Mandarin Course

Classical Japanese Koto Music – Izumi-Kai Original Instrumental Group – Rokudan

PLEASE NOTE THAT IDIOTIC RACIST COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED. YOU DON’T LIKE IT THAT WAY? SORRY, THIS IS MY CHANNEL. From the liner notes: “Japan owes its music, as its culture in general, to the Chinese. Not only, however, have the Japanese actively developed this heritage, but they have also preserved many elements of older Chinese music which have been lost in its home country. The music of the Japanese can be divided into main categories which correspond to the sacred and secular fields of Western music. In the former category we find: (a) Gagaku. This is the ancient Chinese temple music which was introduced into Japan around AD 600 and which marks the beginning of Japanese musical history. It is orchestral music, performed by small shawms (hichiriki), flutes (shakuhachi), mouth organs (sho), lutes (biwa), drums, and gongs. – (b) Ka(n)gura. This is the indigenous Japanese temple (Shinto) music which is used today for the most solemn worship. It originated in the 13th century when Japan became conscious of its aboriginal culture, and may well contain elements of a tradition prior to the Chinese influence. Today it is played on the koto and flutes. It is a recitative confined to a few tones. To the same category belongs the Saibara songs, autochthonous songs used at the Emperor’s court and executed by a soloist, a small group of singers, together with sho, hichiriki, and fuye (flute). – (c) Halfway between sacred and secular is Nogaku, or No. This is a musical play which …

古筝Guzheng – 袁莎Yuan Sha plays 冥山Ming Shan

Central Consertvatory’s Yuan Sha plays Wang Zhong Shan’s Ming Shan, one of the pieces that brought her to the first prize of the 2002 International Chinese Instrumental Competition.