Yesterday I got to see my sensei in concert for the first time. I didn't forget to post last night, just got back late from the concert and was sleepy. He played tsuru no sugomori the most difficult koten honkyoku piece. I'm used to hearing him play, but his performance was more than just the sound. Dressed in traditional clothing with light radiating about him he played a most beautiful rendition of tsuru no sugomori. The sound of the shakuhachi with the movements of the player made the story come to life. I could see the cranes, hear them and was completely under the spell of this enchanting piece. Besides his performance there were a number of other excellent performances. The first group was high school girls, about 15 koto players and one lovely and excellent shakuhachi player. My sensei told me about her before I went, so I made sure to take extra notice of her. He said,"She is an excellent shakuhachi player and pretty too." He was indeed right. They were divided into three sections, each playing certain parts. Altogether it was fantastically beautiful. The shakuhachi player's movements made the piece even more enjoyable. She spilled forth a confidence and enjoyment in her playing that left me smiling and truly happy. Altogether there were six different groups of performers. One interesting thing that happened was after the concert, I met one of Kurahashi's other students from the states and he knew me from the shakuhachi forum on the internet, a small world afterall. I also got to meet several other students of my sensei. Through and through an entirely enjoyable evening of classical entertainment.
Chris