12/8/2023 0 Comments Japanese two string instrumentOne of the earliest versions of this work was written or edited by the blind biwa player, AKASHI Kakuichi (1279-1371). This battle was the last of the many tragic events sung in the Tale of the Heike, or Heike monogatari (abbr. In 1185, the court culture of the Heian period (794-1185) came to an end with the Battle of Dannoura. A narrative genre known as heike biwa developed from these traditions. Sources from the 10th century suggest that these biwa-priests also engaged in story-telling and song-performing. Outside of the courtly instrumental solo- biwa music, there was also a form of Buddhist chanting to the accompaniment of the biwa performed by primarily blind priests. (The author recorded all four solo gaku biwa pieces in Basel, Switzerland for Radio DRS 2, on 20th of October 2009.) These works, however, are no longer included as part of the court musicians' repertoire. The gaku biwa also had a solo repertoire, only three (four) pieces of which have been transmitted as the “Three Secret Pieces” (sanhikyoku) in handwritten copies. Its main musical function in the ensemble is to emphasize the strongest beat of the main melody, which can be transnotated in 4/4, with an arpeggio. Outside of minor details, the biwa used in today's gagaku orchestra, the gaku biwa, is identical with the instruments in the Imperial Treasure House in Nara. The plectrum guard depicts a biwa player sitting on a camel however, he is not performing a five-stringed instrument, but a four-stringed one, presumably as this was the norm. The four-stringed biwa was unquestionably the standard as ironically attested to by a decorative detail on the sole 5-string instrument, a gorgeously decorated biwa assumed to have been brought from India and presented as a gift to Emperor Shōmu (701-756). With the exception of one instrument, all biwa preserved from this period have four strings. Some are lavishly decorated with inlay of mother-of-pearl and semi-precious stones, while others have a plectrum guard with Chinese paintings reflecting various Silk Road cultures. Several biwa from Tang-dynasty China have been preserved in the Shōsōin, an Imperial Treasure House located in Nara since the late 8th century.
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