"Echigo-Jishi" was composed in 1811 by Kineya
Rokuzaemon IX, a Kabuki player/composer. Echigo was
the part of Japan now known as Niigata. The "lion"
refers to a "lion dance" of the region. / Echigo-Jishi
is a humorous and satirical "patter song" listing
products of the Echigo district. One of these products
is the lion dance.
/ The song has a beautiful and haunting tune, with a
striking melodic feature: the upward thrust to F# in
measures 15 and 17; before this, we have heard F
natural in t...(+)
"Echigo-Jishi" was composed in 1811 by Kineya
Rokuzaemon IX, a Kabuki player/composer. Echigo was
the part of Japan now known as Niigata. The "lion"
refers to a "lion dance" of the region. / Echigo-Jishi
is a humorous and satirical "patter song" listing
products of the Echigo district. One of these products
is the lion dance.
/ The song has a beautiful and haunting tune, with a
striking melodic feature: the upward thrust to F# in
measures 15 and 17; before this, we have heard F
natural in the lower octave, but no F#. The tempo is
fast, and there are many verses. This work is still
well-known in Japan and is often performed as a solo
koto piece. / Source : Nagai and Kobatake Songs (1892)
