Japan: Kabuki & Other Traditional Music

Ensemble Nipponia

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 28, 1995)
• Original Release Date: February 28, 1995
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nonesuch
• ASIN: B000005IWQ
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #166,524 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exciting and lively Kabuki styles, February 25, 2001

By	Teddo Laszuk (East Lansing, MI United States) - See all my reviews

While this CD and this type of music in general is usually for devoted fans, The Ensemble Nipponia makes this an interesting experience. The tracks are filled with classic shamisen (japanese 4 string guitar), as well as bamboo flutes, and many other instruments. The tracks hold stories within their notes, and the listener call only imagine what classic Kabuki actions are used to portray these stories. All-in-all, this CD is a very smooth, relaxing listen, and can help a listener learn what Kabuki music is really like, as well as relax the mind and let his troubles go. In parting, I highly recommend this CD for anyone interested in Japanese culture or Kabuki, and I also recommend it for anyone who is curious as to what it sounds like.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kabuki with a Kick, August 2, 2006

By	Crazy Fox (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Generally speaking, the Nonesuch Explorer Series is pretty reliable if you're looking for good CDs of international music, and that definitely holds true for this wonderful CD of Japanese music. As with the other Japanese music releases in this series, the music is performed by Ensemble Nipponia, which is a fine choice--these folks are superb musicians who have something of a knack for performing traditional Japanese music in a manner both very authentic while approachable to the modern ear...just the right balance really.

Speaking of balance, this album's tracks divide up pretty evenly between the "Kabuki" music (tracks 1-4) and the "Other Traditional" music (tracks 5-8). the Kabuki selections are, as is fitting, dramatic and energetic. If you like the sound of the shamisen, you'll love these selections, and there is an emphasis on musical pieces with less dialogue and more dance. The "other traditional" includes a track of shakuhachi flute music and then another form in the genre of musical drama besides Kabuki, namely the Recitation of "The Tale of the Heike" accompanied by the biwa lute. The last two are modern compositions in a neo-traditional mode, both really fine, one a beautifully haunting melody on the koto and the other an evocation of the lively and tumultuous music of a shrine festival.

Whatever your level of interest in Japanese music, I highly recommend this CD. In authenticity and listenability it makes for a fine intro, but as a longtime dyed-in-the-wool fan of Japanese music I find myself listening to this CD again and again and enjoying it every time.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great CD, November 13, 2002

By	"jasongriffor" (Bedford, Tx United States) - See all my reviews

I don't have a lot to add about this cd over what has already been said. Any one who enjoys classical Japanese performance music will like this. Being a fan of Kabuki - Bunraku - and other performances as well as a fan of the Shakuhachi - Biwa - and Koto, I found this cd very good. I enjoy the stories that the singers have to say. If you like this cd, you should also look into getting Kwaidan on DVD. The story of Hoichi the earless sounds much like this cd. Overall a most for fans of international music.