Gagaku: The Court Music

Hosted by Dr. William P. Malm, Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Michigan, allows the viewer to experience the haunting sounds of the Japanese court orchestra and to see the magnificent costumes and masks of its stately dances. Introduces the instruments of Gagaku and the musicians who play them. Featured in the program are Suenobu Togi, Gagaku master at UCLA, and Dr. Sidney Brown, Professor of Asian Studies of the University of Oklahoma, who explains the historic roots of Gagaku. Performances by the Imperial Court Orchestra in Tokyo illustrate the contrasting styles of Gagaku.