Gagaku of Japan Compared to Composer Henry Cowell

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Japanese Demographics

● Population: 126,323,715 (2016) ● 4 major dialects ● Pacific Ocean ● 377,972.28 sq. km. ● East Asia ● East of China, Korea, and Russia ● West of America ● Ethnicities: officially 4 ● Ethnic Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Other

Religion ● Shinto ● Buddhism (Practiced since 556 AD, influenced by China ● Both influenced Samurai Bushido ● Samurai Bushido (Ancient Practice of Seppuku

Economy of Japan

● Third largest in world by nominal GDP ● Fourth largest by PPP (Purchasing Power Parity ● Second largest Largest developed economy ● Financial center located in Tokyo

Government of Japan ● Constitutional monarchy ● Executive, Judicial, and Legislative branches ● Constitution of Japan 1947

Primary Instruments of Gagaku

Wind ● Hichiriki ● Ryuteki ● Sho ● Komabue

● Shakuhachi

String ● Gakuso ● Kugo ● Genkan ● Yamatogoto

● Biwa

Percussion ● Shoko ● Koto ● Hokyo ● Shakubyoshi

● Da-daiko

Instruments Continued

Bowed ● Kokyu

Links To Instruments ● Shakuhachi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsihxORASks

● Biwa

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=du_-85sZqP8 ● Da-daiko

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKpCgLGWmS4

● Kokyu

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21yOAnVUjRw

Haru no Umi (The Sea In The Spring) ● Instruments: Koto,

Shakuhachi ● 4/4 time ● Shakuhachi has melody ● Koto has bass/

accompaniment ● Begins slowly, then Presto

by Koto ● Key Signature: Natural

https://musescore.com/user/61294/scores/106 396

https://musescore.com/user/61294/scores/106396

Henry Cowell: Early Life ● 1897-1965 ● Born in Menlo Park ● Born to two Bohemian writers ● Introduced to Irish music by

father ● In summer of 1914, wrote

individualistic movement. Anger Dance

● Admitted to UC Berkeley later that year. Protege of Charles Seeger

Cowell’s Later Life

● Early 1920s, toured North America and Europe as pianist

● Grete Sultan ● Aeolian Harp, dubbed “string

piano” ● Imprisoned in San Quentin State

Prison for four years ● Later works based on American

folk music ● Taught George Gershwin, Burt

Bacharach, and Irwin Swack ● Died in 1965

Prominent Works ● Classical ● Focus of Irish Mythology ● The Tides Of Manaunaun: (1917) ● Dynamic Motion: (1916) ● Anger Dance: (1914) ● Quartet Romantic Album: (1915-1917)

Dynamic Motion ● Written in 1960 ● Inspired by new york subway

system ● 4/4 ● Instruments: Piano ● Piano has melody and bass ● Starts in Allegro ● Use of multiple crescendos and

decrescendos ● Use of different notes by octaves ● https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBHb-EBK9Qw

Haru No Umi and Dynamic Motion Differences Haru No Umi Dynamic Motion

● Gagaku ● Varying tempo ● Two instruments,

complement each other ● Simple rhythm in

melody

● Classical ● Steady tempo ● One instrument ● Complex rhythm in

melody

Haru No Umi and Dynamic Motion Similarities ● 4/4 ● Focus on volume dynamics ● Percussive instruments ● Complex rhythm in bass ● Use of multiple octaves

Secondary Link

● Bass instruments have accompaniment

Primary Link ● Connected throughout

movement/ use of multiple octaves and many sharps/ flats

Works Cited https://musescore.com/user/61294/scores/106396

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cowell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gagaku

http://www.fluentu.com/japanese/blog/different-japanese-dialects/

http://www.livepopulation.com/country/japan.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_of_Japan

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e629.html

Works Cited Continued https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinto

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism_in_Japan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_of_Japan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haru_no_Umi