I - Noh Music Noh is one of the two major form of traditional theater in Japan together with kabuki. It was created during the 14th and the 15th century by Kan'ami and his son Zeami and combines theatre, singing and dance. The music in now plays allows to set the atmosphere of the scenes. It is ensured by a choir of 8 to 12 people and a small ensemble of instruments including a nohkan (a type of flute), and three drums of different types : shime-daiko, ōtsuzumi (hip drum) and kotsuzumi (shoulder drum). 00:00 Melodic cells of nohkan The melodic element is ensured by the nohkan. A certain number of standardized melodic cells exists for the nohkan that are combined to create melodies. 1:04 Rhythmic cells of kotsuzumi The drums ensure the rythmic element. Like for the nohkan, a certain number of stereotyped rhythmic patterns exists. Here are presented some rhythmic cells for the kotsuzumi. 2:20 Superposition of rhythmic cells of kotsuzumi and ōtsuzumi Each drum plays different rythmic cells that superpose themselves. Here, we can hear the superposition of different rhythmic cells of the kotsuzumi and the ōtsuzumi. 3:06 Yowagin (weak song) : extract from Kagekiyo There are two main types of singing in noh music. The tsuyogin or "strong song" and the yowagin or "weak song". Whereas the yowagin gives a greater attention to melody and is mainly used to express pathos or elegance, the tsuyogin gives a greater attention to rythm, and is used to express boldness, excitement, or profound emotion. Here is an example of yowagin from the play Kagekiyo. 3:55 Hagoromo - Instrumental prelude In noh music, there are 9 different rhythmic degrees which allow to create tension and relaxation in the pace of the play. This instrumental prelude that opens the famous noh play Hagoromo is set in the sixth rhythmic degrees. 6:46 Hagoromo - Final song In the play Hagoromo, a fisherman named Hakuryō, walking to go fishing with his companions at night, finds a beautiful robe hung on a pine branch. This robe happens to be a Hagoromo, a celestial feather robe owned by a tennin, a celestial maiden who had gone down on heart. When he attempts to take it home, the celestial maiden appears and asks him to return the robe to her since she cannot go home to heaven without it. Moved by her complaints, he finally accept to return the robe at the condition she will show him a celestial dance. She agrees. This final song take place whereas she achieves her dance, and takes flight before desapearing in the sky. It is set in the 9th rhythmic degree, the highest, which allows to finish the play in an apotheosis. II - Shakuhachi music A shakuhachi is a type of Japanese flute that made of bamboo. Shakuhachi as we know it appeared in the 16th century. It was originally exclusively played by the Zen Buddhist monks of the Fuke sect who used it as a tool of meditation, but its use secularized since then. 10:41 Fuke school : San'an ("Peaceful Birth") (extract) This piece of the Fuke school transmits a legend according to which a woman gave birth whereas her husband was playing shakuhachi in the next room. 14:46 Tozan school : Kōgetsuchō (extract) The Tozan school was founded by Nakao Tozan in the end of the 19th century. It is nowadays the most important Japanese school of shakuachi. This piece, composed by the founder of the school in 1904, express both the worries and the desires of peace he felt when the Russo-Japanese War broke out. III - Koto music The koto is a Japanese plucked instrument originally imported from Korea around the 8th century. Its repertoire, originally limited to only 6 pieces, was greatly expanded in the 17th century by Yatsuhashi Kengyo, laying the foundation of the modern Japanese school of koto. 18:42 Rokudan ("Six section") (extract) This piece, a classic of the koto repertoire, is attributed to Yatsuhashi himself. As indicated by its title, it is composed in 6 sections of 104 beats each. 22:28 Chidori no Kyoku ("Song of Plovers") (extract) This song accompagnied by koto and shakuachi was composed in the middle of the 19th century by Yoshizawa. It is composed in the tegoto form (song with intrumental interludes) and with a neoclassical spirit. The text evocates plovers singing the prosperity of the beloved one. IV - Shamisen music The shamisen is a type of Japanese lute that developped from the 16th century during the Edo period. It is mainly used as accompaniment, potentially with other instruments, for songs that can belong to two main great categories : the narrative style and the melismatic style. Shamisen music is at the base of bunraku music (the traditional Japanese puppet theater), and kabuki music (the other major form of traditional theater in Japan that developped from the 17th century for the city audiences of Edo period). 1 - Narrative genres 27:15 Sekkyō-bushi : Sanshō Dayū ("Sansho the Steward") (extract) Sekkyō-bushi is a style of narrative song develloped in the 16th century by Japanese monks to convey Buddha's message and incite to lead a virtuous life. This piece, here sung by Wakamatsu Wakadayu, tells the story of an old blind nobleman that gets his son and his eyesight back thanks to a statuette of Buddha. 31:39 Jōruri : Ehon Taikōki - 10th act (extract) The jōruri is a form of narrative music that develloped from the sekkyō-bushi in the 18th century. It is the music of the bunraku. The play Ehon Taikōki was written in 1799 for the puppet theater Toyotakeza in Osaka and is composed of 13 acts. It tells the story of the trahison by Akechi Mitsuhide of his master Nobunaga, and the tragic end of his familly. 2 - Melismatic genres 35:01 Jiuta : Zangetsu ("The Moon at Dawn") (extract) The juita, song accompanied with shamisen, is one of the oldest from of shamisen music, whose origin dates back from the 16th century. This song was composed in the end of the 18th century by Minezaki for a woman that died very young. It is in the tegoto form with two parts separed by an instrumental interlude. The first part expresses the wish she would live in the Moon capital, the second one evocates the flow of time that passed so fast since her death. 40:36 Nagauta : Niwaka Jishi ("Dance of the lions at Yoshiwara festival") (extract) The nagauta, or "long song", is a form of song that developped from juita in the 18th century. It is the traditional music of kabuki theater. Composed in 1834 by Kineya Rokusaburô IV, this song depicts the atmosphere of the Yoshiwara District of Edo during a festival : the sake flows freely whereas the lions swallow sickness and misfortune, and happyness, health and wish of longevity go out of their mouth.
I - Noh Music
Noh is one of the two major form of traditional theater in Japan together with kabuki. It was created during the 14th and the 15th century by Kan'ami and his son Zeami and combines theatre, singing and dance.
The music in now plays allows to set the atmosphere of the scenes. It is ensured by a choir of 8 to 12 people and a small ensemble of instruments including a nohkan (a type of flute), and three drums of different types : shime-daiko, ōtsuzumi (hip drum) and kotsuzumi (shoulder drum).
00:00 Melodic cells of nohkan
The melodic element is ensured by the nohkan. A certain number of standardized melodic cells exists for the nohkan that are combined to create melodies.
1:04 Rhythmic cells of kotsuzumi
The drums ensure the rythmic element. Like for the nohkan, a certain number of stereotyped rhythmic patterns exists. Here are presented some rhythmic cells for the kotsuzumi.
2:20 Superposition of rhythmic cells of kotsuzumi and ōtsuzumi
Each drum plays different rythmic cells that superpose themselves. Here, we can hear the superposition of different rhythmic cells of the kotsuzumi and the ōtsuzumi.
3:06 Yowagin (weak song) : extract from Kagekiyo
There are two main types of singing in noh music. The tsuyogin or "strong song" and the yowagin or "weak song". Whereas the yowagin gives a greater attention to melody and is mainly used to express pathos or elegance, the tsuyogin gives a greater attention to rythm, and is used to express boldness, excitement, or profound emotion. Here is an example of yowagin from the play Kagekiyo.
3:55 Hagoromo - Instrumental prelude
In noh music, there are 9 different rhythmic degrees which allow to create tension and relaxation in the pace of the play. This instrumental prelude that opens the famous noh play Hagoromo is set in the sixth rhythmic degrees.
6:46 Hagoromo - Final song
In the play Hagoromo, a fisherman named Hakuryō, walking to go fishing with his companions at night, finds a beautiful robe hung on a pine branch. This robe happens to be a Hagoromo, a celestial feather robe owned by a tennin, a celestial maiden who had gone down on heart. When he attempts to take it home, the celestial maiden appears and asks him to return the robe to her since she cannot go home to heaven without it. Moved by her complaints, he finally accept to return the robe at the condition she will show him a celestial dance. She agrees. This final song take place whereas she achieves her dance, and takes flight before desapearing in the sky. It is set in the 9th rhythmic degree, the highest, which allows to finish the play in an apotheosis.
II - Shakuhachi music
A shakuhachi is a type of Japanese flute that made of bamboo. Shakuhachi as we know it appeared in the 16th century. It was originally exclusively played by the Zen Buddhist monks of the Fuke sect who used it as a tool of meditation, but its use secularized since then.
10:41 Fuke school : San'an ("Peaceful Birth") (extract)
This piece of the Fuke school transmits a legend according to which a woman gave birth whereas her husband was playing shakuhachi in the next room.
14:46 Tozan school : Kōgetsuchō (extract)
The Tozan school was founded by Nakao Tozan in the end of the 19th century. It is nowadays the most important Japanese school of shakuachi. This piece, composed by the founder of the school in 1904, express both the worries and the desires of peace he felt when the Russo-Japanese War broke out.
III - Koto music
The koto is a Japanese plucked instrument originally imported from Korea around the 8th century. Its repertoire, originally limited to only 6 pieces, was greatly expanded in the 17th century by Yatsuhashi Kengyo, laying the foundation of the modern Japanese school of koto.
18:42 Rokudan ("Six section") (extract)
This piece, a classic of the koto repertoire, is attributed to Yatsuhashi himself. As indicated by its title, it is composed in 6 sections of 104 beats each.
22:28 Chidori no Kyoku ("Song of Plovers") (extract)
This song accompagnied by koto and shakuachi was composed in the middle of the 19th century by Yoshizawa. It is composed in the tegoto form (song with intrumental interludes) and with a neoclassical spirit. The text evocates plovers singing the prosperity of the beloved one.
IV - Shamisen music
The shamisen is a type of Japanese lute that developped from the 16th century during the Edo period. It is mainly used as accompaniment, potentially with other instruments, for songs that can belong to two main great categories : the narrative style and the melismatic style.
Shamisen music is at the base of bunraku music (the traditional Japanese puppet theater), and kabuki music (the other major form of traditional theater in Japan that developped from the 17th century for the city audiences of Edo period).
1 - Narrative genres
27:15 Sekkyō-bushi : Sanshō Dayū ("Sansho the Steward") (extract)
Sekkyō-bushi is a style of narrative song develloped in the 16th century by Japanese monks to convey Buddha's message and incite to lead a virtuous life. This piece, here sung by Wakamatsu Wakadayu, tells the story of an old blind nobleman that gets his son and his eyesight back thanks to a statuette of Buddha.
31:39 Jōruri : Ehon Taikōki - 10th act (extract)
The jōruri is a form of narrative music that develloped from the sekkyō-bushi in the 18th century. It is the music of the bunraku. The play Ehon Taikōki was written in 1799 for the puppet theater Toyotakeza in Osaka and is composed of 13 acts. It tells the story of the trahison by Akechi Mitsuhide of his master Nobunaga, and the tragic end of his familly.
2 - Melismatic genres
35:01 Jiuta : Zangetsu ("The Moon at Dawn") (extract)
The juita, song accompanied with shamisen, is one of the oldest from of shamisen music, whose origin dates back from the 16th century. This song was composed in the end of the 18th century by Minezaki for a woman that died very young. It is in the tegoto form with two parts separed by an instrumental interlude. The first part expresses the wish she would live in the Moon capital, the second one evocates the flow of time that passed so fast since her death.
40:36 Nagauta : Niwaka Jishi ("Dance of the lions at Yoshiwara festival") (extract)
The nagauta, or "long song", is a form of song that developped from juita in the 18th century. It is the traditional music of kabuki theater. Composed in 1834 by Kineya Rokusaburô IV, this song depicts the atmosphere of the Yoshiwara District of Edo during a festival : the sake flows freely whereas the lions swallow sickness and misfortune, and happyness, health and wish of longevity go out of their mouth.