Junko Ueda Press Kit

Junko Ueda
Press Kit
Satsuma-Biwa & Voice
Contents
1. Profile
- Junko Ueda
- Main Recordings
- Main Appearances at Music Festivals
2. The Satsuma-Biwa and its Music
- An Introduction to The Japanese Biwa
- The Instrument of Satsuma-Biwa
- The Tradition of Story Telling
3. From the Press
4. Concert Program Proposals
- Program 1: Traditional Satsuma-Biwa Music
- Program 2: Traditional & Contemporary
- Program 3: Traditional & Contemporary
- Program 4: Traditional & Contemporary
- Program 5: Traditional & Contemporary
- Program 6: Duo Concert by Ueda/Offermans
5. On the Internet & Contact
www.junkoueda.com
1. Profile
1. Profile
Junko Ueda: Satsuma-Biwa & Voice
A musical performance of Junko Ueda extends Japanese ancient sound into
modern times. Both the satsuma-biwa story-telling tradition as well as shomyo
Buddhist chanting are unique musical treasures which have been passed on from
generation to generation.
Junko Ueda (born in Tokyo, Japan) is Japanese singer and satsuma-biwa player,
presenting Japanese traditional biwa music (story-telling) and shomyo Buddhist
chanting. Also, she is specialized to perform the pieces of Japanese composer Tôru
Takemitsu. Ueda studied satsuma-biwa with the famous Kinshi Tsuruta (SatsumaBiwa Tsuruta-style) and Buddhist shomyo-chanting with Kôshin Ebihara (Tendai
school). She studied piano and composition (under a.o. Reiko Arima, Jôji Yuasa, Sei
Ikeno) at the Tokyo College of Music.
Since 1988, Ueda has based in Europe (Amsterdam/Holland and Granada/Spain) and
has been presenting biwa story-telling solo concert and shomyo vocal workshop at
numerous stages and music festivals. Her traditional biwa CDs "Heike Monogatari"
(CD650 VDE/AIMP Geneva) and "Satsuma Biwa" (ARN64577 Arion, Paris /
Ethnomad, Geneva) received several prizes e.g. the Grand Prix du Disque, Academie
Charles Cros, Paris and Choc Le Monde de la Musique, Paris.
Contributing for new compositions, Junko Ueda has been working with composers,
e.g. Jean-Claude Eloy, Qu Xiaosong, Akemi Naito, Keiko Harada and performing
with e.g. cellist Yo Yo Ma and Dutch Nieuw Ensemble. Since 1988 she has been
presenting a duo performance with Dutch flutist Wil Offermans. This duo has
recorded the CD "How to Survive in Paradise" (CD732 VDE-Gallo Swiss) and has
been touring world-wide (Europe, Asia, North and South America), performing own
compositions and improvisations. She has been active as a producer for several intercultural projects including 12xHolland and Body & Soul Xperience Caravan.
www.junkoueda.com
1. Profile
Main Recordings
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Satsuma-Biwa (ARN64577)
Japon: L'épopé des Heike (CD650)
How to Survive in Paradise (CD732)
Main Appearances at Music Festivals in the Past
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17e Rencontres Internationales de Musique Médiévale du Thoronet,
France
Festival Trob'Art, Troubadours du Monde, St. Michel de Grandmond,
France
8ème Festival International du Luth, Tétouan, Morocco
Festival Ethnomad, Geneva, Swiss
Voice Expeditions, Amsterdam, Holland
Festival Suoni dal Mondo, Bologna, Italy
Traditional and Sacred Music Heritage of Humanity, Yerevan, Armenia
International Lute Festival, Rasa Utrecht, Holland
Singapore Festival of Arts, Singapore
New Music Festival, Middelburg, Holland
Musica Contemporanea, Bogota, Colombia
Musique Action, Nancy, France
Festival d'été de Quebéc, Canada
Why Note, Dijon, France
Sigma de Bordeaux, France
Musica Strasbourg, France
Warsaw Autumn, Poland
Festival d'Autumn, Paris, France
Oude Muziek Festival, Utrecht, Holland
Wratislavia Cantans, Wroclaw, Poland
Inventionen, Berliner Festival Neuer Musik, Germany
ISCM, World Music Days, Zurich, Swiss
Rheinisches Musikfest, Köln, Germany
Gaudeamus International Composers' Workshop, Amsterdam, Holland
Midem, Cannes, France
www.junkoueda.com
2. The Satsuma-Biwa and its Music
2. About Satsuma-Biwa & its Music
An Introduction to The Japanese Biwa
by mr. Toshirô Kido, musicologist
In the second half of the 20th
century, satsuma-biwa gradually
began being widely known in the
world. We can certainly say that
Ms. Kinshi Tsuruta's thorough
investigation towards the aesthetics
of the Biwa, her endless creativity
and her powerful performance has
strongly contributed to the future
popularity of the biwa music.
Herewith, we asked Mr. Toshiro
Kido to write about the Japanese
biwa. Mr. Kido was the former
artistic director of the National
Theater in Tokyo, who is
introducing the vigorous Japanese
music in the 20th century to the
world.
In Japan, the power which is thought to activate the universe is named ki . It is
regarded as a spiritual power, like the Greek pneuma or the Indian brahman. The
expression of ki has high priority in all Japanese art. On the macrocosmic level, ki is
recognized in the winds of nature, while on the microcosmic one it appears in the
human breath. The Japanese language contains many composite words referring to ki,
such as ki-shô , the weather, and ki-haku, the spirit.
4
The singing voice is based on the breath and thus regarded as a manifestation of ki. In
Japan, the voice is thought to have animistic powers. A word itself may be of spiritual
significance. The people of ancient Egypt believed that their wishes would be granted
if they were taken down in writing. Similarly, the ancient Japanese thought that by
uttering a word they would bring about a spiritual power capable of activating a
special desire. Nowadays, a similar belief still exists which is call koto-dama (word
spirit). From there the tradition of uta (Japanese singing) was born. The Japanese
language possesses typical word constructions which date back thousands of years.
However, the oldest Japanese literary works, the Kojiki and the Man-yôshû, were
written down in the seventh century only. Before that date, they used to be handed
down through the singing tradition of uta. The uta songs were structured according to
specific qualities of Japanese. While European music depends on pitch in relation to
time, the old Japanese uta molds sound elements like color, energy, loudness and
quality, into an organic sound sculpture.
The biwa is a string instrument related to the Arab ûd, the European lute and guitar,
and the Chinese pipa. It was introduced to Japan from mainland Asia in the seventh
century. A collection of ancient instruments brought from China (Tô era), including a
beautifully decorated biwa, still exists in the Shôsô-in (Nara, Japan) which was the
warehouse for the treasures of the imperial family of the eighth century. The biwa has
www.junkoueda.com
2. The Satsuma-Biwa and its Music
been compared to the Shumisen, a mountain which, according to Asian (Buddhist as
well as Hinduism) thought, rises in the center of the universe. The two acoustic holes
in the sound board of the biwa represent the sun and the moon wishing to control the
universe. The biwa was imagined to reflect the sound of the universe. Generally in
ancient Asia, musical instruments were invested with metaphysical powers.
The biwa of that time is a four-stringed instrument which fulfills an essentially
rhythmic function within the orchestra. Thus the biwa serves to divide time, while the
melodic formulae are executed by other instruments. In the still existing court
ensemble called gagaku, the biwa here names gaku-biwa - fulfills the role of setting
the tempo. The biwa players of this ensemble were regarded as descendants of
heaven. On one gagaku repertory entitled Gyoyû, the pieces were performed in a
mode chosen according to the season and thus in harmony with Heaven. This is
comparable to the Greek harmonic system which had conceived a different "celestial"
sound for each of the four seasons.
The môsô-biwa (môsô means blind monk) is another ancient biwa style. Shaped by
influences from Southeast Asia, it originated in Kyûshû (south Japan) and Kyoto, the
former capital located in central Japan. In the course of its evolution into a solo genre,
the biwa performance started to include the uta. In this manner, the international and
abstract character of the biwa fused with the native and concrete expression of the uta,
which resulted in a better considered singing style, while the biwa was adapted to the
Japanese taste by modifying its making, tuning, and playing technique. The earliest
example of this music dates back to the fourteenth century and is called heikyoku (the
original biwa performance of the Heike-Monogatari), which was interpreted by blind
monks. Thanks to the monks' strong musical sense and excellent memory, this style
spread all over Japan. Today this tradition, also called heike-biwa, still exists.
The style of the satsuma-biwa originated from the Satsuma region in southern Japan,
the present-day Kagoshima prefecture in Kyûshû. In the sixteenth century, Lord
Shimazu encouraged the warriors of the Satsuma clan to learn songs with a didactic
content and to play a type of biwa related to the ancient môsô-biwa. To produce a
louder and more masculine sound, the instrument's body was enlarged and made of a
harder wood - a making which was survived in the present-day satsuma-biwa. At first,
this instrument spread among the warriors who enjoyed recounting their heroic deeds.
Around the turn of this century this regional genre was still practiced everywhere in
Japan. However, by the end of World War II the biwa had become scarce. More
recently, Kinshi Tsuruta restored the satsuma-biwa to favor, for example by
interpreting Tôru Takemitsu's famous composition for biwa, shakuhachi and
symphonic orchestra, "November Steps". Other types of biwa were created in
response to the wished of certain performers. Today the satsuma-biwa and the
chikuzen-biwa (which emerged in the late nineteenth century and is of a more
feminine type) are the most popular ones.
Junko Ueda, who studied composition at Tokyo College of Music, is one of the most
talented students of Kinshi Tsuruta. Besides her traditional repertoire, she creates her
own music at the interface of the Japanese tradition and the modern world.
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www.junkoueda.com
2. The Satsuma-Biwa and its Music
The Instrument of Satsuma-Biwa
The Resonance Chamber
The satsuma-biwa is a pear-shaped lute. Its body consists
of two pieces of wood (the frontal one is slightly curved)
which are glued together, leaving a narrow air chamber.
Three acoustic holes are drilled into the sound-board, two
of which are camouflaged by moon-shaped ivory or silver
plates, while the third is located under the bridge, the
instrument is usually made of hard mulberry wood, which
allows the player to use the bachi (plectrum) to strike the
body. The neck of the biwa is bent 90 degrees backwards,
which gives the instrument its characteristic "crane neck".
The Gen or Ito (strings)
The five (the top strings are double, originally four) biwa
strings are made of silk fibres plied together with rice
paste. They are tied to the bridge by a special knot, then
tightened with the help of a tuning peg. They are tuned in
a pitch chosen by the performer according to his/her voice
register. Melody-lines are played on the thin double topstring. The bottom-string, usually used as an open-string
drone, is the thickest.
The Chû (pillars or frets)
Placed on the strings and in-between the chû, the fingers
of the left hand control the tension of the strings. the five
chû are extremely high and wide. Width is necessary for
the special buzzing effect called sawari (a similar effect is known from the South
Indian vina), while height allows for controlling and varying the tension by pulling,
pressing or loosing the strings, in this manner, the pitch of the strings can be
constantly modified.
The Bachi (plectrum)
The strings are plucked with the sharp top edge of the triangular bachi which is held
in the right hand. The bachi allows to produce a wide variety of dynamics and
timbres, as well as arpeggios and scraping effects. likewise, the bachi may de used to
strike the body of the biwa. The fan-shaped bachi of the satsuma-biwa is the largest
plectrum in biwa music. to make a bachi, it is preferable to use the rare boxwood from
Ibusuki (in Kyûshû) which should dry for more than ten years to possess both
hardness and flexibility.
The Biwa Vocab
For in-depth information about the satsuma-biwa, you may visit the website Biwa
Vocab - satsuma-biwa sound information system created by Junko Ueda. The
address is: www.junkoueda.com/vocab
www.junkoueda.com
2. The Satsuma-Biwa and its Music
The Tradition of Story Telling
Heike Monogatari (the story of Heike) is a well-known Japanese epic, which has been
performed during the ages in many different versions and styles, however the main
characteristic - its reciting - always has been present. The stories are based on the
Buddhist idea of cause and effect and human life's impermanence.
According to the essay Tsurezure-gusa ("Gleanings from my Leisure Hours" ca.1330)
by the Buddhist monk Kenkô Yoshida, the Heike-Monogatari was created ca.1200 by
Shinano Yukinaga Nyûdô after he quit as a gagaku musician and joined the mountain
monastery of Hiei-zan; it was recited by a môsô-biwa player, the blind monk
Shôbutsu, in Kyoto. The history of this initial performance of the Heike-Monogatari,
involving gagaku music, Buddhist Shômyô chanting and môsô-biwa playing, clearly
indicates the three origins of the heikyoku-biwa style.
Heike Monogatari describes the short-term prosperity of the Heike clan, from the
beginning of the twelfth century till their ruin in 1185, when they lost their war with
the Genji clan from Kamakura (just south of nowadays Tokyo). Heike was located in
the Kyoto area, but during the war, while attempting to escape, they gradually moved
southward, so that most of the famous war stories happened somewhere in the Inland
Sea of Seto.
In ancient times, the heikyoku was played by blind monks. Their performance
permitted many people to enjoy the historical legends, since most of the audience was
illiterate.The narrative content of the accounts as well as the detailed and touching
descriptions of the protagonists were widely appreciated. Over the centuries, the
Heike-Monogatari was performed in other biwa styles, like that of the satsuma-biwa
featured here, each style contributing its own instrumentation and versions of the epic.
The masculine atmosphere of striking-effect as well as the sensitive and plaintive
sawari-effect atmosphere, produced by the satsuma-biwa, high-lights the heroic and
dramatic history of Heike. Nowadays the Heike-Monogatari is included in the
repertory of each and every satsuma-biwa player.
www.junkoueda.com
3. From the Press
3. From the Press
Excerpts from Press Reviews
.>>> De Volkskrant, Holland
… Breathtaking of beauty and long of
the duration. The Heike epic story in
one version of Junko Ueda was
indisputably highest point in the series
of non-Western music in the Old
Music Festival in Utrecht. She was
wearing a sober black kimono with red
piping, a sparkling hairpin and holding
a Japanese lute. Once settled, enough
to catch her audience in two seconds still the first sound has to come.
'Hhuuut', she groans, the sword of
Genji General Kumagai make an end
of the life of his enemy after a heavy
flight. Rrrrrrats - the big triangle
plectrum rasps over the strings and
bangs against the body of the
instrument. And Ueda illustrated the
painful heart of the winner: his victim
turns out to be a young man of the age
of his son. His name is Atsumori, his
life cannot be saved because all the
armies are looking at this scene. Rage
and resignation sounds through Ueda's
voice, and then next moment suddenly
complains with sweet voice, then again
makes a sharp articulation or draws out
raucous like it should be. You
recognise only some names in her
Japanese singing text. But even
without text, without the direct relation
with historical happening, listening to
this Japanese singer is a experience of
a pure aesthetic satisfaction...
… For fifty minutes the audience was
holding their breath...
>>> Nagasaki newspaper, Japan
...In the Temple space, vibrating her
solemn voice and its sound colour
which recites and sings about the
scenery of Dan-no-Ura inlet, the
audience was fascinated by her
performance...
Junko Ueda solo
with YoYo Ma - cello
with Odense Symphony Orchestra
with Wil Offermans
www.junkoueda.com
3. From the Press
>>> De Gazette, Belgium
… Japanese music for biwa and voice,
that is what Junko Ueda performs.
With her misleading fragile
appearance, she sang the oriental
lyrics, strong as steel. Also on the lute
she produced a powerful, but delicate
sound. She turned out to be a master in
dealing with musical tension and
intriguing shades… With a strong
sense for affect, intonation and
phrasing she created her sculpture of
dynamics. Harmoniously, the lute
followed the melody-patterns of the
voice in harmony. A hallucinating
event. Again, Japan became a little bit
more near to us.
>>> NRC Handelsblad, Holland
...From totally different order was
'Voyage' (1973) for three biwas,
played in the version for biwa and
tape. The composer Toru Takemitsu
himself spoke about a demoniac
instrument and it is like he hit the
angry spirit from the biwa. Junko Ueda
who was playing the biwa and singing
expressed the idea very strongly...
>>> Donaukurier Ingolstad,
Germany
...Closing her eyes most of the time,
Junko Ueda sang about the scenery of
chaotic war field, painful farewell,
sadness of a young lady's death and
dramatic exile...
>>> The Daily Gleaner, Canada
... With their performance at Gallery
Connexion, Fredericton, the duo
Ueda/Offermans offered a glimpse into
the horizons beyond conventional
musical expression. Their music is of
the highest artistic quality, featuring
experimental ideas and being of unique
interest to the avante-garde
community...
>>> Le Monde, France
...Junko Ueda, à qui l'oeuvre est
destinée : voix chargée de mystère,
hiératique et pourtant sensuelle; jeu
instrumental d'une étonnante précision
dans la diversité; sens éminent du
cérémonial scénique...
>>> Le Monde de la Musique,
France
...Junko Ueda joue et chante cette
épopée dans le meilleur style, investi
de sa personnalité propre, prouvant que
l'art le plus secret est accessible au
musicien, pourvu qu'il se mette à
l'école des grands, mais aussi, sans
doute, qu''il possède un véritable talent.
La richesse de la voix d'Ueda, la
vigueur et la subtilité de son jeu
révèlent une maturité et une maîtrise
stupéfiantes chez une si jeune
femme..."
>>> Westdeutsche Zeitung,
Germany
...Stimmliche Höchstleistung aus
Japan. Bar jeglicher elektronischer
Stimmverstärkung lotet Junko Ueda
sämtliche körpereigenen
Resonanzhöhlen aus, lässt die kleinste
stimmliche Schwimmung hörbar
werden. Zum Gesang kommt die Biwa
hinzu, akzentuiert, begleitet, ergänzt.
Das Zusammenspiel von Stimme,
Instrument und Stille gerät zu einem
Klangbeispiel musikalischer
Schönheit, die im europäischen Raum
sicherlich ihresgleichen noch sucht.
Junko Ueda lässt sich Zeit, eine
Meisterin im Einsatz musikalischer
Pausen. Das Publikum im Forum war
begeistert...
>>> La Prensa, Colombia
...La unión entre lo oriental y lo
occidental, entre el rito y lo
contemporáneo es el trabajo que Junko
Ueda y Wil Offermans trajeron para el
Festival de Música Contemporánea...
una música que se puede sentir, oír,
gustar y tocar a través de la
imaginación...
www.junkoueda.com
4. Concert Program Proposal
4. Concert Program Proposal
Six Concert Program Proposals
On the next pages you can find six concert program proposals for a concert by Junko
Ueda, satsuma-biwa and voice.
The program 1 focuses to the traditional satsuma-biwa story-telling repertoire. The
different traditional pieces can be chosen depending on the intended length of a
concert. In the program 2 until program 6 the traditional and contemporary pieces
are combined, featuring some pieces by composers like Tôru Takemitsu, Akemi
Naito, Keiko Harada, John Cage and Wil Offermans. Program 2 is a solo concert
with the first part presenting the traditional repertoire and the second part various
contemporary compositions for satsuma-biwa. In the program 3 and 4, besides
traditional pieces, two compositions for satsuma-biwa and flute are introduced. The
program 5 introduces a piece of cello and satsuma-biwa. The program 6 is a duo
concert by Junko Ueda and Dutch flutist/composer Wil Offermans.
The contents of the program is a suggestion and can be adjusted depending on the
concert length and the situation.
www.junkoueda.com
4. Concert Program Proposal
Program 1
Japanese Traditional Satsuma-Biwa Music
satsuma -biwa & voice solo
1. Dan-no-Ura
traditional (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Genzô Murakami
2. Yoshitsune
traditional (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Yôko Mizuki
3. Gion-Shoja
traditional (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text traditional
4. any choice of additional traditional works
www.junkoueda.com
4. Concert Program Proposal
Program 2
Traditional & Contemporary
satsuma-biwa & voice solo
1. Dan-no-Ura
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Genzô Murakami
2. Yoshitsune
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Yôko Mizuki
3. Fontana Mix
for biwa and voice
composition by John Cage (1958)
3. Months – Spaceship for Zodiac
for biwa and tape
composition by Akemi Naito (2005)
4. Voyage
for biwa and tape
composition by Tôru Takemitsu (1973)
www.junkoueda.com
4. Concert Program Proposal
Program 3
Traditional & Contemporary
satsuma-biwa & voice + flute
1. Dan-no-Ura
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Genzô Murakami
2. Yoshitsune
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Yôko Mizuki
3. November Steps
for satsuma-biwa & flute
composition by Tôru Takemitsu (1966)
arrangement for biwa & flute (1995)
4. New Piece
for satsuma-biwa & flute
composition by Keiko Harada (2008)
5. Voyage
for satsuma-biwa and tape
composition by Tôru Takemitsu (1973)
www.junkoueda.com
4. Concert Program Proposal
Program 4
Traditional & Contemporary
satsuma-biwa & voice + flute, live electronics
1. Dan-no-Ura
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Genzô Murakami
2. Yoshitsune
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Yôko Mizuki
3. Voyage
for satsuma-biwa and tape
composition by Tôru Takemitsu (1973)
4. How to Survive in Paradise II
for flute, live-electronics, voice & satsuma-biwa
composition by Wil Offermans (1992 / 2008)
www.junkoueda.com
4. Concert Program Proposal
Program 5
Traditional & Contemporary
satsuma-biwa & voice + flute + cello
1. Dan-no-Ura
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Genzô Murakami
2. Yoshitsune
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Yôko Mizuki
3. Passacaglia
for satsuma-biwa & flute
composition by Keiko Harada (1998)
4. New Piece
for satsuma-biwa & flute
composition by Keiko Harada (2008)
5. Voyage
for satsuma-biwa and tape
composition by Tôru Takemitsu (1973)
www.junkoueda.com
4. Concert Program Proposal
Program 6
Duo Concert Junko Ueda / Wil Offermans
Junko Ueda: satsuma-biwa & voice
Wil Offermans: flute & live-electronics
1. Tusru-no-Sugomori
for flute solo arramgement from shakuhachi-honkyoku, by Wil Offermans
2. Yoshitsune
traditional satsuma-biwa music (Tsuruta-ryû style)
text by Yôko Mizuki
3. Duo Improvisation
for satsuma-biwa, voice & flute
4. New Piece
for satsuma-biwa & flute
composition by Keiko Harada (2008)
5. How to Survive in Paradise II
for flute, live-electronics, voice & satsuma-biwa
composition by Wil Offermans (1992 / 2008)
www.junkoueda.com
5. On the Internet & Contact
5. On the Internet & Contact
Mor information can be found on the internet at the following sites:
1. Official website of Junko Ueda: www.junkoueda.com
Please visit the website and use the contact page to contact with Junko Ueda.
2. The Biwa Vocab*: www.junkoueda.com/vocab
The Biwa Vocab is a vocabulary catalogue of the satsuma-biwa. Here you can
find information about various playing techniques, about the notation and
tuning system, the instrument as well as its history. Also, the Biwa Vocab
offers you a collection of sound samples of the various playing styles in mp3format. The Biwa Vocab has been created for anyone interested in the
satsuma-biwa. However, especially composers, who interest to compose for
the satsuma-biwa and would like to know more about the instrument, are
invited to use this Biwa Vocab.
www.junkoueda.com