Gagaku

Etymology#

The term originated in Japan in the year 701 when the Gagaku-ryō, a government bureau which oversaw music education and performance in the Japanese Imperial Court, was established. The word comes from the Chinese word yayue, originally meaning Confucian ritual music. is the Japanese reading for yayue, but by the time the word was introduced in Japan, its meaning had changed to be Chinese popular music and foreign music. Because was built on elements from foreign music, the Japanese application of the term to this repertoire aligned with how the word was being used in China at the time.

History#

The prototype of was introduced into Japan with Buddhism from China. In 589, Japanese official diplomatic delegations were sent to China (during the Sui dynasty) to learn Chinese culture, including Chinese court music. By the 7th century, the (the 13-stringed zither) and the (a short-necked lute) had been introduced into Japan from China. Various instruments, including these two, were the earliest used to play . Even though the Japanese use the same term, ( in Mandarin Chinese), the form of music imported from China was primarily banquet music () rather than the ceremonial music of the Chinese . The importation of music peaked during the Tang dynasty, and these pieces are called (Tang music). pieces that originated at a time earlier than the Tang dynasty are called (ancient music), while those originating after the Tang dynasty are called (new music). The term itself was first recorded in 701, when the first imperial academy of music was established. During this period, many pieces of music were created and foreign-style music was rearranged and renewed. was also reorganized, and foreign-style music was classified into categories called and . Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian style was classified as , and Korean and Manchurian style was classified as . and were also included in the category of . The popularity of reached its peak between the 9th and 10th centuries, when court aristocracy began to hold private concerts, but declined in the Kamakura period (1185–1333) when the power of the court aristocracy became diminished while that of the samurai rose. In 1955, the Japanese government recognized and as important National Treasures. Today, is performed in three ways: *as , concert music for winds, strings and percussion, *as , or dance music, for which the stringed instruments are omitted. *as kayō, singing and chanting poetry to the accompaniment of a musical instrument, classified into 10 categories. survives only as . Contemporary ensembles, such as , perform contemporary compositions for instruments. This subgenre of contemporary works for instruments, which began in the 1960s, is called . 20th-century composers such as Tōru Takemitsu have composed works for ensembles, as well as individual instruments. In January 2015 the Reigakusha Ensemble and Ensemble Modern performed together Music with silent aitake’s by Belgian composer Frederic D’Haene, making and Western music co-exist.

Forms of performance#

Two of the main ways that is performed are kangen (concert music) and bugaku (dance music). Kangen is performed using wind, string and percussion instruments while bugaku usually does not include strings. can be classified into two categories. Tōgaku, or “music from the left”, includes music brought over from China and Southeast Asia. Komagaku, or “music from the right”, includes music brought over from Korea and Bohai. In tōgaku, pieces are further classified into categories based on size. Taikyoku, chūkyokū, and shōkyoku are large, medium, and small pieces respectively. All komogaku pieces are dance pieces and therefore do not include strings.

Instruments used#

Wind, string and percussion instruments are essential elements of music. Some instruments, such as Haishō, Gogen biwa, Kugo had been removed from the ensemble during Heian period and reconstructed based on the old documents and some remains of the instruments in the Shōsō-in during Showa Era.

Wind#

• , also called chukan
• , panpipes
• , oboe
• , transverse flute larger than ryūteki, used in kuniburi no utamai
• , transverse flute smaller than ryūteki, used in komagaku
• , transverse flute used in tōgaku
• , mouth organ
• , large mouth organ

String#

• , 4-stringed lute
• , 13-string zither of Chinese origin
• , 5-stringed lute
• , angled harp used in ancient times and recently revived
• , zither of Japanese origin, with 6 or 7 strings

Percussion#

• , large drums used at festivals
• , small, ornately decorated hourglass-shaped drum
• , small hourglass-shaped drum struck with two wooden sticks
• , hourglass-shaped drum
• , clapper made from a pair of flat wooden sticks
• , small gong, struck with two horn beaters
• , a bell tree clapper, specific to Mikomai dance performed as Mi-kagura
• , drum on a stand with ornately painted head, played with two padded sticks
• , hourglass drum, specific to Shirabyōshi dance performed as Mi-kagura

Form#

The basis of a piece is one melody which is interpreted by all members of the ensemble at the same time on their respective instruments. It is not played with sheet music but from memory, so it is not exact and it remains fluid as each musician remains perfectly in sync with one another. Each instrument adds its own touch, which makes music sound unique. This melody is always the main focus, and one of the distinguishing features of music is that each of the eight instruments plays a distinct version of the melody that is their own. These eight instruments may vary depending on the type of , but having eight different parts is typical of music. In some ensembles, parts are doubled so there may be more than eight players, but there are always only eight distinct parts. The roles of each instrument within this form are as follows: * Three wind instruments play the main melody as the most prominent voices in the ensemble. ** Hichiriki (similar to an oboe with a larger reed) is the main melody voice and embellishes the melody with microtones made possible by the larger reed. ** Fue (horizontal flute) uses its higher range to play a variation on the melody. ** Sho (bamboo pipe mouth organ) plays simplified version of the main melody and colors it with five and six tone harmonies. * Two string instruments play simplified versions of the main melody. ** Biwa (four strings) plays both single tones and four voice chords. ** Koto (thirteen strings) plays repetitive melodic patterns. * Three percussion instruments provide an anchor point for the rhythm and emphasize the phrasing of the melody. ** Taiko (suspended drum) plays the primary accent in each phrase. ** Kakko (small braced drum) is the leader of the entire ensemble and controls tempo changes. ** Shoko (gong) provides rhythmic support.

Influence on Western music#

Beginning in the 20th century, several western classical composers became interested in , and composed works based on . Most notable among these are Henry Cowell (Ongaku, 1957), La Monte Young (numerous works of drone music, but especially Trio for Strings, 1958), Alan Hovhaness (numerous works), Olivier Messiaen (Sept haïkaï, 1962), Lou Harrison (Pacifika Rondo, 1963), Benjamin Britten (Curlew River, 1964), Bengt Hambraeus (Shogaku, from Tre Pezzi per Organo, 1967), Ákos Nagy (Veiled wince flute quartet 2010), Jarosław Kapuściński (numerous works), Sarah Peebles (numerous works), Michiko Toyama (Waka, 1960), and Tim Hecker (Konoyo and Anoyo, 2018 and 2019 respectively). One of the most important musicians of the 20th century, Masatarō Tōgi (東儀 和太郎, 1910-1993), who served for many years as chief court musician, instructed American composers such as Alan Hovhaness and Richard Teitelbaum, as well as the ethnomusicologist Robert Garfias, in the playing of instruments.

Other cultural influence#

The American poet Steve Richmond developed a unique style based on the rhythms of . Richmond heard music on records at U.C.L.A.’s Department of Ethnomusicology in the early 1960s. In a 2009 interview with writer Ben Pleasants, Richmond claimed he had written an estimated 8,000–9,000 poems.

See also#

• Aak
• Etenraku
• Gigaku
• Kagura
• Nhã nhạc
• Yayue

References#

• Alves, William (2006). Music of the Peoples of the World. Thomson Schirmer.
• Garfias, Robert (January 1960). “Gradual Modifications of the Gagaku Tradition”. Ethnomusicology, Vol. 4, No. 1. pp. 16–19.
• Malm, William P. (1959). Japanese Music and Musical Instruments. Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Co.
• Matsumiya, Suiho (1959). “Traditional Music in Japan To-Day: Its Stability and Evolution.” Journal of the International Folk Music Council. Vol. 11. pp. 65–66. . .

External links#

• Gagaku (Japanese Imperial Court Music) – The Imperial Household Agency
• Gagaku – UNESCO
• Gagaku Japanese Court Music & Dance
• Ancient Japan: The Earliest Japanese Music
• Gagaku music: Repertoire, Instruments and Orchestration