Thehichiriki (篳篥) is adouble reed Japanesefue (flute) used as one of two main melodic instruments ingagaku music.[citation needed] It is one of the "sacred" instruments and is often heard atShinto weddings in Japan.[citation needed] Its sound is often described as haunting.[1][2]
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| Classification | Double reed |
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Thehichiriki is derived from the Chineseguan, which was imported into Japan during theTang dynasty. According to scholars, thehichiriki emerged after the 12th century when the popularity of the Chinese melodies in Japan calledtōgaku waned.[3]
Description
editAlthough a double reed instrument like theoboe, thehichiriki has a cylindricalbore and thus its sound is similar to that of a clarinet.[citation needed] It is difficult to play due in part to the double reed configuration.[citation needed] It is made of a piece of bamboo that measures 18 centimetres (7.1 in) with a flat double reed inserted which makes a loud sound.[4]
Pitch and ornamentation (most notably bending tones) are controlled largely with theembouchure. The instrument is particularly noted for theembai ("salted plum seasoning"), a kind of pitch-gliding technique.[4]
Thehichiriki is the most widely used of all instruments ingagaku[citation needed] and it is used in all forms of music aside from poetry recitation. Thehichiriki is derived from the Chineseguan orbili, and is also related to the Koreanpiri. This is evident in the notations of the finger positioning, a tablature of signs derived from Chinese characters.[4]
Notable Japanese musicians who play thehichiriki includeHideki Togi andHitomi Nakamura.
Non-Japanese musicians who have learned to play thehichiriki includeAlan Hovhaness,Richard Teitelbaum,Valerie Samson,Thomas Piercy andJoseph Celli.
References
edit- ^Nakamura, Ryoko Maria (2002-12-29)."Hideki Togi out to gagaku your world".The Japan Times. Retrieved2009-03-23.
- ^Renouf, Renee (2002-12-30)."Kuan Yin: Our Lady of Compassion"(PDF). ballet.co.uk. Retrieved2009-03-23.[dead link]
- ^Picken, Laurence E. R.; Nickson, Noël J. (2007).Music from the Tang Court: Volume 7: Some Ancient Connections Explored. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. p. 28.ISBN 978-0-521-54336-1.
- ^abcTenzer, Michael; Roeder, John (2011).Analytical and Cross-Cultural Studies in World Music. Oxford: Oxford University Press. pp. 25, 26.ISBN 978-0-19-538458-1.
External links
edit- Traditional Japanese Music
- Hichiriki (by Thomas Piercy)
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