Horo Horo To - Homage to Makiko by Helen Bledsoe Electro Stuff

Horo Horo To for Bass Koto, Alto Flute and Oboe is dedicated to the memory of koto player and teacher Makiko Goto, (1963 - 2021).The work draws its inspiration from a haiku of the same title by Matsuo Basho (1644 - 1694).

quietly, quietly / yellow mountain roses fall-/ sound of the rapids
(tr. Makoto Ueda)

The bass koto presents the backdrop of the mountains, staid, in places impenetrable.The oboe can be seen/heard as the mortal petals of the mountain roses, who fall and seek their way floating in the unfamiliar medium of water. By extension it is the mortal soul seeking and imagining life beyond the veil.
In several traditions, it is the sound of the flute that can penetrate this veil. The minimal but pivotal appearances of the alto flute mark these transitions.

Recorded June, 2022
Peter Veale, Bass Koto, Oboe
Helen Bledsoe, Alto Flute, Electronics, Concept, Recording, Composition

Track art: Painting Morikawa Kyoriku, Calligraphy, Matsuo Basho