Etenraku
Etenraku (越天楽; literally music brought from heaven[1]) is a Japanese gagaku melody and dance. It is usually played with a hichiriki or ryūteki,[2] and is accompanied by other traditional instruments such as the shō, koto and kakko.[1]
History
[edit]The origin of Etenraku is not fully known. There are theories that the melody was created in Japan, but others believe that it is from Khotan, a tributary state of the Tang dynasty that became part of the repertoire of the Chinese court.[3]
During the Heian period, a gagaku form known as imayō (今様; literally modern style) became popular. In this form, poems would be sung using melodies. Etenraku was one of the most popular melodies to be used in imayō.[4]
In 1931, Hidemaro Konoye arranged an orchestral version of the piece, and it was later picked up by Leopold Stokowski.[5]
These days, Etenraku is often performed at wedding ceremonies.[4]
Melody
[edit]There are different versions of Etenraku in three of the modes of gagaku - hyōjō, ōshiki, and banshikicho.[6] The banshikicho version is purported to be the oldest of the melodies, but the hyōjō version is best known in Japan.[7]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Schuller, Gunther (1989). Musings: The Musical Worlds of Gunther Schuller. Oxford University Press US. ISBN 0-19-505921-2.
- ^ Hiscock, Chris; Metcalfe, Marian; Murray, Andy (1999). New music matters 11-14. Heinemann. ISBN 0-435-81091-X.
- ^ Picken, Laurence (1990). Music from the Tang Court. CUP Archive. ISBN 0-521-34776-9.
- ^ a b Malm, William P. (2000). Traditional Japanese music and musical instruments. Kodansha International. p. 115. ISBN 4-7700-2395-2.
etenraku.
- ^ Downes, Olin (20 November 1935). "KREISLER SOLOIST WITH STOKOWSKI". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
- ^ Tokita, Alison; David W. Hughes (2008). The Ashgate research companion to Japanese music By. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. ISBN 978-0-7546-5699-9.
- ^ "Banshikicho Etenraku". The International Shakuhachi Society. Archived from the original on 13 October 2008. Retrieved 27 November 2009.
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