Re: [sfbayshakuhachi] JIN NYODO sheet music (fwd)

From: Ronald Seldin (nyogetsu@panix.com)
Date: Thu Dec 09 1999 - 07:17:19 PST


Dear List,

This is a copy (amended) of an email that I sent in reply to a listing
from the sfbayshakuhachi list..

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I have really been enjoying reading all of the entries on this list, and
am inspired by the feeling of comaraderie and fellowship that all of you
guys seem to have on the West Coast !!..

I really feel that I have to give my opinion of this latest "direction" of
releasing notation of masters (usually deceased- YAMAGUCHI GORO, JIN
NYODO, etc.)..

I feel that it is an unhealthy direction for the future of HONKYOKU, no
matter how fascinating it is..

1) The Honkyoku are never notated to the last point, so that they could
be sight-read...There are many reasons for this, but one important one is
that the teacher wants to keep some control of the transmission.. Why is
this ??..It isn't that the Japanese love to be mysterious, or inscrutable
(although that may be part of it), but that they do not want their style
to be transmitted incorrectly.. No matter how skillful a player is, the
music will be learned differently , when one tries to sight -read it (even
if one has the aid of listening to a recording of the master...) Indeed,
if a great player, or teacher attempts to learn the music this way, then
it is even more dangerous, because of the likelihood of that player/ or
teacher, trying to incorporate that piece into the repertoire of pieces
that they teach..

2) Honkyoku are more than notes on a page..The KOKORO, or spirit of the
piece must be passed-on from teacher to student.. The HON in HONKYOKU ,
means "origin"..It may be considered (as MIYATA KOHACHIRO once told me),
that it refers to the PLAYER's origin, as well as to tell usual "Original
Pieces" definition..

3) Whereas I don't doubt the authenticity of these pieces, I am suspect to
the motive..$500- seems an awful lot of money for notation that one
receives for free, when one studies with a licensed disciple of one of
these masters...

I would welcome any feedback or discussion of this issue..
And, again, I well understand the desire to "own" these pieces..
But can we really own something, if we come upon it the wrong way...
And can we really ever "own" something like a HONKYOKU...akin to owning
the song of a nighting-gale...

I send you all the wishes for a fantastic New Year...new millenium...

Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin

On Thu, 9 Dec 1999, [ISO-2022-JP] $BN)2V!!LP@8(B wrote:

> From: =?ISO-2022-JP?B?GyRCTikyViEhTFBAOBsoQg==?= <shigeo.tachibana@nifty.ne.jp>
>
> Jin Nyosei sensei published Jin Nyodo's Sheet music on Dec 4.
> This sheet music includes 51 pieces. There are 500 copy in his home.
> price is 50000 Yen.
>
>
> Shigeo Tachibana
>
> > Recent teacher residencies:
> August 19-21 Riley Lee
> August 27- September 2 Kurahashi Yoshio
>
> Suizen
>

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Recent teacher residencies:
August 19-21 Riley Lee
August 27- September 2 Kurahashi Yoshio

Suizen



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