Music from the Tang Court: Volume 5From the oldest surviving Japanese manuscripts in tablature (ninth- fourteenth-centuries) the book provides transcripts into staff-notation of (largely) entertainment-music, played at banquets at the Chinese Court in the Tang period, borrowed by the Japanese not later than 841. The music has never been transcribed before and has not been heard for 800 years or more, so drastically has it been transformed in Japanese performance. The history of each piece of music, as given in Chinese and Japanese historical sources, is investigated. The music itself is subjected to formal analysis, revealing its structure, its modal dynamics, and the methods of composition. For much of the music, ballet-scores survive from the mid-thirteenth century, and it is hoped that these may be associated fascicles with the music as transcribed in future fascicles. Fascicle 5 offers one immense suite, the origins of which lie in sixth-century China: 'The King of the Grave-Mound' (Ryo-o), together with single-stave versions and analyses of upwards of twenty items from previous fascicles and a summary essay restating views on the nature of 'Tang Music' (Togaku). |
Contents
The scenario | 10 |
Wild Prelude KōjoHuangxu and the circumstances | 16 |
Retiring Music MotherDurga Amma and | 24 |
Dancegestures in the FreeTune and the dance to | 31 |
The purpose of Music from the Tang Court restated | 107 |
Fujiwara no Sadatoshi and the manuscript | 124 |
Common terms and phrases
acceptable already analysis appears basic beats beginning binary beats Broaching cadence century character China Chinese close comparative complete composition conflation consists continues copy Court dance dominant drum-beats early entire evidence example existence face fact Fascicle final five formulae four importance instance Japan Japanese JCYR King known Lanling Large later manuscript marked material meaning measures mediant melody modal mode mode-final mode-key Moronaga's mouth-organ movements nature notation notes occurs original passage performance perhaps periods phrases piece played practice preface Prelude present preserved primary Quick recorded reference regarded repeated repertory reveals Ryō-ō scale scores SGYR shown shows song song-text sources statement structure style suggest suite tablature Tang term third tion Tōgaku tradition transcription translation tune variants versions Way-Walking weight Wild Prelude