砧三章 Kinuta Sansho – Tadao Sawai
The first and third movements of this piece combine the traditional “kinuta-ji” motif with interweaving rhythms by the three koto parts. Kinuta refers to the fulling blocks used to beat cloth in an ancient fabric making processes. Through time, the term became synonymous with the constant regular beating sound made by the kinuta and similar rhythms in musical works, especially for koto and shamisen. The more dramatic second movement depicts late fall, with the chirping of insects and a chill in the air.