3.1 Classical traditions: Gagaku and Noh theater

Japan's classical music traditions, Gagaku and Noh, showcase the country's rich cultural heritage. Gagaku, the world's oldest continuous orchestral music, blends Chinese and Korean influences with native Shinto rituals, creating a unique sound palette of winds, strings, and percussion.

Noh theater combines music, dance, and drama to explore Buddhist themes. Its musical elements include a chorus, instrumental ensemble, and distinctive rhythmic patterns. Both Gagaku and Noh emphasize spiritual reflection and artistic refinement in their performances.

Gagaku Music: Origins and Characteristics

Historical Development and Influences

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• Gagaku is the oldest continuous orchestral music in the world, with a history spanning over 1000 years
• Performed at the Japanese imperial court since the 7th century CE
• Based on musical repertoire and styles imported from China and Korea and combined with native Shinto ritual music
• Primary genres are kangen (instrumental music) and bugaku (dance music)

Performance Style and Aesthetics

• Characterized by a slow, stately, and highly ritualized performance style
• Creates a unique tone color through the combination of winds, strings, and percussion
• Uses a modal system called ryo and ritsu that are loosely related to major and minor tonalities
• Pieces are often in free rhythm with no regular pulse
• Prizes restraint and refinement over technical virtuosity
• Slow, solemn musical pacing encourages spiritual reflection in the listener, influenced by Buddhism

Music in Noh Theater

Role of Music in Noh Performances

• Noh is a form of Japanese musical drama that combines music, dance, poetry, costume, and mask into a highly stylized stage art
• Generally uses historical tales and supernatural beings to explore Buddhist themes
• Music and chanting play an integral role, helping to set the tone, convey emotions, and advance the story
• All sounds are considered "music" in Noh, including the chanting

Vocal and Instrumental Components

• Features a chorus (jiutai) of 8-10 singers and an instrumental ensemble (hayashi) of four musicians
• The chorus sings the story and represents the thoughts of the characters
• The hayashi ensemble includes a nohkan (flute), kotsuzumi (shoulder drum), ōtsuzumi (hip drum), and taiko (stick drum)
• The drums play set rhythmic patterns that punctuate and emphasize the vocals
• Music is used as an instrumental dance prelude, as accompaniment for the sung text (yowagin), and as purely instrumental interludes (aikyōgen) between scenes

Structure and Instrumentation of Gagaku and Noh

Compositional Structure and Texture

• Gagaku pieces use the jo-ha-kyū structure: a slow introduction, a gradually accelerating middle section, and a fast conclusion
• Gagaku music is heterophonic, with multiple instruments playing independent melodies simultaneously
• Noh music is rhythmically sparse, with a steady beat and long moments of silence between drum calls
• The nohkan flute in Noh represents non-human characters and supernatural elements

Instrumental Ensembles and Tone Color

• Gagaku is primarily instrumental music, while Noh emphasizes vocal music with instrumental accompaniment
• Gagaku includes wind instruments like the ryūteki (flute), hichiriki (double reed pipe), and shō (mouth organ)
  • The shō plays tone clusters that create a distinctive harmony
• Gagaku string instruments include the biwa (pear-shaped lute) and koto (long zither)
• Gagaku and Noh both use the ryūteki flute and taiko drum, but Gagaku includes more strings while Noh prominently features the kotsuzumi and ōtsuzumi drums
• In both Gagaku and Noh, music is transmitted orally and learned through extensive rote memorization (notation is used only as a mnemonic device)

Musical Elements: Gagaku vs Noh

Tonality and Scales

• Gagaku uses a system of modes (ryo and ritsu) to create its distinctive harmonies
• Noh theater uses microtonal scales (Yō with 12 tones and In with 13 tones) that include tones not found in Western music

Rhythm and Meter

• The rhythms of Gagaku tend to be subtle and elastic, with no strong beat
• Noh theater uses sparse percussion to punctuate the vocal phrasing and indicate major moments in the drama

Contrasting Roles of Music

• Gagaku is almost entirely instrumental music, while Noh is primarily vocal music accompanied by instruments
  • Gagaku thus has a wider variety of tone colors and heterophonic texture compared to Noh
• While both are highly ritualized art forms, Gagaku is performed as concert music whereas Noh is musical theater incorporating dance, costumes, and masks to tell a story
• In both traditions, musicians aim for a state of selflessness (muga) in their playing