Discovering The Music Of Japan (1966)

[Music] [Music] Japanese music like western music has a long tradition and many famous composers. Three of the major Japanese instruments are the Cotto. The Shakohachi. and the shami sin. Let me first acquaint you with the Cotto. Like many Japanese instruments, the Cotto originally came from China and was introduced to Japan during the 8th century. At first, the Cotto was played only by the people in the palace. The common people of Japan never had a chance to hear it. Then about 350 years ago, a blind musician named Yatsuashi was taught to play the Cotto by a friend of his who was a musician in the palace. Yatsuhashi in turn shared the Cotto with the common people and though it became a very popular instrument, his friend lost his job at the palace. Yatsuhashi is called the father of Cotto music. This beautiful cotto is over 200 years old. It has 13 movable bridges, one for each string. [Music] The Cotto is played by three ivory pigs. The Japanese scale is different from the western scale. Instead of being divided into seven tones, the Japanese scale is divided into five tones. [Music] [Music] In Cotto playing, the right hand plucks the strings. The left hand can press a string to make the tone higher or it can pull a string to make the tone lower. In modern cotto playing, the left hand as well as pressing and pulling can pluck the strings in the same fashion as the right [Music] hand. Let's listen to a part of a composition by the father of Cotto music, Yatsuhashi. This piece is one of the oldest known compositions for Cotto. [Music] the cutter. is used today not only in the imperial palace but also in religious ceremonies in concerts and in the home much as a piano might be used. Here is a part of a modern composition by uiz. It is called nagare which means murmuring waters. Many Japanese compositions, like much Japanese art, describe nature. [Music] [Music] [Music] Now that I have acquainted you with the Cotto, let me introduce another important instrument, the shakohhachi. It is a flute made of bamboo. The sound is produced by blowing across the sharp edge in the mouthpiece. The different tones are made by covering the holes in the shakohachi. [Music] The wavering tones which are so unique to the shakuachi are made by the movement of the head. [Music] It is thought that the shakohachi came from China during the 16th century, a time of civil wars in Japan. Many Japanese knights who were called samuris lost their knighthood and became wandering Buddhist priests. Since priests were not allowed to carry weapons, these former warriors used their shakohachis to defend themselves. Fortunately for them, the old shakohachis were shaped very much like clubs. Let's listen to an example of the music played by these wandering Buddhist priests. A prayer played on the modern Chakohhachi. You'll notice that the music he reads is different from the music you are used to reading. It is read from top to bottom and from right to left. Now let's listen to this musical prayer. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] [Music] Along with the cotto and the shakuachi, another very popular Japanese instrument is the shamisen. It is an instrument somewhat like the American banjo. It can either be played by the fingertip or by a large pick usually made of ivory. The shamisen can play a melody. [Music] It can also act as a rhythm instrument when the pig strikes both the string and the body of the instrument. [Music] The combination of the rhythm and the melody makes Shamisan music very exciting. [Music] [Laughter] [Music] The shamisen was introduced from the island of Okinawa in the 16th century. At first, it was made out of the skin of a snake. Here is a very old instrument made out of snake skin. But because there weren't large enough snakes in Japan, the Japanese used the skins of domestic animals. The shamisen was once used mainly to accompany long songs of battles, heroes, and romantic tales. Today, it is used in the theater, in the concert halls, and is a popular instrument to accompany songs and dances. [Music] [Music] Austral [Music] You [Music] [Music] [Music] me know for The instruments we've studied are often played together. To finish, let us listen to the Cotto, the Shakohhachi, and the Shamisen as they play together. The composer of this piece was a very famous Japanese composer who died only a few years ago in 1959. His name was Miyagi and he was also a blind Cotto player. This composition describes the raindrops falling from the roof of a house. [Laughter] [Music] 2 [Music] to our root. [Music] No, no me. [Music] [Music] She dream. [Music]