"Making sound from nature"
Katerina Ancient Musical Instrument Research Institute, which opened a research institute in 1972 and continues research and production of ancient musical instruments. In 1991, we moved our workshop from Tokyo to Yamagamachi, Kitsuki City, Oita Prefecture, and are working on making musical instruments using Japanese trees and bamboo materials.
− About old musical instruments
Musical instruments that once struck a period that existed during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe. It is an ancestral musical instrument such as a guitar, violin, and piano. It is very interesting and exciting to know the background of ancient musical instruments, which have an overwhelming number of types and formats compared to modern musical instruments.
-The journey to find the origin of these instruments has begun.
There are many harpsichords, spinets, virginals, clavichords, psareteriums, dulcimers, and many other adorable musical instruments related to the piano. This is just a small introduction, but the myriad world of ancient musical instruments is profound and intriguing. For musical instruments that do not remain in shape today, blueprints are created from pictures and reliefs. The beauty of modeling and the soft, overtone-rich sound give us a fresh sound today. For those who want to get started with musical instruments, old musical instruments may be one of the new and fun choices.
− Look at Japanese wood and bamboo.
During the Tokyo period, I had a workshop around Musashino. The 70's and 80's are the background of the times when many mountains were opened up. With the changing landscape, such trees disappeared without being used for waste. While it was a natural idea that the materials for Western musical instruments were made from European wood, I brought them from the logging site to a sawmill to see if Japanese tree species could be used for musical instruments. Rebec, the ancestor of the violin, made many prototypes of all kinds of wood such as cherry blossoms, maple, zelkova, mulberry, chestnut, and boxwood. Some of the material has been dried and is still in use today.
− An instrument that accompanies life.
In 1991, in search of an environment for making musical instruments at that time, he moved his residence and workshop to Yamaka, planted trees, entered the mountains, raised rice to eat, and turned nature into sound. Local trees, such as camphor tree, which inhabits a lot in Kyushu, are used as carvings, but the carved lyre that makes the best use of its characteristics produces a simple and deep sound. In addition, by repeating the trial production of the body made by sticking single plates using chestnut, mulberry, cherry blossom, tochi, Kaede, Enju, etc., the ancestors of the guitar such as Vihuela and the mandolin ancestor Cittern have enough sound. Realizes the sound. Above all, the material fits well into the Japanese climate. There are many possibilities, such as compatibility with materials including musical instruments, and everyday discoveries. Bamboo is a versatile material in Japan with a wide variety of types. The shape is just asking you to make the material a whistle. The bamboo recorder, which has a Western scale that has been made for 40 years as well as the transverse flute, has a sound like the babbling of a fresh and clear river, which is different from the wooden one, and people enjoy playing it in various situations.
The musical instrument studio that produces a variety of ancient musical instruments such as tubes, strings, and percussion instruments may be unique even if you look around the world. Surrounded by forests, Katerina's forest is engaged in daily activities with the aim of creating a space where you can travel to the world of sound with all kinds of musical instruments.
Katerina Institute of Ancient Musical Instruments
Mirai Matsumoto
− 日本の木材や竹に目を向ける
東京時代、武蔵野周辺に工房を構えていました。70～80年代は、多くの山が切り開かれていく時代背景。変わりゆく風景とともにそのような木々は、もったいない事に利用されることなく消え行くものでした。西洋楽器の材料は、ヨーロッパの木材でつくられるのが当たり前の考えであった中、日本の樹種を楽器に利用出来ないかと、伐採現場から製材所へ持ち込みました。桜、楓、ケヤキ、桑、栗、ツゲ等のあらゆる木材でヴァイオリンの先祖のレベックは沢山の試作を重ねました。その材の一部は乾燥を経て、現在も使われています。
− 生活とともにある楽器
より当時の楽器づくり環境を求めて1991年に住まいと工房を山香へと移し、木を植え、山に入り、食べる米を育て、自然を音に変えて来ました。地場の木、例えば九州では多く生息するクスノキは彫り物として利用されますが、その特徴を生かした彫り貫きのライアーは、素朴で深みのある音が出ています。他にも栗、桑、桜、トチ、楓、エンジュなどを利用した単版張り合わせで作られるボディーの試作を繰り返して、ギターの先祖であるヴィウエラやマンドリン系の先祖シターンなどは、十分な音の響きを実現しています。なにより素材が日本の気候によく馴染んでくれます。楽器も含め材料との相性など、可能性は山ほどあり日々が発見です。竹は種類も豊富で日本の万能な素材です。素材が既に笛にしてくださいと言わんばかりの形状。横笛はもとより４０年作り続けている西洋音階を持った竹製リコーダーは、音色は木製とはまた違う瑞々しく澄んだ川のせせらぎのようで、様々な場面で演奏を楽しんでもらっています。
管・弦・打楽器の多様な古楽器を製作している楽器工房は世界中を見ても他にあまり類を見ないかも知れません。森に囲まれたカテリーナの森では、あらゆる楽器と共に、音の世界へと旅ができる空間を目指して日々の営みを行っています。
カテリーナ古楽器研究所
松本 未來
Opened a workshop in Tokyo in 1972. Restoration and research of ancient musical instruments during the Middle Ages and Renaissance in Europe began. He has traveled the world of ancient musical instruments by producing orchestral percussion instruments, including the harpsichord. Actively involved in research on world music and musical instruments, such as conducting fieldwork on traditional Asian music as a researcher at the National Museum of Folklore, and explaining musical instruments on NHK BS TV / FM, etc. .. We have conducted fieldwork research reports focusing on the flow of the East-West Silk Road, and introduced performers and musical instruments from around the world. Since 1979, we have been holding a workshop on making musical instruments using natural materials so that you can experience the charm of manufacturing through making musical instruments. In the production of ancient musical instruments, he continues to research musical instruments that consider the natural environment by focusing on Japanese wood. In 1991, he moved to Oita prefecture, which has a unique historical background and is close to forests and trees. Since 2003, the range of ancient musical instruments made by two generations of parents and children has expanded. Held workshops, exhibitions, lectures, and concerts in various places, including a dialogue with Mr. Peter Barakan as a sound sommelier.
LP "Study of Early Music" (CBS Sony), Book "Welcome to the World of Handmade Musical Instruments" (TBS Britannica), CD "Medieval Pilgrimage Story" (CSF), Teaching Material "Basic Work of Music" (New Scholar) _cc781905-5cde- 3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_
