On the evening following the conclusion of the Festival, MITO SettembreMusica presents a grand musical event in Genova. The City of Genova hosts the Reigakusha Imperial Orchestra at Teatro Carlo Felice for a traditional gagaku concert.
September 25, 2009 - 9 p.m.
Genova, Teatro Carlo Felice
Gagaku is synonymous with some of the oldest musical arts in Japan. A refined expression, crystallized by an age-old tradition that is the fruit of cultural influences from China, India, Vietnam and Korea. Dance is often combined with instrumental music and is closely tied to Shinto rituals and imperial court ceremonies.
The first portion of the concert featureskangen (wind and string instrumental pieces), while the second part is dedicated to bugaku (music and dance).
Gagaku became a standardized form over one thousand years ago and has been transmitted virtually unaltered to this day thanks to the persistence of the Japanese imperial court. Today’s gagaku performers are the keepers of this tradition and the Reigakusha Imperial Orchestra is today’s major expression of gagaku.
The wealth of tones, rivaling those of Western Symphonic Orchestras, produced by instruments with names like hichiriki, ryuteki and shõ, the gakuso and gakubiwa string instruments, and percussion gems like the kakko, taiko and shõko, overturn Western listening canons and lead us to a world of unexpected delights.
