Transcript Slides - Music Library Association

Building World Music
Collections: Japan
Joe C. Clark
Kent State University
February 27, 2014
MLA Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA
Shamisen
 Three string fretless
plucked lute.
Traditionally it
accompanies the voice,
with instrumental
interludes.
 Popular since the mid17th century. Used in
main genres, from folk
and theatrical forms to
classical and
contemporary music.
Image from Japan Information Centre; retrieved from New Grove Online.
Koto & Shakuhachi
 Koto is a long zither instrument with movable bridge
 Used in both court and non-court music
 Shakuhachi is an end-blown notched flute with four
finger holes and a thumb-hole
Biwa
 Many forms of the instrument
 Usually four or five strings with a
fretted neck
 Soundbox is usually cut from the
same piece of wood as the neck
 Traditionally provides
accompaniment for dramatic story
telling
Image from http://music.kek.jp/12-2/concert41-e.html
Gagaku
 The ancient traditional court music of Japan
 Means “elegant music”
 Dates from 701 CE
 Repertory is broken into concert music (kangen) and
music for dance (bugaku)
 Concert music usually comprised of string, wind, and
percussion instruments; dance music omits strings
•
Highly structured stage art
that combines music, poetry,
dance, and drama
•
Primarily for elite class
Nō
 Professional groups usually
consist of men, but amateur
groups include both men and
women
 Originated in the 14th century
 Seeks maximum effect from a
minimum of means, although
costumes can be over the top
 Restrained
Image from: http://www.wireddestinations.com/hotels/Japan/guide.php?path=intro
Bunraku: Puppet Theatre
 The term refers to all
traditional Japanese puppet
theatre
 Features narrative music,
usually with a singer and a
shamisen accompanist
Image from
http://www.museumofchildhood.org.uk/collections/puppetsand-toy-theatres/bunraku/
Kabuki
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Began as theatre for
the commoners
around 1600
Became “classical”
theatre in the late
19th century
Much more
flamboyant than Nō,
with more actors,
bigger stage, and
more musicians
Image from http://www.thefastertimes.com/artsarts/2012/04/06/telling-stories-with-dance-nihon-buyo-at-the-japansociety/
Good Starting Point
 New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
 Good news:
 discographies are listed for most sections
 Bad news:
 it has not been updated since its publication in 2001 (even
online).
Not So Good Resources
 Garland Encyclopedia for
World Music, Volume 7: East
Asia: China, Japan, and Korea.
Routedge, 2002.
 265 pages dedicated to Japan.
 Of the 43 sections on Japan,
only one offers a filmography
and two provide short
discographies.
 JVC Music & Dance video series.
Japan Traditional Cultures Foundation:
http://www.japo-net.or.jp
Popular Musics
Continuum Encyclopedia
of Popular Music of the
World, Volume V: Asia and
Oceania.
2005.
25 pages of history,
commentary,
bibliographies,
discographies, and
filmographies. Regional
musics.
Rough Guides
17 pages of commentary
and context. Traditional
musics are mentioned,
but the focus is clearly
on popular and regional
music. 5 page
discography. 1999
Revised Rough Guide
The revised edition of the
last title, this one offers 18
pages on primarily popular
music, and a six-page
discography.
Ashgate Research Companion to
Japanese Music
•
Sixteen chapters on
recent Japanese music
scholarship
•
Covers a number of
genres
•
Provides four solid pages
of recommended video
and audio
Music in Japan
• By Bonnie C. Wade, 2005.
• Part of the Global Music
Series from Oxford
University Press.
• Offers several pages of
resources.
Smithsonian Folkways
 http://www.folkways.si.edu
 About 15 CDs focusing solely on Japanese music
 Also available through the Smithsonian Global Sound for
Libraries (Alexander Street Press)
 Recordings are primarily from the 1960s & 70s
•
Great selection of Japanese traditional
music
•
Include Lyrichord label recordings
•
Go to Genre  World Music  J for Japan
More Important Labels
 King Records
 Camerata
 Denon
 Lyrichord
 Ocora
 Nonesuch
 Fontec
 Celestial Harmonies
Video Resources continued
 Films for the Humanities (www.films.com)
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Bunraku: Masters of Japanese Puppet Theatre
Koto: The Music of Tadao
Portrait of an Onnagata
Shozan Tanabe: The Sound of Silence
Tsugaru Shamisen: The World of Michihiro Sato
Marty Gross Film Productions, Inc.: www.martygrossfilms.com
Video Resources continued
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Shimonaka Memorial Foundation’s DVD set on Gagaku
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http://gagaku-dvd.net/
Sixteen-volume DVD set of Kabuki plays first broadcast
by NHK (Japan’s public broadcast company). A series of
33 Kabuki Theatre DVDs
• http://www.artfilms.co.uk/Detail.aspx?ItemID=784
Another Great Video Resource
 The Japanese Music Series, from the University of
Oklahoma’s Early Music Television
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Jazz in Japan
Gagaku: Court Music of Japan
Music of Bunraku
Shinto Festival Music
Nagauta: Heart of Kabuki
Music of Noh Drama
 www.ou.edu/earlymusic
Addition Considerations
 DVDs - Region 2 and region-free
 Be ready for sticker shock
 Buy when things are available, as titles frequently go
out of print
 Google translate is your friend
 Let the programs you support and the faculty that you
work with help determine what you purchase.
What Was Left Out?
 Numerous genres of folk music
 Western Classical Art Music of Japan
 J-pop
 Niche music, including multiple genres
 Regional traditions
 Lots more…
Resources/References
 World Music: The Rough Guide, Vol. 2. Edited by Simon
Broughton, Mark Ellingham, and Richard Trillo. London: Rough
Guides, 1999.
 The Rough Guide to World Music, Vol. 2 (3rd ed). Compiled
and edited by Simon Broughton, Mark Ellingham and Jon Lusk.
New York: Rough Guides, 2009.
 The Ashgate Research Companion to Japanese Music. Alison
McQueen Tokita and David W. Hughes, eds. Burlington, VT:
Ashgage, 2008.
 Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World,
Volume V: Asia and Oceania. Edited by John Shepherd, et al.
New York: Continuum, 2005.
 Music in Japan. Bonnie C. Wade. New York: Oxford University
Press, 2005.
Thank you!
Questions/Discussion?