Yoshizawa Kengyo (吉沢検校)
Kengyo YOSHIZAWA (1800 or 1808 - 1872) was a visually impaired musician, playing jiuta shamisen (traditional music for the three-stringed banjo-like shamisen), sokyoku (music for the zither-like koto), the kokyu (Chinese fiddle), and the Heike biwa (a lute-like instrument with four strings and five frets used to play Heike Monogatari), and composer active at the end of the Edo Period. There were Kengyo the first and Kengyo the second, and Kengyo YOSHIZAWA usually indicates the second, who was the eldest son of Kengyo the first.
Biography
Kengyo YOSHIZAWA was born in what is now Aisai City, Aichi Prefecture, in 1800 (or 1808). He lost his eyesight when he was nine years old, and then studied jiuta (a genre of traditional songs with shamisen accompaniment), sokyoku, and the kokyu under his father, Kengyo the first, and Kengyo FUJITA, and Heikyoku (Heike biwa) under Kengyo OGINO. He took the name Kengyo, which was given to the highest ranking members of the Todo-za, the traditional guild for visually impaired people, in 1837. Yoshizawa lived at 1-chome, Ise-cho, Nagoya and his name as an 'ichina' (a term for visually impaired members of the Todo-za) was Shinnoichi. Yoshizawa also studied under Cho-o HIMURO, a scholar of Japanese classical literature, gaining for himself a deep knowledge of Japanese classical literature and waka poetry, and also created his own lyrics and music. Yoshizawa excelled in music from an early age, adding a koto part to the jiuta 'Yashima' at the age of eleven; in 1852, he was given responsibility for visually impaired people in Owari (present-day Aichi Prefecture) by the domain, with a stipend for five persons, and became a celebrated musician in Nagoya, performing at various occasions for the Owari Tokugawa family, including playing Heikyoku at memorial services for their ancestors, playing the kokyu at the Dolls' Festival, and composing a song for the marriage ceremony of the head of the family that owned Matsuzakaya (present-day Matsuzakaya Department Stores). Yoshizawa's wife's family was also affluent and economically blessed, and Yoshizawa rose to a prominent position within Todo-za. On the other hand, Yoshizawa's fellow musicians were often jealous of his abilities, and he frequently stayed in Kyoto to avoid Nagoya. Yoshizawa became friends with musicians in the Kyoto and Osaka area due to the reason above, his compositions being especially influenced by Kyoto's Kengyo MITSUZAKI, and he also received instruction on 'Tsuru-no-Sugomori,' a kokyu piece, from Gentoku in Osaka. Yoshizawa often traveled between Nagoya and Kyoto while composing and although he died in Kyoto in 1872, he taught many students during his lifetime and his influence can still be seen today, especially in Nagoya.
Musical Achievements
Establishment of the revivalist sokyoku form
By the latter half of the Edo Period, the shamisen had become the most important instrument in Japanese music, but towards the end of the period there was a feeling that, with technique having been fully developed, the rise of the 'kaede' ensemble, which involved intricate interplay with the koto, and the 'tegoto-mono' style of composition being perfected, it had nowhere left to go musically and so a new way to express compositions beyond these was sought. Such attempts can be seen in the many styles of pieces from the end of the Edo Period, especially those of Kengyo MITSUZAKI in Kyoto, who found a new direction in composition by refocusing on the koto, which had been neglected in favor of the shamisen since Kengyo IKUTA at the Genroku era (the end of the 17th century) and left koto-only masterpieces such as 'Godan-ginuta' (Instrumental in Five Sections) and 'Akikaze no Kyoku' (Song of the Autumn Wind).
These influences led Kengyo YOSHIZAWA to learn and research the oldest koto pieces, known as 'kumiuta,' and gagaku (ancient Japanese court music) under Shuraku HAZUKA, a gagaku musician, to devise a new tuning based on that of the Japanese harp, and to compose many koto-oriented pieces including 'Kokin-gumi' and 'Shinkokin-gumi.'
These works had the grace of koto pieces and the traditional elegance of gagaku, while musically they allowed freer development and showed an almost modern impressive portrayal, establishing a distinctive style. They became known nationwide after the Meiji Restoration, especially 'Chidori no Kyoku' (The Song of the Plover), which inspired similar pieces around the country, particularly in Osaka. One example is the style of songs known as 'Meiji shinkyoku' (new song of Meiji). Moreover, the descriptive expression of the seaside seen in 'Chidori no Kyoku' foreshadows the later 'Haru no Umi' (Spring Sea). In other words, it is safe to say that Yoshizawa's koto pieces (as well as those by Kengyo MITSUZAKI) defined the direction Japanese music would take after the Meiji period, with 'Chidori Music' being a turning point. However, as his song writing progressed, he sought succinct beauty with his final works, even to the exclusion of elegance, which made them difficult for general people to accept. This was probably an expression of the isolated soul of an artist who avoided the troublesome world and the unstable social conditions of the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate. However, some Meiji-period koto players including Koson SUZUKI, who established the Kyogoku-ryu koto school, continued the Yoshizawa Line. As such, Kengyo YOSHIZAWA's achievements in the koto music of the end of the Edo Period are extremely noteworthy. However, as described below, it should also be remembered that he also produced many Kyoto-style 'tegoto-mono' works and as well as pieces for the kokyu.
Jiuta' Pieces and Koto Arrangements
Most of Yoshizawa's shamisen pieces (jiuta) are 'tegoto-mono,' although he also composed 'hauta' (literally, 'short songs'). The 'tegoto-mono' were stylistically no different to the Kyoto style 'tegoto-mono' and there is no particular sense of Yoshizawa having developed anything new since by that time, shamisen technique was already fully developed, although they possess a slightly different originality compared to the Kyoto composers. Yoshizawa also sought a high technical level for the shamisen, with 'Hana no Enishi,' a large majestic piece with tegoto in two places, indicating the richness of the instrumental side of his works. Another characteristic is the large number of songs with a bright atmosphere, such as 'Tamakushige' and 'Natsugoromo,' in addition to those mentioned above.
For his koto arrangements, Yoshizawa wrote all his own pieces by himself. It seems that he was skilled with the koto since childhood, and had already added a koto arrangement to 'Yashima,' a jiuta song, at the age of eleven, after which he added arrangements to numerous existing jiuta songs, different in atmosphere to the Kyoto arrangements by composers such as Kengyo YAEZAKI. Moreover, he also created kaede (accompanying melody) for 'Akikaze no Kyoku' (Song of the Autumn Wind) by Kengyo MITSUZAKI, who had a significant influence on his compositions. As described below, his arrangements for the kokyu are also very original.
On the other hand, the hauta 'Suteogi' (Discarded Fan), created when leaving Nagoya and its bad memories, is a piece which should not be underestimated regardless of its small size, with frequent flowing key changes and a melody with an extremely elaborate fushizuke (where the melody is fitted to the text), which as well as recalling his compositional skills, also acutely show disappointment and sadness and, thereby, an aspect of Yoshizawa's mind different from that of the elegant 'Chidori no Kyoku' and the bright, gorgeous 'Hana no Enishi.'
In a way, it could be said to be a modern direct expression of how the composer himself really felt.
A major characteristic of all his pieces is that only a few examples relate to love. This trend is especially true in his jiuta, which is extremely unusual for shamisen music.
Reclamation of Kokyu Music
Furthermore, Kengyo YOSHIZAWA also focused on the kokyu, and one of his most important achievements was elevating the status of and writing original melodies for the kokyu, which until then had been used in unison with the shamisen. This was traditionally the most ignored of Kengyo YOSHIZAWA's achievements. However, the arrangements were technical and creative enough to make kokyu the main part in some pieces, and in some of his own compositions he wrote all the shamisen, koto, and kokyu parts by himself. He also left several kokyu masterpieces. Chidori no Kyoku' in particular is widely known as a masterpiece of the kyoku and koto. Kokufu Ongaku Kai (the Traditional Japanese Music Association), which continues to preserve Yoshizawa's tradition, has made three pieces, Yoshizawa's kokyu pieces 'Chidori no Kyoku' and 'Semi no Uta' (Song of the Cicadas), and Gentoku's 'Tsuru no Sugomori' their 'kokyu honkyoku' (music for the kokyu).
Heritage of Heikyoku
Heikyoku (Heike biwa) developed from the ancient musical forms of gagaku and shomyo (chanting of Buddhist hymns), and is typical medieval Japanese music together with Nohgaku (the art of Noh). Originally, performing heikyoku was an official profession of visually impaired musicians of the Todo-za, who played only this style, by which heikyoku boasted enormous popularity in the medieval period. However, the shamisen, an instrument full of expression, introduced from abroad and reached its full potential by the early Edo period, and moreover, the koto and kokyu were added and consequently a new kind of music developed. Former biwa-playing minstrels, that is, the visually impaired musicians of the Todo-za, were also involved with this. While they contributed to the flourishing of shamisen music and koto music, heikyoku, which should have been their original profession, came to a complete standstill, being handed down with no new work, and gradually the number of musicians who could play heikyoku decreased. A few musicians continued to play mainly heikyoku in the Edo Period, but they could not stop it from declining.
Kengyo YOSHIZAWA learned the style of the Hatano School, one of the great schools of Heikyoku in the Edo period, from Kengyo OGINO, and he introduced it to his disciples. Nowadays, the tradition of Heikyoku has almost died out, although Kengyo YOSHIZAWA's influence continues in Nagoya even now in an extremely valuable existence (there is another tradition in Sendai as well). Moreover, his jiuta pieces show the influence or application of the fushimawashi (melody) of Heikyoku, although this is not limited to Yoshizawa.
Advocating Reversionism'
It was often said that Kengyo YOSHIZAWA 'advocated reversionism' or 'established the independent spirit of koto music,' because he had taken old koto music and gagaku to create many pieces of pure koto music. However, there is no record that Yoshizawa himself actually advocated such a thing, and it is a fact that his works include many kokyu and shamisen pieces, as mentioned above. It is true that many aspects of reversionism can be seen in his koto music, but reversionism could be generally found in the culture of the time and not only in his koto music. Rather, it would be fair to say that he discovered and opened up a new way of expression in koto and kokyu composition, adding to the traditional jiuta shamisen.
Major Works
Chidori no Kyoku (main melody for kokyu and koto, accompanying melody for koto)
Haru no Kyoku (Spring Music) (koto)
Natsu no Kyoku (Summer Music) (koto)
Aki no Kyoku (Autumn Music) (koto)
Fuyu no Kyoku (Winter Music) (koto)
The above Kokin-gumi and 'Chidori Music' are said to be kokyu honkyoku (music for the kokyu).
Yamazakura (Mountain Cherry) (sokyoku) (koto)
Shin-setsugetuka (New Snow, Moon and Flowers) (koto)
Hatsusegawa River (koto)
Karaginu (Chinese Jacket) (koto)
The above four form the Shinkokin-gumi
Semi no Uta (kokyu and koto) - also said to be a kokyu honkyoku.
Hana no enishi (sangen [a three-stringed musical instrument] and koto)
Tamakushige (Jeweled Comb Box) (sangen, koto, and kokyu)
Natsugoromo (Summer Clothes) (sangen and koto)
Miyamagi (Mountain Forest) (sangen, koto, and kokyu)
Shin-Yamanba (Mountain Witch) (lyrics, sangen, and koto)
Suteogi (lyrics, sangen, koto, and kokyu)
Other than the above, Yoshizawa arranged many pieces for the kokyu and koto.