Shakuhachi Master - John Singer
11. BANSHIKI CHO
This piece is also called "Banshiki No Shirabe" (explanation of the term "Shirabe" can be found in the section on "Hifumi No Shirabe"). Banshiki Cho appears as a prelude to the piece "Shin Kyorei" when, in actuality, it is played as the prelude "Banshu No Shirabe" (a piece of the late fall) to the piece "Shika No Toneh" (The Distant Sound of Deer; A Depiction of The Late Fall Mountain). The term "Banshiki" is a descendant of "Banshiki Cho", the sixth mode based upon the B natural of ancient Gagaku, which is a mode for winter (it should be noted that the idea of pitch or scale corresponding to the seasons was transmitted through the music of the Hitoyogiri. Among the Kinko Ryu Honkyoku, the piece Banshiki Cho is the only such surviving example.
Although a short piece, Banshiki Cho is well organized and it is counted as an independent Honkyoku. The piece can be divided into two parts. The first and second halves are almost identical melodically although the octaves differ respectively.
Copyright 2001 John Singer. All rights reserved.