Traditional Japanese Music: Famous Pieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Traditional Japanese Music
How much have you experienced the beauty of Japan’s traditional music passed down since ancient times? In gagaku and kagura dwell a solemn atmosphere and profound spirituality that modern music cannot offer.
Japan’s traditional music, handed down for over a thousand years, holds a universal appeal that resonates in our hearts.
In this article, we introduce a selection of exquisitely pure melodies from Japan’s classical music.
Their timbres may be unfamiliar to modern ears, but they will surely sink deep into your heart.
[Japanese Traditional Music] Masterpieces of Gagaku and Kagura. Recommended Japanese traditional music (1–10)
EtenrakuBuntei
Etenraku is a representative piece of Japanese gagaku often included in textbooks, and for many people it is the first work that comes to mind when they think of gagaku.
It is also written as “Etōraku.” Classified as Tōgaku in hyōjō mode, it is a short piece in a fast four-beat meter, counted in twelve measures.
It was a new composition in which a dance once existed but is no longer performed.
There is also a tradition that it was played when Tang ministers ascended to or descended from the palace dais.
An arrangement for koto and orchestra titled Etenraku Variations by Japanese composer Hidemaro Konoye and others has been performed in the United States and Europe.
Among gagaku pieces, it is the most famous, and many people have likely heard it at least once.
BanzairakuSokuten Bukō
Manzairaku is one of the Tang-dynasty pieces of Tōgaku (music from Tang China) that was transmitted to Japan.
It is gagaku in the heichō mode, a medium-length piece, in the extended eight-beat meter, with ten measures, classified as a “new piece,” and includes a dance (four dancers, bunbu/civil dance).
It is said to have been composed after the cry of an imperial parrot kept by Empress Wu Zetian, which supposedly called out “banzai” (“ten thousand years”).
The sequence consists of Heichō Chōshi and Hingen (entrance of the dancers), Tōkyoku (dance to the main piece), and Chōshi and Rin Chōshi (exit), with the paired dance being Engiraku.
It is still frequently performed today and is a representative example of a left-side, level dance; it is sometimes danced together with Taiheiraku during the “Feast of Celebration” in the Great Ceremony of the Emperor’s Accession.
Alongside Etenraku, it serves as an introductory piece for those wishing to learn about gagaku.
Bugaku “Gojōraku Ichigu”
Originating in China’s Tang dynasty, this is a highly refined work with a philosophical nature that links the Five Constants—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and faith—with the five tones.
It is structured as a suite in the movements Jo, Ei, Ha, and Kyū, whose gradual increase in tension is especially compelling.
There is even a legend from the Heian period that when Prince Sadayasu performed it one hundred times in succession, the spirit of a renowned Tang-dynasty pipa master appeared.
Recordings by various ensembles exist, and a 1961 recording project received the Minister of Education’s Arts Festival Award.
This masterpiece is recommended for those who wish to experience its solemn resonance and profound spirituality, and for anyone seeking to explore the depth of Japan’s classical performing arts.
Gagaku ‘Etenraku’Konoe Hidemaro
A quintessential piece known for weaving together the orchestra and gagaku is the orchestral version of Etenraku by Hidemaro Konoe, a pioneering figure in Japan’s orchestral world.
Although there are differences between Western and Eastern traditions, both are made up of strings, winds, and percussion.
If the basic instrumental makeup is the same, why not arrange it for a Western-style orchestra? This idea is realized in this orchestral Etenraku.
When you listen, you’ll notice that a Western orchestra performs Etenraku naturally and without any sense of incongruity.
It serves as an introductory gateway to gagaku through the medium of the orchestra.
Kume SongKume-shi
Rooted in the ancient Kume clan, this piece has long been performed at major Imperial ceremonies such as the Daijōe and the Toyonoakari no Sechie, accompanied by a valiant dance by four performers bearing swords.
Though the tradition once lapsed in the medieval period, it was later revived, and in modern times it has been recorded by the Tokyo Gakuso on the album “Columbia Japanese Classical Music Selection 20: Gagaku.” Set to accompaniment by gagaku instruments including the wagon, ryūteki, and hichiriki, the work features the chanting of ancient lyrics, embodying a solemn grandeur and vigor befitting celebrations of military victory.
When you wish to engage with the Japanese spirit or seek a sacred atmosphere, please lend it your ear.
Hyōjō Kōjōkyū Ryūteki SoloChūshū
“Ōjō” is a type of Tōgaku (Tang music) in gagaku that was introduced from China.
It is in hyōjō mode, classified as a large piece (taikyoku) and shin-gaku (new music), and it includes a dance performed by six dancers.
It is one of the four great pieces of Tōgaku, along with Shun’ōden, Sokōkō, and Banshūraku.
The circumstances of its transmission to Japan are unknown.
The piece originally consisted of four sections—yūsei, jo, ha, and kyū—but today only the solemn kyū is performed instrumentally (kangen).
The character 麞 is read “noro” in Japanese and refers to a type of deer in kun-yomi, but in this case it does not indicate a deer; it appears to derive from the Chinese place name Huangzhang Valley.
This is recommended for those who wish to learn about the style of gagaku and the form of Tōgaku brought from China.
Ballet Music “Bugaku”Mayuzumi Toshirō
An indispensable work that weaves together Japanese tradition and the orchestra was created by Toshiro Mayuzumi.
The piece, Ballet Music “Bugaku,” was commissioned by George Balanchine, artistic director of the New York City Ballet, and premiered on March 30, 1963 at New York City Center.
It has since become a globally renowned masterpiece.
Based on gagaku dance, this orchestral work brilliantly evokes the atmosphere of gagaku through layered string writing that makes full use of the ensemble, earning high acclaim as an orchestral work that fuses Japanese and Western elements.
It opens with rhythms in the bassoon and percussion and is structured in two parts: Part I: Lento and Part II: Moderato.
Please give it a listen as a way to experience gagaku through the orchestra.