Read Mode

Gagaku



The oldest Japanese performing art, Gagaku, is characterized by long, slow songs and movements. It is most often performed at banquets and ceremonies in the Imperial Palace and theatres throughout the country, and it encompasses three distinct arts. About 1,300 years ago, Gagaku became a performing art for the Japanese imperial court, blending different styles of music and dance. Some of these styles came from continental Asia, some from China and the Korean peninsula, and others originated in Japan. Gagaku is a very unique traditional performing art form that has changed very little over the years. Since most Gagaku performances were part of a court event, only a small number of people had the opportunity to watch them. Things have started to change recently, however, and performances are now offered to the general public.

In Gagaku, there are three major repertoires: Kuniburi no Utamai, Japanized dance and music, and Utamono. Each of these has its own history and culture. The substances or repertoires have been developed in the history and culture of Japan and have become distinctive. Kuniburi no Utamai was originally formed around the tenth century and contains original Japanese songs and dances before foreign music and instruments were brought into Japan in the fifth century. In contrast to the dance and music that originated from the continent, Kuniburi no Utamai is mainly composed of songs and performed with only a few musical instruments, including the Japanese harp and Kagura flute. The choreography for Kuniburi no Utamai is simple, yet noble and eloquent.

The Japanized dance and music, which were descended from the Continent, included an instrumental tune called kangen. Kangen emerged from the Asian music and dance that reached Japan via ancient China and the Korean peninsula during the Fourth and Fifth Centuries and was influenced by the culture of Japan. It also included bugaku, a ceremonial dance to this tune. Some of the instruments that are used here are the wind instruments (Sho, Hichiriki, and Fue), strings (Biwa and So), and percussion instruments. Furthermore, the utamono is the vocal music that was first formed around the tenth century in Japan under the influence of foreign music. It includes some Japanese folk songs as well as some ancient Chinese poems.

The Gagaku Art has been influenced by the political and cultural environment in different time periods over the course of its long history and continues to be transmitted to apprentices by masters at the Imperial Household Agency's Department of Music, many of whom are descendants of families with strong ties to the art. Through constant recreation over time, it is not only an important cultural tool that confirms Japanese identity and crystallizes the history of Japanese society but is also a demonstration of how multiple cultural traditions can be fused to form a unique heritage.

References

[1] [2] [3] [4]


Edit
Discussion
History