the Sound of silence
Shamisen Music

Tokiwazu-bushi

Shamisen music was born during the Enkyo era in the Edo period (mid-18th century). It became popular as music in the Edo Kabuki play. The shamisen and joruri dramatically unite complex plot of Kabuki. There are many works using lines with the chuzao (中棹, literally "middle neck") shamisen. It developed with kabuki dance from the Bunka era.
From the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period, Su-joruri, which is recited only with shamisen, became explosively popular.

Honcho Nijushiko

(Foxfires in the Inner Garden from Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety)
It tells the story of Uesugi Kenshin's daughter, Princess Yaegaki, and her fiancée, Takeda Shingen's son Katsuyori.
"Okuniwa Kitsunebi no Dan" is a scene in which Princess Yaegaki attempts to let Katsuyori know that an assassin is approaching.
When Princess Yaegaki prays to the helmet where the power of Suwa Myojin dwells at the risk of her life, a spiritual power is revealed in the helmet, and she rushes to Katsuyori while surrounded by fox fire. You can hear the shamisen expressing the movement of the helmet and the state of the fox fire. It is usually played with joruri, but since this version is handed down only by Tokiwazu Mojizo family, it was played only with shamisen.

Itchu-bushi

Shamisen music was born in the middle of the Edo period. It was founded by Miyako Itchu I, a monk in Kyoto, and later became all the rage in Edo. It is characterized by the soft tone of the chuzao (中棹, literally "middle neck") shamisen and the delicate expression of Joruri.

Koharu Kami Yui no dan

(Koharu and the hairdresser)
Joruri(lyrics) is said to be written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon.
Melody is composed by Miyako Itchu I.This scene is from Chikamatsu's masterpiece "Shinju Ten no Amijima", but not found in the main story, since Chikamatsu wrote it for Miyako Itchu I.