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Hello,
I am asking for international cooperation to find the oldest films where shakuhachi appears.
I have just attended a film conference in Italy and a friend has told me he has seen shakuhachi on a film from 1912in Amsterdam Film Archive. I think it would be most interesting and valuable to find as old material as we possibly can to enhance the knowledge about the way different pieces were played. However, the outcomes of this project are certainly not limited to that.
If you are interested please let me know.
thanks for reading this post,
Marek Matvija
PS: any suggestions?
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It might be interesting if it exists, but remember that film did not have sound until the late 1920s. The first commercial film in the US with sound opened in late 1927.
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marek wrote:
Hello,
PS: any suggestions?
Obviously most footage would probably be in Japan, so I'd ask people there.
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mrosenlof wrote:
It might be interesting if it exists, but remember that film did not have sound until the late 1920s. The first commercial film in the US with sound opened in late 1927.
yes, absence of sound is certainly something to be faced. However, this doesnt prevent us from discovering new versions of honkyoku pieces. I think there is a fair chance of to see versions of pieces which might date back few centuries and can be no longer found. Identification of a piece is another problem to be faced and will have to be dealt with individually, i.e. the occasion when was the piece played, distinctive themes(from fingering) and film documentation(not mentioning the intertitles).
Anyways, accomplishments of this project will enhance knowledge about shakuhachi music and the tradition and will gather and structurize neccesary data for further investigations. Thats why it is worthy to participate! Shakuhachi is not only great instrument but a vehicle of tradition. Playing traditional pieces of shakuhachi is a dive into ancient times - our project can make it very deep.
Marek
PS: anyone out there in Japan?
PPS: any suggestions about possible outcomes?
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