Sekijun

石筍 Sekijun – Tadao Sawai (1972)       

The bass koto takes the lead in opening this work for a three-part koto ensemble. In the composer’s words “the piece is not necessarily attempting to depict the actual sekijun, or stalagmites one envisions rising from the floor of a dark cave.” Instead the it is hoped that the music evokes something of the expanse of history that one feels in such places and our enchantment with the tremendous beauty of nature.