Music from the Tang Court, Volume 4During the two centuries before 841, the Japanese Court borrowed a large amount of secular entertainment music from China, chiefly music of the Sui and Tang Courts. This music, known as 'Tang Music' is preserved in manuscripts written between the eighth and thirteenth centuries and to be seen today in the library of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and in other Japanese libraries. Fourteen items, from the second scroll of pieces belonging to the Ichikotsu-cho mode-key group (Mixolydian on D), are offered in this fourth fascicle of Music from the Tang Court. With the exception of two items, each consisting of Prelude and Broaching, all are single movements. The first piece, in two movements, is overtly linked with Sogdiana, the Central Asian State which exerted so great an influence on the entertainment-music of the Tang Court. That some of the Togaku repertory had its roots in popular music is plainly shown by the title of this piece: 'Sogdians Drinking Wine'. |
Contents
Miss Kas Piece | 10 |
Responding to the Shao | 27 |
Continuing Harmony | 45 |
Bodhisattvas | 59 |
The WinePuppet | 88 |
A Bevy of Beauties | 102 |
Merrily Drunk | 115 |
Gyokuju goteika A tentative explanation of preludial impli | 134 |
Common terms and phrases
according adds alternative appears beats beginning binary Bodhisattvas Broaching cadence called century Chinese clear complete Continuing copy dance dots drum drum-beats eight evident example Fascicle Figure final five flute four Fujiwara gakubyōshi gloss hand implied includes indicate Japanese JCYR KF/HSFRK known later lexigraph lines lute manuscript marked meaning measures melody modal Moronaga's mouth-organ movement musical lines notation notes occurs original passage performance perhaps period piece played possible preface Prelude present preserved primary version recorded reference regarded repeated repertory rhythmic version RSCY score secondary SGYR left SGYR right shown shows significance simple Sogdian song sources SSSTF strings stroke structure suggests supplied syncopated tablature tablature-signs Tang term third tion Tōgaku tradition transcription tune unit wine Zither 引丁 火火