, modernized the koto yet again by introducing western styles of music in his compositions.

The shamisen is a lute-like instrument with three strings and a very long neck. The body is made out of wood and covered with cat or dog skin. The three strings are made of silk. The lowest passes over a small hump at the “nut” end so that it buzzes, creating a characteristic sound known as sawari (This is a little like the “buzzing” of a sitar, which is called jawari). In most genres the shamisen is played with a large weighted plectrum called a bachi, traditionally made with ivory or tortoise shell. The sound of a shamisen is similar in some respects to that of the American banjo, in that the drum-like skin-covered body amplifies the sound of the strings. As in the clawhammer style of American banjo playing, the bachi is often used to strike both string and skin, creating a highly percussive sound.

As often to be found in Japanese arts, the shamisen has its origins in China. From China the instrument came to the Southern Islands of Ryukyu (Okinawa). In Okinawa the instrument is covered with snakeskin and is played with a small oval plectrum, but when the instrument was introduced into mainland Japan, a number of changes were made. Instead of snakeskin, it was covered with cat ot dog skin and was played with a large plectrum similar to that used for the biwa. Around the late 15th century it arrived on the Japanese main island and soon became popular. It was first used by street singers and geishas and considered a lower class instrument. The shamisen plays a major role in kabuki, and in bunraku, Japanese puppet theater. It was and is still used as principal instrument for background music in kabuki plays. And with the rising attraction of kabuki during the Edo period, the popularity of this musical instrument soared. During the 19th century, the shamisen rose to become a classical concert instrument.