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''Gagaku'' (lit. "elegant music") is the classical court music of the Japanese Imperial court. It derives significantly from continental court music, and was adopted by the Japanese court as the official genre or style of court music in [[701]]. It incorporates elements not only from the highly formal ''[[yayue|yǎyuè]]''<ref>Written with the same characters as ''gagaku'': 雅楽.</ref> ritual music of the [[Tang Dynasty|Tang dynasty]] court, but also from Tang banquet or entertainment music (燕楽, ''yànyuè''), and from Korean court music.<ref>This style of Korean court music, known as ''[[aak]]'', also derived from ''yǎyuè'' and is, like ''gagaku'', simply the Korean reading of the same characters. Chia-Ying Yeh, "The Revival and Restoration of Ryukyuan Court Music, Uzagaku: Classification and Performance Techniques, Language Usage, and Transmission," PhD thesis, University of Sheffield (2018), 14.</ref>

''Gagaku'' (lit. "elegant music") is the classical court music of the Japanese Imperial court. It derives significantly from continental court music, and was adopted by the Japanese court as the official genre or style of court music in [[701]]. It incorporates elements not only from the highly formal ''[[yayue|yǎyuè]]''<ref>Written with the same characters as ''gagaku'': 雅楽.</ref> ritual music of the [[Tang Dynasty|Tang dynasty]] court, but also from Tang banquet or entertainment music (燕楽, ''yànyuè''), and from Korean court music.<ref>This style of Korean court music, known as ''[[aak]]'', also derived from ''yǎyuè'' and is, like ''gagaku'', simply the Korean reading of the same characters. Chia-Ying Yeh, "The Revival and Restoration of Ryukyuan Court Music, Uzagaku: Classification and Performance Techniques, Language Usage, and Transmission," PhD thesis, University of Sheffield (2018), 14.</ref>

''Gagaku'' is divided into two sub-categories, representing the two main threads of continental influence. Musical elements derived from Chinese influence are known as ''Tôgaku'' (Tang music) and those from Korean influence ''komagaku'' ([[Koryo]] music). With the influence and incorporation of native Japanese elements, ''gagaku'' is said to have developed into its mature form in the 10th century. Though it is unclear if Chinese ''yǎyuè'' maintained its ritual associations in Japan, in China this music had profoundly significant ritual meaning; distinct from music played for entertainment at court banquets, ''yǎyuè'' was performed as part of the ceremonies of an Emperor's ritual sacrifices to Heaven, or to the Imperial ancestors, and had to be performed in precisely correct tones, as a part of maintaining the proper cosmic order. Confucian court advisors worked hard to maintain the court's instruments in the correct tuning, and at various times in history debated as to the correct tones.<ref>Christian Meyer, "Negotiating Rites in Imperial China: The Case of the Northern Song Court Ritual Debates from 1034 to 1093," in Ute Husken and Frank Neubert (eds.), ''Negotiating Rites'', Oxford University Press (2011), 101.</ref>

''Gagaku'' is divided into two sub-categories, representing the two main threads of continental influence. Musical elements derived from Chinese influence are known as ''Tôgaku'' (Tang music) and those from Korean influence ''komagaku'' ([[Koryo]] music); a third sub-category, known as ''kuniburi no utamai'' (国風歌舞), encompasses ''[[kagura]]'' music and dance and other forms of folk religious music often associated with local/regional [[Shinto]] festivals, but also with certain ancient rites of the imperial court.<ref>Yeh, 14.</ref>

 

With the influence and incorporation of native Japanese elements, ''gagaku'' is said to have developed into its mature form in the 10th century. Though it is unclear if Chinese ''yǎyuè'' maintained its ritual associations in Japan, in China this music had profoundly significant ritual meaning; distinct from music played for entertainment at court banquets, ''yǎyuè'' was performed as part of the ceremonies of an Emperor's ritual sacrifices to Heaven, or to the Imperial ancestors, and had to be performed in precisely correct tones, as a part of maintaining the proper cosmic order. Confucian court advisors worked hard to maintain the court's instruments in the correct tuning, and at various times in history debated as to the correct tones.<ref>Christian Meyer, "Negotiating Rites in Imperial China: The Case of the Northern Song Court Ritual Debates from 1034 to 1093," in Ute Husken and Frank Neubert (eds.), ''Negotiating Rites'', Oxford University Press (2011), 101.</ref>

Instruments used in ''gagaku'' include the [[biwa]] (a stringed lute), a variety of flutes including the ''[[sho|shô]]'', ''[[ryuteki|ryûteki]]'', ''[[hichiriki]]'', and ''[[komabue]]'', and a variety of drums, including the ''[[kakko]]'' and ''[[tsuridaiko]]'', as well as bells, gongs, and occasionally ''[[koto]]''. Performances are often accompanied by masked & costumed dances.

Instruments used in ''gagaku'' include the [[biwa]] (a stringed lute), a variety of flutes including the ''[[sho|shô]]'', ''[[ryuteki|ryûteki]]'', ''[[hichiriki]]'', and ''[[komabue]]'', and a variety of drums, including the ''[[kakko]]'' and ''[[tsuridaiko]]'', as well as bells, gongs, and occasionally ''[[koto]]''. Performances are often accompanied by masked & costumed dances.