Japon : L'?op? Des Heike (1990)

To my knowledge the only album devoted purely to traditional heikyoku music that is available outside of Japan. Heikyoku is an early style of Japanese traditional music equivalent to the European troubadour music of the Middle Ages, as it developed in the 13th century, was performed by wandering bards, and emphasized the lyrics, which were taken from the Heike Monogatari epic. Both the vocals and instrumental accompaniment are used sparingly in this genre, with alternating periods of dynamic music and silence used for dramatic effect. I certainly lose out on a lot of its appeal since I do not understand the lyrics, but I nevertheless find it very expressive and enjoyable. Junko Ueda's playing and singing is certainly very good, though nowhere near as brilliant as that of her teacher, Kinshi Tsuruta. 3 1/2 stars for enjoyment, bonus 1/2 star for rarity, being probably the most representative recording of this genre of music. Recording quality is good. Recommended! (Hattivat in RateYour Music)