Post by Abe Akirakeiko on Jul 30, 2012 15:43:02 GMT -5
A Japanese harpist named Tomoko Sugawara (www.kugoharp.com) has been studying the kugo, or angular harp, which has a very long history stretching from the ancient Near East all the way to Japan. There are kugo fragments in the Shoso-in, and it's depicted in art in multiple "Silk Road" sites. (When Reigakusha played at the Kennedy Center back in 2004, they also did a piece for reconstructed Shoso-in instrument; sadly, I can't find the details right now.)
Here is Ms. Sugawara performing arrangements of two Tang-dynasty pieces:
- The Waves of Kokonor (清海波 Qinghai Bo): www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdaU-G-kzw&feature=plcp
- 王昭君 Wang Zhaojun: www.youtube.com/watch?v=x092T9fs27A
清海波 is pronounced Seigaiha in Japanese, and is usually translated as "Waves of the Blue Sea" in English (although the "blue sea" is actually Qinghai Lake, formerly known as Koko-nor). This tune was a favorite of the poet Li Bai, and traveled to Japan where it was performed as a bugaku dance-- in fact, it is the dance that Hikaru Genji and To-no-Chujo perform together for the court in Genji monogatari. The gagaku version (www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWrvMH-sDK4) has changed quite a bit, but I believe (although I need to look it up) that the sho or mouth-organ part still replicates the tune that Ms. Sugawara is playing.
Now I guess I gotta learn to play the harp, or the pipa...
Here is Ms. Sugawara performing arrangements of two Tang-dynasty pieces:
- The Waves of Kokonor (清海波 Qinghai Bo): www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdaU-G-kzw&feature=plcp
- 王昭君 Wang Zhaojun: www.youtube.com/watch?v=x092T9fs27A
清海波 is pronounced Seigaiha in Japanese, and is usually translated as "Waves of the Blue Sea" in English (although the "blue sea" is actually Qinghai Lake, formerly known as Koko-nor). This tune was a favorite of the poet Li Bai, and traveled to Japan where it was performed as a bugaku dance-- in fact, it is the dance that Hikaru Genji and To-no-Chujo perform together for the court in Genji monogatari. The gagaku version (www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWrvMH-sDK4) has changed quite a bit, but I believe (although I need to look it up) that the sho or mouth-organ part still replicates the tune that Ms. Sugawara is playing.
Now I guess I gotta learn to play the harp, or the pipa...