Gagaku 雅楽 - Medieval Japanese Court Music - Kunaichō Gakubu
16,784
Published 2023-09-08
Album: Gagaku - Etenraku / Azumaasobi / Kishunraku / Seigaiha
Video: Genji Monogatari, XII secolo
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I've always had a huge fascination for Japan, especially its ancient culture, but I've always had difficulty finding a musical repertoire dating back to before the Edo period. Finally I came across this wonderful record from 1990 dedicated to the ancient Japanese music, and I discovered the existence of Gagaku: an extremely beautiful, meditative and interesting court music.
The term gagaku nowadays refers to the traditional music and dance performed by the Music Department of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, as well as by ensembles associated with certain Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples. Originally, the term gagaku (va yueh in Chinese) referred to the Confucian ceremonial music of the Chinese court; by the time Japanese musicians came in contact with Chinese music in the seventh century AD, however the meaning of the term had widened to embrace a number of Buddhist and secular music that had been imported into China from all over the Asian continent, including musics from numerous city-states along the Silk Road from Persia and from India. The present day repertory of gagaku performed by musicians at the Japanese court may be divided into three categories. The first category of pieces, believed to be of indigenous Japanese origin, comprises the repertories of mikagura, azuma asobi, yamatomai, outa and kumemai. The second category is made up of pieces imported into Japan from the Asian mainland between the seventh and ninth centuries and comprises the repertories of tögaku and komagaku. Tögaku is a body of pieces imported to Japan by Japanese musicians who visited China during the Tang period (618--907). Komagaku comprises pieces from the Korean kingdoms of Silla, Paekche and Koguryo; the importation of the komagaku repertory probably predates that of tögaku. This recording includes
examples from the first category (azuma asobi is an indigenous song type from eastern Japan) as well as examples of both genres in the second category, namely togaku and komagaku. The third category (not represented on this recording) is made up of pieces composed during the Heian period (794-1185) and includes the accompanied vocal repertories of saibara and röei. When tögaku and komagaku are performed for dance they are known as bugaku. Bugaku is divided into Dances of the Left (samai), which are performed to the music of togaku, and Dances of the Right (umai), which are
performed to the music of komagaku. Tögaku is also performed without dance and is then referred to as kangen . This recording includes two pieces ("Etenraku", "Seigaiha"') performed in the kangen style; and two in the bugaku style, one of which (" Kishunraku") is a Dance of the Left and the other ("'Kitoku"') a Dance of the Right. Azuma asobi are performed for a number of Shinto festivals and ceremonies such as that which occurs during Kyoto's Aoi festival at the Kamö shrine. After the singers and instrumentalists have entered, they line up facing the shrine and perform the song for the entertainment of the shrine god. Although thought of as predating tögaku and komagaku, azuma asobi was in fact reconstructed in the early nineteenth century. This recording includes one example of azuma asobi ("Motomeko no Uta'').
Concerning the video: I used the images of the masterpiece "Genji Monogatari", literally: "the story of Genji", a wonderful novel by the 11th century woman writer Murasaki Shikibu. The novel has been translated into various languages and is a highly recommended read. The images featured in the video come from the oldest papyrus roll dating back to the 12th century, therefore closest to the writer's original work.
I wish you happy listening!
Mirko Virginio Volpe
MUSICA MEDIEVALE
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Etenraku
1 Hyōjō Netori
2 Etenraku
Kishunraku
3 Ōshikichō Chōshi
4 Kishunraku No Jo
5 Kishunraku No Ha
Seigaiha
6 Banshikichō Netori
7 Seigaiha
Kitoku
8 Koma Ichikotsuchō Konetori
9 Kitoku No Ha
10 Kitoku No Kyū
Azumaasobi
11 Motomeko No Utadashi
12 Motomeko No Uta
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Biwa, Zither [Gakusō] – Kunaichō Gakubu (1, 2, 6, 7)
Drums [Dadaiko] – Kunaichō Gakubu (1, 2, 6 to 10)
Drums [San No Tsuzumi] – Kunaichō Gakubu (8 to 10)
Flute [Komabue] – Kunaichō Gakubu (8 to 12)
Flute [Ryūteki], Drums [Kakko], Gong [Shoko] – Kunaichō Gakubu (1 to 7)
Pipe [Hichiriki] – Kunaichō Gakubu
Sho [Shō] – Kunaichō Gakubu (1 to 10)
Music Director [音楽監修] – 多忠麿, 芝孝祐
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#musicamedievale #medievalmusic #japan #gagaku #medieval #medioevo #Kunaichō Gakubu #日本雅楽会 #源氏物語 #earlymusic #genjimonogatari #MurasakiShikibu
All Comments (21)
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I am very happy that the beautiful music of my country is known to people abroad in this way. If you go to the trouble, please introduce kagura and kyogen as well.
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What wonderful and beautiful music. Absolutely in love with Japanese culture ❤
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I absolutely love Medieval European cultures but I have always, always loved Japanese culture and history as well. It makes me so so happy to see this uploaded.
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寝る時に小音量で流してると ものすごく熟睡できるわ おやすみ🪈
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Gagaku music is so otherworldly l. It takes you from earth to some other celestial place. I would love to time travel to hear this music played during a ceremony at the time. This austere, reverent, elegant music gives me chills every time I hear it.
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The Buddhist influence is palpable here; the sense of spaciousness is evident. Music for reflection indeed.
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来年2024年(令和六年)の大河ドラマが「源氏物語」、毎週末楽しみです。働き甲斐があります。 雅楽と共に観ていきたいたいと思います。
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Thank you from Japan!!!!!!
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Magnificent
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Wow. Thank you for uploading this. this channel is a gem!
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Cool
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What a lovely treat
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Very good to also post about classical music of other countries (Asia, others not so much...)
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this medieval japanese music sounds like certain contemporary european avantgarde experimental music... interesting
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Wonderful YOUTUBE channel.
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This is amazing I love the starkness, the ethereality Awesome world being created in these sounds 👌👏👏👏
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Thank you for posting this. 😌
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Molto interessante. Quante sorprese ci riserva l Oriente! Grazie per la condivisione! 👏
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Quite thoughtful and conceptual as music unlike european medieval music. there is something epic and deeply profound and mystical about thisjapanese court music
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This Is way better than I expected honestly.
