Gagaku
Court
Music
The word gagaku literally means "elegant music", and it is the broad designation for ancient Japanese music. The word also covers classical dancing and singing as well as instrumental music.
Gagaku
dates back to ancient china, during the T'ang Dynasty (7-9th centuries). China
was the cultural center of all Asia. This court music was introduced into Japan
in the 8th century. This court music seems to have died out on the mainland with
the fall of the T'ang Dynasty, but in Japan it continued to flourish among the
members of the imperial family, the nobles and other upper circles of society,
especially during the Heian period (9-12th centuries). It was performed at court
banquets and at sacred rites in shrines and temples. Gagaku has been modified
to suit the taste of the Japanese people, as a result, is now truly a Japanese
classical art form.
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