Sonic Text Painting in the Japanese Etenraku

8/17/2019 Sonic Text Painting in the Japanese Etenraku

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Sonic Text Painting in the Japanese Etenraku

Brian Bartling

PsychoPhysical Analysis: Vocal Tone Color4/30/201



Sonic Text Painting in the Japanese Etenraku

The Japanese Etenraku is a !elo"y #ro! gagaku$ a type o# classical !%sic that has a long

history at the &!perial Co%rt in 'yoto( The !elo"y is o#ten s%ng to a text )ith instr%!ents$ *%t

the !elo"y can also *e playe" *y instr%!ents alone( This analysis )ill #oc%s on the #or!er$ as

these t)o "o!ains + so%n" an" text + interact )ith each other in nontri,ial )ays$ an" the p%rely

instr%!ental ,ersion )ill only *e %se" as a tool #or co!parison *et)een certain !%sicological

#eat%res( &t )ill *e sho)n that "escripti,e e,ents in the text e,o-e co!ple!entary !%sical

i!ages an" ,ice ,ersa$ res%lting in a %ni#ie" sonic art)or-( A *rie# o,er,ie) o# conte!porary

!%sical practice$ incl%"ing instr%!ents an" scales$ )ill prece"e a "isc%ssion o# the str%ct%re o#

the text( The analysis )ill then close )ith a "isc%ssion regar"ing the interrelationships *et)een

the t)o(

Etenraku is literally translate" as Music of Heaven$ an" has a long history. the origins o#

this !elo"y cannot *e "eter!ine" )ith certainty$ as there is a !ixt%re o# in#l%ence *et)een the

Chinese an" Japanese co%rts( The type o# Etenraku hear" here is a genre o# ,ocal !%sic calle"

imayō$ or modern style$ )hich concei,es o# poetry as s%ng !elo"y(1 Imayō )as in#l%ence" *y a

co!*ination o# gagaku i!porte" #ro! China an" shōmyō$ or Japanese B%""hist chants( This

,ersion o# Etenraku ste!s #ro! the 12th cent%ry$ near the en" o# the eian perio"( Art )ith

B%""his!$ Taois!$ an" Chinese in#l%ences )ere ra!pant at this ti!e$ as )ell as the po)er an"

in#l%ence o# the i!perial co%rt(2 The recor"ing that is analye" here is per#or!e" *y !e!*ers o#

the 'yoto &!perial Co%rt %sic rchestra(

1 al!$ illia! P( Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments( Vol( 1( To-yo: 'o"ansha &ntl($ 2000(

2 History – Heian Period – Part 1( Japan or%!( 2 5o,( 2012( 6http://)))(7re#(co!/articles/heian8perio"8part8

1(204/9(



Music

The scale %se" in shōmyō chants3 )as the yo scale$ sho)n in Figure 3$ )hich is si!ilar to

the estern pentatonic scale( The yo scale a,oi"s !inor notes in #a,or o# per#ect inter,als + the

#o%rth an" #i#th + as )ell as the !a7or secon" an" !a7or sixth( Figure 3 sho)s these !inor

inter,als as a%xiliary tones + as inter,als that #ill in; the "istance *et)een the t)o !inor thir"s(

ere these notes to *e %se" in a chant$ they )o%l" *e %nsta*le: they )o%l" ha,e a passing;

#%nction( The scale "egrees in this scale are relati,ely a!*ig%o%s. they "on<t ha,e an esta*lishe"

location in pitch space$ so each iteration o# a note co%l" potentially *e slightly "i##erent(

These properties exten" to the scale %se" in Etenraku I mayō: the ritsu scale$ sho)n in

Figure 4( This scale is transposa*le to either = or B >in this case$ the scale is s%ng in =?$ an" has

the sa!e pitch str%ct%re as the yo scale( The %se o# per#ect inter,als is hear" in the internal

str%ct%re o# the Etenraku !elo"y$ )hich can *e seen in the s-eletal analysis sho)n in Figure 2(

The #%ll !elo"y is s%ng t)ice$ )hich !atches the t)o stanas o# the poe!$ an" the !elo"y is

#%rther *ro-en into t)o phrases$ )hich !atches the t)o8co%plet #or! o# the t)o stanas( So$

each phrase is !appe" to a co%plet( The reciting tone o# each phrase is = + the ,oices center

aro%n" an =3 + )ith the exception o# the thir" phrase$ )hich "escen"s a #o%rth "o)n to B2( This

"escent to B is re#lecte"$ or perhaps refracted$ in the s%*se@%ent !eas%re$ )hen the !elo"ic line

ascen"s %p to a B3 + the highest pitch in the !elo"y( This pitch occ%rs on the )or" mine$ the

Japanese )or" #or pea- + an instance o# text painting$ )hich )ill *e "isc%sse" later( So$ this

!elo"y centers aro%n" =$ *%t is #lan-e" *y these t)o octa,e Bs$ )hich "eri,es #ro!

conte!porary Japanese pre#erence #or per#ect inter,als$ )hich ste!s #ro! the %se o# the yo scale

3 &n the #irst t)o phrases o# the Etenraku !elo"y$ along )ith the intro"%ction$ one hears a prece"e the = + the

reciting tone; o# the !elo"y( & interpret this as an interesting parallel *et)een shōmyō an" regorian chants. thatis$ the %se o# an intonation( &n regorian chant$ the reciting tone is o#tenti!es set %p *y a #e) pitches$ other)ise-no)n as an intonation( This is the exact #%nction o# this in the Etenraku !elo"y + a note that sets %p; the

reciting tone(



in shōmyō( This !otion *et)een per#ect inter,als occ%rs on a s!aller scale in the !elo"y as

)ell$ *eha,ing in a @%asi8#ractal )ay( or exa!ple$ a#ter the reciting tone is esta*lishe" in the

#irst phrase o# the s%ng !elo"y$ the line i!!e"iately "escen"s a #o%rth to B$ an" s%*se@%ently

ret%rns to the reciting tone$ =( This is re#lecte"$ or$ again$ refracted$ in the thir" phrase *y

centering aro%n" a lo) B$ an" *rie#ly ret%rning to the = *y ascen"ing %p a per#ect #o%rth in the

last !eas%re o# the phrase >here$ )e interpret the song to *e in 4

4?(

As !entione" earlier$ conte!porary Japanese ten" to *e a!*ig%o%s in their %se o#

pitches( This is hear" especially in the treat!ent o# the secon" scale "egree + the ♯( As seen in

the transcription in Figure 1$ there are t)o types o# scale "egrees: ♯ an" ♮( The #irst instance

o# the secon" scale "egree occ%rs in the secon" phrase$ )here it is %se" to ascen" a per#ect #o%rth

to A3( This pitch is )ritten as an ♮ in the transcription$ *%t the pitch so%n"s so!e)here

*et)een a estern e@%al8te!pere" ♮ an" ♯( This pitch is !ar-e"ly "i##erent #ro! the secon"

scale "egree hear" in the thir" phrase$ )ritten as ♯ in the transcription( This note so%n"s sharper

than the pre,io%s $ *eca%se the pitch itsel# has a "i##erent #%nction( hereas the pitch in the

secon" phrase is %se" as a stepping stone; %p to A3$ this ♯ is hear" as an arri,al; a per#ect

#o%rth *elo) the B2( This ♯ is also the lo)est pitch in the !elo"y( ith the exception o# this

secon" scale "egree an" the onset o# certain phrases$ the pitches o# the s%ng !elo"y are

relati,ely sta*le$ at least in co!parison to the instr%!ental ,ersion o# the !elo"y( There is an

extensi,e a!o%nt o# pitch *en"ing )hen the instr%!ents play the piece )itho%t ,ocals( or

exa!ple$ in the intro"%ction o# the piece playe" *y the ryuteki >a #l%te8li-e instr%!ent?$ a 20D

@%arter8tone inter,al is playe" *et)een the #irst t)o notes$ )hich can *e seen in the pea-

#re@%ency spectrogra! o# the instr%!ental ,ersion$ sho)n in Figure 6( This type o# pitch8

*en"ing #ree"o! isn<t hear" as !%ch in the ,ocal ,ersion$ perhaps *eca%se the singers are !ostly



%ntraine"$ an" they re@%ire g%i"ance #ro! the instr%!ental acco!pani!ent( As seen in the pea-

#re@%ency spectrogra! #or the ,ocal ,ersion$ sho)n in Figure 7$ the instr%!ents ten" to enter

slightly *e#ore the ,ocalists$ so it see!s that the #or!er lead the latter in the Etenraku !elo"y(

hen analying !a-a!s$ a theorist ten"s to "isc%ss the ehavior o# a speci#ic !a-a! + )hat it

ten"s to "o an" )here it ten"s to go( ne can exten" this "isc%ssion to Japanese scales as )ell(

As )e ha,e seen$ the rits% scale$ !%ch li-e yo$ has a certain *eha,ior + it o%tlines per#ect

inter,als$ a,oi"s !inor notes$ an" has a!*ig%o%s scale "egrees >especially the secon" scale

"egree?(

Text

The Japanese lang%age %ses an extensi,e a!o%nt o# ,o)els$ as can *e seen in the text o#

the poe!( =,ery sylla*le in the text has a ,o)el$ )hich is hear" in the attac- o# the in"i,i"%al

notes in the song( As sho)n in Figure 5$ there is a *inary "ichoto!y *et)een *ac- ,o)els an"

#ront ,o)els in the text( Bac- ,o)els ten" to exhi*it a lo) spectral energy$ an" incl%"e %$ o$ E$ F$

G$ H$ an" I( ront ,o)els exhi*it a higher spectral energy an" incl%"e i$ y$ e$ $ K$ L$ M$ a$ an" N(

There ten"s to *e a #oc%s on *ac- ,o)els in the piece$ an" #ront ,o)els only appear in !o!ents

o# text painting that call #or high spectral energy( or exa!ple$ in the secon" phrase o# the #irst

stana$ the text is "escripti,e o# hills: loo- aro%n" the hills in all "irections(; The Japanese

)or" #or hills$ yamae$ exhi*its a high a!o%nt o# spectral energy: it is )ritten as !" m" # in

Figure 5( The #act that these #ront ,o)els are !ostly s%rro%n"e" *y *ac- ,o)els$ co%ple" )ith

the ascent to A3 in the ,ocal line$ !a-es this passage stan" o%t in the text%re( This sa!e process

is again repeate" in the last phrase o# the #irst stana( The prece"ing phrase #oc%ses on a lo) B2$

)hich "escen"s to the lo)est note in the !elo"y$ ♯2( This !elo"ic line is echoe" in the text +



They )ill *e co,ere" )ith #lo)ers in #%ll *loo!.; here$ the ,ie)er is loo-ing do$n to the earth

instea" o# up$ or at the pea-s o# the !o%ntains( This changes in the last phrase + the ,ie)er is

loo-ing at the pea-s an" the clo%"s: An" all the pea-s appear co,ere" )ith )hite clo%"s(; The

text is co!ple!ente" )ith an ascent to the highest note in the piece$ B4$ an" a rare se@%ence o#

contig%o%s #ront ,o)els + )ritten as -N -N r N nO !e nK in Figure 5( The #irst t)o )or"s o# this

line$ kakaranu mine$ are al!ost excl%si,ely co!pose" o# #ront ,o)els an" "escri*e !o%ntain

pea-s >mine? co!ing into ,ie) >kakaranu?( The %se o# #ront ,o)els as a tool #or text painting is

sho)n in the rele,ant spectrographs in Appendix II(

This text has a nota*le rhy!e str%ct%re( &nterestingly$ none o# the lines rhy!e in the #irst

stana$ )ith the possi*le exception o# the #irst an" last lines( The #inal )or"s in the #irst stana

are ni % a % no % kere$ an" their &PA e@%i,alents are ne % & % n' % r#( The #irst an" last lines in this

stana are si!ilar so%n"ing #ront ,o)els$ )hereas the inner lines are "i##erent so%n"ing *ac-

,o)els( This contrasting rhy!e sche!e is not exten"e" into the next stana$ )here e,ery line

rhy!es as close8!i" %nro%n"e" #ront ,o)els >e?( The #inal )or"s in the secon" stana are nari %

nari % ni % nari$ )ith the &PA e@%i,alents re % re % ne % re( The rhy!e sche!e o# the inner part o#

*oth stanas$ on the other han"$ !atch thro%gho%t the entire text( That is$ the #irst part o# each

phrase en"s in si!ilar so%n"ing *ac- ,o)els + either an open8!i" ro%n"e" >F? or an open

ro%n"e" >H? *ac- ,o)el + thro%gho%t the entire text$ )ith the exception o# the last line$ )hich

en"s in a close8!i" %nro%n"e" ,o)el >E?( This still happens to *e a *ac- ,o)el( So$ the #inal

)or"s o# the inner part o# the text are no % $o % kamo % koso + mo % mo % no % hototogisu$ )ith the

&PA e@%i,alents n' % ( % m' % s( – m' % ' % n' % s) ( hereas the "ichoto!y *et)een #ront an" *ac-

,o)els in the #irst stana is !ostly a !atter o# )or" painting$ in the secon" stana$ this

"ichoto!y is present in the rhy!e sche!e( The inner part o# the stana rhy!es *ac- ,o)els. the



o%ter part o# the stana rhy!es #ront ,o)els( These t)o "ichoto!y #or!s are sho)n in the

spectrographs in the Appendix II(

Text Painting

&n s%!$ the *eha,ior o# the rits% scale in #or!ing the !elo"y o# the Etenraku$ co%ple"

)ith the "ichoto!y *et)een *ac- an" #ront ,o)els$ res%lts in a coherent$ %ni#ie" str%ct%re that

e!ploys "escripti,e text painting: the !elo"y "escri*es the text$ an" the text "escri*es the

!elo"y( As !entione" earlier$ the secon" phrase o# the #irst stana$ translate" as oo- aro%n"

the hills in all "irections$; %ses #ront ,o)els on the )or" yamae* or hills$ an" is co%ple" )ith an

ascent %p a per#ect #o%rth #ro! the reciting tone to A3( This is "escripti,e o# the hilly Japanese

lan"scape that the ,ie)er is o*ser,ing( The s%*se@%ent phrase te!porarily "escen"s "o)n a

per#ect #o%rth to B2$ )hich co!ple!ents the text$ *eca%se the ,ie)er is o*ser,ing the earth:

They )ill *e co,ere" )ith #lo)ers in #%ll *loo!(; The last phrase o# the !elo"y %ses #ront

,o)els again$ on the text kakaranu mine$ or the appearance o# pea-s$ an" is co%ple" )ith an

ascent %p to the highest note o# the !elo"y$ B3( This also co!ple!ents the text: An" all the

pea-s appear co,ere" )ith )hite clo%"sQ; The last stana also contains a rele,ant text8painting

"e,ice at this !o!ent *y "escri*ing a *ir" singing high %p in the !o%ntains: An" one hears a

c%c-oo singing in the !o%ntain(;



Appendix IVario%s ig%res

Figure 1( A transcription o# Etenraku(

Figure 2. A s-eletal analysis o# Etenraku+ pen notehea"s represent the reciting tone >=?.*ea!s represent sta*le tones in the chant >per#ect inter,als?. *ea!s represent passing notes(

Figure 3( The yo scale %se" in shōmyō chants+

Phrase 1: Phrase 2:

Phrase 3: Phrase 4:



Figure 4( The rits% scale %se" in Etenraku(

Figure 5( An &PA analysis o# the text %se" in Etenraku(



Figure 6( A @%artertone inter,al$ along )ith a #e) other instances o# pitch *en"ing$ is hear" at

the opening o# the instr%!ental ,ersion o# Etenraku(

Figure 7( A pea- #re@%ency spectrogra! sho)s that the instr%!ents >top line? ten" to lea"; the,ocal line >*otto! line?(

&nstr%!entalline

Vocal line



Appendix IISpectrogra!s

Section 1A: Haru no yayoi no* akeono ni*,omo no yamae $o* mi$atase a*

Section 1B: Hana-akari kamo* shirakumo no* .akaranu mine koso* nakari kere+

Section 2A: Hana/tachiana mo* niou nari* 0ōki no ayame mo* kaoru nari*

Section 2B:,ugure/sama no* samidare ni*,ama/hototogisu* nanoru nari+

Ryuteki Intrductin



!ectin 1A( The )or" yamae exhi*its a high a!o%nt o# spectral energy(

!ectin 1"( The )or"s kakaranu mine exhi*it a high a!o%nt o# spectral energy(

yamae

kakaranumine



!ectin 2A( Co!pare the lo) a!o%nt o# spectral energy at the en" o# interior phrases )ith thehigh a!o%nt o# energy at the en" o# exterior phrases(

!ectin 2"(

Sonic Text Painting in the Japanese Etenraku

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