A Comparison of: Japan’s Gagaku, and American Armenian Alan Hovhaness’s

Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints

By Clifford Wu, IB HL Music Year 1, Period 6

Clifford Wu, IB HL Music Year 1, World Music Presentation

Japan’s Demographics 127,078,679 (July 2009 est.) Ethnicities : Japanese 98.5%, Koreans 0.5%, Chinese 0.4%, other 0.6% Religions : Shintoism 83.9%, Buddhism 71.4%, Christianity 2%, other 7.8% Land Mass : 377,873 km² Geographical Influences : Influenced by Asia, Europe, North America Political Influences : Democratic Party of Japan and Liberal Democratic Party

Clifford Wu, IB HL Music Year 1, World Music Presentation

Music Idiom : Folk Japanese Imperial Household Primary Instrument : Zithers, Wind Instruments, Strings, Drums Three Variants “Yo” Scale

Clifford Wu, IB HL Music Year 1, World Music Presentation

Alan Hovhaness Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston

Began playing Piano from the age of four (his first lesson, at least!)

Influenced by nature: he quite enjoyed long walks in the mountains and hills of New Englad as a child

His first trip to Japan was in 1960, and in 1962 he returned to study the arts Ah-ak, Bunraku, and Gagaku

Clifford Wu, IB HL Music Year 1, World Music Presentation

Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints

Written as a Xylophone Concerto

Inspired by the Gugaku elements: the “Yo Scale”, Tempo, and Dissonance “Modal theory: based on ancient Chinese theory 12 pitches as a foundation for 7-note scales. two scale structures (ryo and ritsu); six modes.

Rhythmic theory: rhythms based on 8, 4, and 2 beats

8 beats (nobebyoshi); 4 (hayabyoshi); 2 (osebyoshi) Mixed: 2 and 4 (tadabyoshi); 2 and 3 (yatarabyoshi)

Form: Jo-ha-kyu (first appears in gagaku, applied to later Japanese music) Applied at all levels: structure of musical phrase, composition, concert Jo - introduction (slow or free rhythm) Ha - breaking apart; exposition (establishment of rhythm) Kyu - rushing to a finish (acceleration to a climax, return to Jo).

Jo-ha-kyu in gagaku: Jo - free meter tuning piece (netori), instruments enter one at a time. Ha - main body of the composition begins, all instruments enter. Kyu - gradual increase in tempo until coda, return to free meter.”

Clifford Wu, IB HL Music Year 1, World Music Presentation

Fantasy on Japanese Woodprints Compared to Gagaku Similarities:

Influences by Japanese Culture, and inherently Chinese and Korean culture At times some will play a Solo

These solos may be heavily interpreted, or not at all… At many times improvisation will be asked of certain voices Dissonance creates an eerie tone Both have been written for group performance Use Rubato but still stay on tempo with the rest of the group At times it is pure chaos, but from it the melody emerges in that suddenly familiar Yo Scale

Contrasts: Fantasy:

More usage of western instruments Was made to tell of a certain feeling when looking at Woodprints Only instrumental, percussion does not find a major role

Gagaku: Usage of traditional Japanese Instruments Percussion plays a greater role as accent Music of the Royal Family Includes dance

Clifford Wu, IB HL Music Year 1, World Music Presentation

Works Cited

Information Sources:On Hovaness: http://www.hovhaness.com/hovhaness-biography.htmlOn Gagaku:

http://stripe.colorado.edu/~keister/gagaku.htmlhttp://aris.ss.uci.edu/rgarfias/gagaku/music.html

On Japan: http://www.facts-about-japan.com/http://www.indexmundi.com/japan/demographics_profile.html

Pictures:Japanese Culture: http://japanesesymbolsofpresence.com/images/image38.jpg

http://www.gojapango.com/culture/images/geisha_maiko_kyoto.jpghttp://assets.wexas.com/wexas/www/images/largeimages/destinations/Japan/Great-Buddha-Statue-Kamakur.jpg

Gagaku Instruments:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/d/d9/Tsuridaiko.jpg/250px-Tsuridaiko.jpghttp://www.japansociety.org/resources/legacy/event/flute_wide2.jpghttp://image.rakuten.co.jp/ontai/cabinet/00026104/img09889195.gifhttp://music.columbia.edu/drupal/files/biwa.jpghttp://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QHXa4MNMYqw/TnzPLCIp1pI/AAAAAAAABVU/zhv6s-EPz68/s1600/3.jpg

Hovhaness:http://www.hovhaness.com/IMAGES/1935.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gH3DxCfopkA/TsHjREmQ8AI/AAAAAAAACTQ/qVLv2XY7hI/s1600/Hovhaness.jpghttp://images.static.steveweissmusic.com/products/images/uploads/23098_20033_large.jpg