03.Court music~Gagaku~

Hi, today I'm going to introduce the court music of ancient Japan “Gagaku”.

Comparing to topics of my 1^st and 2^nd posts, this topic is less popular not only in foreign countries but in Japan. But I think the court music is an important Japanese culture as well as Japanese meal and clothes or so. I love that.

Actually, most people in Japan don’t listen to this music in daily life. It was played mainly in the events of the Imperial Family, which is lasted from ancient to today and defined as a symbol of Japanese.

Not so many, but concerts of the court music are sometimes held in Japan. I hope someday it will be held in Taiwan. I have listened to the court music once. Instruments used in it are traditional and very different to instruments of nowadays. I think its sound was special because I felt so good when I listened to that.

Gagaku is composed of dance and music. They use three types of Wind instruments, three types of percussion instruments and two types of string instruments. Particularly, I love the Wind instruments, “Sho(笙)”, “Ryu-teki(龍笛)” and “Hichiriki(篳篥)”. “Sho” represents light from heaven (sound of heaven), “Ryu-teki” represents dragon between heaven and earth (sound of sky), “Hichiriki” represents voice of the people (sound of earth). Therefore, ancient people thought ensemble of these three instruments can make cosmos.

Nowadays, the performer “Hideki Togi” uses these instruments and play modern music like POP music. Let’s listen to that!!♪

Reference

http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9B%85%E6%A5%BD

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