Tsuru no Sugomori: piece composed by Kohachiro Miyata in 1973, performed by Rodrigo Rodriguez.
Perhaps no other composition in the entire solo repertory has suffered so much mutilation as this haunting work. The title means "Tenderness of Cranes,” specifically referring to such tenderness as is expressed between parent birds and their young. Many of the special trill effects can be considered as imitation of bird sounds, although so many variants of this piece exist-not only in different regions, but among different schools and even different performers-that the reference is not always specific. In the hands of some players it has degenerated into little more than a vehicle for virtuoso display. The piece is played here on the standard (1.8-foot) shakuhachi.
Recorded July 9, 2015 in Galicia Church of San Miguel de Fofe Video production Larry Tyrrell
