著者

島津 正

出版者

The Society for Research in Asiatic Music (Toyo Ongaku Gakkai, TOG)

雑誌

東洋音楽研究 (ISSN:00393851)

巻号頁・発行日

no.60, pp.52-60,L4, 1995

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A firmly established theory of the history of the Satsuma-biwa up through the Edo period already exists. And there has been no debate or discussion concerning this theory since its original formation. This is because no new information has been uncovered about the Satsuma-biwa in this period. In 1990 I found the invaluable document, "Satsuma-biwa Songs (<i>Satsuma-biwa-uta</i>)" in the collection of the Seikado Library in Setagaya, Tokyo, and also found a few materials in the Kagoshima Prefectural Library. UEDA Keiji's "Origins of the Satsuma-biwa (<i>Satsuma-biwa engen-roku</i>, 1912)" and a manuscript entitled "Historical Record of the Satsuma-biwa and its Spiritual Characteristics (<i>Satsuma-biwa no enkaku to sono seishinteki honryo</i>) by the Meiji era biwa player, NISHI Kokichi, are works that document what authors who lived in the Meiji era actually saw and heard, and for this reason I believe them to be reliable.<br>This paper introduces aspects of the history of the Satsuma-biwa in the Edo period based on the materials described above. I welcome any criticism or suggestions about it. In particular, it makes clear the following points, <br>1. The famed military general of the warring states era (<i>Sengoku-jidai</i>), SHIMAZU Yoshihiro, was deeply involved in the development of the Satsuma-biwa.<br>2. The prototype of the Satsuma-biwa was established in the late 16th century, Yoshihiro's time, and it is believed that Yoshihiro can be viewed as the founder of the Satsuma-biwa.<br>3. In its beginnings, Satsuma-biwa was practiced by people of the samurai class and the blind, but gradually, a <i>joruri</i> ('narrative')-like singing style was adapted, giving it an entertainment-music feeling, which discouraged the samurai class from singing, so they came to enjoy the biwa as instrumental music. Satsuma-biwa came to be called "<i>zato-uta</i> (lit. 'blind mistrel songs')", and became the professional monopoly of the blind.<br>4. There were some revolutionary improvements made in the "instrumental music biwa" of the samurai around the latter half of the 18th century.<br>5. Around the beginning of the 19th century, samurai players started singing the songs again and biwa performance by the merchant class came to be allowed as well. Three biwa styles—"Zato style", "Samurai style", and "Merchant style"—competed for popularity with each other in the mid-19th century.<br>6. IKEDA Jinbei and TOKUDA Zenbei (also known as Zenjiro) are two known biwa players of the Edo period, and more detail about their personal histories has come to light. Another biwa player, HIGASHI Gensho, lived during the same age as Jinbei.