Gagaku & Beyond

Tokyo Gakuso

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 1, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 26, 2000
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Celestial Harmonies
• ASIN: B00004X0T3
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #116,821 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist

Gagaku is the oldest of Japan's performing arts, with a history of more than 1000 years, and is the oldest living ensemble music in the world. In its contemporary sense, the term gagaku signifies the whole body of classical Japanese music and dance performed by the musicians of the Kunaicho Gakubu (Music Department of the Imperial Household Agency, Tokyo).

Tokyo Gakuso is a relatively young group, founded in 1978 in response for the need for a group of expert gagaku musicians able to deal not only with traditional repertoire, but also with the challenges of contemporary pieces for the gagaku ensemble. Its forerunner, the Shigenkai, was formed in the late 1950s by musicians of the Music Department (Gakubu) of the Imperial Household Agency (Kunaicho), Tokyo, as a means to promote the public's appreciation of the ancient art through activities outside their official duties at the Imperial Palace. Tokyo Gakuso was named by Toshiro Kido, at that time producer at the National Theatre in Tokyo, and its founding music director was the sho specialist and Imperial Palace musician, Tadamaro Ohno.

After his death in 1994, his place was taken by his nephew Tadaaki Ohno, the present music director. Like other members of the Imperial Palace group, Tadaaki Ohno has spent a good deal of his life studying and performing on several of the instruments, the dance, and the vocal music of gagaku. Born in Tokyo in 1959 into the Ohno family, one that traces its geneology back to the late ninth century, and that has been involved in the hereditary transmission of the art since at least the tenth century, Tadaaki may have been fated to carry on this tradition.

Since its formation, Tokyo Gakuso has been very active in the performance of new compositions, as well as long and rarely heard pieces from the classical repertoire. This CD marks the first time that the musicians of the Imperial Court of Tokyo have recorded for a non-Japanese record label, and as such is an essential addition to the Celestial Harmonies catalogue of important cultural documents.

The pieces on this CD, performed by a full gagaku orchestra of up to 16 musicians and over 20 instruments, are set out in an order that reflects the typical structure of the regular spring and autumn concerts given by the Palace musicians, which are open to the public. The first half of these concerts is made up of a kangen performance: several togaku pieces in one of the six togaku modes, sometimes with a saibara or roei. On this CD we have three pieces in the mode hyojo together with the saibara Koromogae. The second half of the concerts at the Imperial Music Department is composed of a bugaku performance, as a rule two dances: a togaku (or 'Left') dance followed by komagaku (or 'Right') dance. On the CD we have the togaku dance Ryoo and the komagaku dance Hassen. The CD finishes with the rhythmic togaku piece Chogeishi, which has traditionally been played at the conclusion of a dance performance.

This rare and important recording has been put together at the very highest level of expertise. Booklet annotation is provided by Associate Professor Steven G. Nelson, the only Western member of staff at the new Research Centre for Japanese Traditional Music, Kyoto City University of Arts, Kyoto, Japan.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Celestial Harmonies!, March 22, 2001

By	P. Tierney "RPGer" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the first Gagaku album I have ever listened to and I must say I love it! I first became interested in Japanese traditional music from watching Akira Kurosawa films. The balance of beauty, nobility, and sorrow has always moved me. Listening to this album, I again feel those same emotions. What at first seemed to be dissonant melodies soon reveal themselves to be a beautiful conversation among the exotic instruments. It creates an other-wordly mood, as if this music was meant not for mortal ears, but for the gods and spirits themselves. The wide variety of styles offered in this album provides a great overview of Gagaku. Personally, my favorite track is the second, which features deep, male vocals (the only vocals on the CD).

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Celestial Harmonies!, March 22, 2001

By	P. Tierney "RPGer" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is the first Gagaku album I have ever listened to and I must say I love it! I first became interested in Japanese traditional music from watching Akira Kurosawa films. The balance of beauty, nobility, and sorrow has always moved me. Listening to this album, I again feel those same emotions. What at first seemed to be dissonant melodies soon reveal themselves to be a beautiful conversation among the exotic instruments. It creates an other-wordly mood, as if this music was meant not for mortal ears, but for the gods and spirits themselves. The wide variety of styles offered in this album provides a great overview of Gagaku. Personally, my favorite track is the second, which features deep, male vocals (the only vocals on the CD).

5.0 out of 5 stars On Gagaku, January 12, 2007

By	Ernesto (Cambridge, MA) - See all my reviews

If you want one gagaku/engaku recording this is perhaps the one. The recording quality is great and the performance as well.