The Moon over the Ruined Castle for five harps

Lyrics by Bansui Doi, Music by Rentaro Taki, released in 1901.
While Kosaku Yamada's version is widely known, this time I incorporated the accidentals from Taki's original melody.

In the first verse, all five harps are used to create a refined and gorgeous festive atmosphere, just like the lyrics.

In the second verse, a mournful autumn scene is portrayed using an arched harp with added noise (buzzing). The flocks of wild geese are expressed through tremolo on a double-row carbon string harp.

The third verse depicts the serene and radiant moonlight with a trio of three wire-strung harps.

Finally, in the fourth verse, I perform a simple, unadorned monophonic line on an arched harp with the buzzing removed, evoking a sense of impermanence.

I chose the arched harp, with its minimal resonance, as the main instrument because its silent spaces seem especially well-suited to the melancholy atmosphere of this song.

Lyrics

Spring - the blossoms' feast at the lofty tower,
Cups of sake passed around, shadows glimmer.
The ancient light once shone through pine branches -
Where now has that light gone?

Autumn - the frosted hues of the encampment,
Crying wild geese show their numbers passing.
The swords planted stand shining in the night -
Where now has that light gone?

Now the moon glows over the ruined castle,
For whom remains this unchanging light?
Upon the fence, only ivy still clings;
In the pines, only the storm sings.

Though the celestial radiance remains unchanged,
The rise and fall of fortunes paint the fleeting world.
As if to capture it, still even now -
Ah, the moon over the ruined castle.

Instruments

Wire-strung harp (Paulownia wood, op.253, 12 strings,E1, A1-D3)

"Cinnamon" wire-strung harp (Maple wood, op.347, 27 strings, E2, A2-E6)

"Dragon Harp" wire-strung harp (Hinoki wood, op.311, 20 strings, E3, A3-E6)

Paper-made arched harp (op.298, 17 strings, A1, D2-E4)

Double-course carbon string harp (Linden/Katsura wood, op.346, 40 strings, G2-E5, unison tuning)

Instrument design, construction, arrangement, and performance by Keisuke Teramoto
Cover art: "Shin Shin" (F6 size), by Tomoko Nakai