Satsumabiwa and chikuzenbiwa are forms of traditional Japanese narrative
music that developed in modern Japan after the Meiji period, each featuring recitation
accompanied by the biwa lute. Collectively, these genres are referred to as modern
biwa music (kindai biwa). Satsumabiwa music is thought to have been established
around the mid-eighteenth century. Favored by the samurai class in Kagoshima
Prefecture, it spread nationwide after being introduced to Tokyo in the late nineteenth
century. Chikuzenbiwa, by contrast, was founded in the early twentieth century by
Tachibana Kyokuō I (1848-1919), who incorporated musical elements from both
satsumabiwa and shamisen traditions. Within the satsumabiwa lineage, the
Nishikibiwa school was later established by Suitō Kinjō (1911-1973), who further
integrated aspects of chikuzenbiwa and shamisen music. Thus, these two traditions
exerted mutual musical influence and contributed to the diversification of modern biwa
performance.
Although this historical relationship has been discussed in general terms,
detailed musical analyses clarifying which specific elements were exchanged remain
scarce. Previous studies have tended to examine satsumabiwa and chikuzenbiwa
independently. While there is accumulated research on the musical style of
satsumabiwa (Somura 2022) and of chikuzenbiwa (Guignard 2022), few studies have
explored modern biwa music as an interconnected field.
This presentation investigates the musical relationships between
satsumabiwa and chikuzenbiwa, aiming to identify how each school’s melodic style
reflects these mutual influences. It examines melodic construction and performance
techniques using notated sources, including playing-method scores that document
melodic patterns of the biwa (danpō-fu), as well as audio recordings. By analyzing how
melodies are cited, such as reprising existing lines or adding variations suited to the
characteristics of each biwa genre, this study reveals how these traditions assimilated
earlier musical idioms while developing distinctive stylistic identities.