Yōgaku : Japanese music in the twentieth century

Foreword by Luciano Berio. Yogaku discusses over a century of musical activity in Japan, detailing, in particular, the music that was inspired by Western music after the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century, and its development through the end of the 20th century. The book not only examines the infiltration of Western music into Japan, but also provides insight into the aesthetic and theoretical aspects of Japanese musical thought. The word yogaku (Western music) is made up of two characters: yo, which means 'ocean' (that is, 'over the ocean', meaning Western or foreign) and gaku, which means 'music'. Divided into two parts, the text covers the period preceding World War I as well as the post-war period. The introduction provides a history of music's role in Japanese society, touching upon the differences in the functions of Japanese and Western music. Part One describes the complex process of a new musical world and the European musical ideas that penetrated Japan. Modernization through westernization is explored; the author details the differences between the traditional Japanese music and that composed under Western influence, as well as the French and German impact on Japanese musical compositions. Galliano looks at the appearance of music in schools and the first Japanese musical compositions, as well as nationalism's effect on music through propaganda and censorship. Part Two explores topics such as the post-war avant-garde, the 1960s boom in traditional music, and the closing decades of the 20th century. The next generation of Japanese composers are also considered. Japanese history and music scholars, as well as those interested in Japanese music, will want to include Yogaku in their collection. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Page Table of Contents Foreword to the Italian Edition Foreword to the English Edition Acknowledgments Note on the Transliteration of Japanese Terms and Names Part I Introduction Traditional Japanese Cultural Values and Japan's Transition into the Twentieth Century 0.1. The Historical and Cultural Background: Considerations on the Theory and Aesthetics of Traditional Japanese Music 0.2. The Concept of Time in Japanese Music 0.3. The Stratification and Conservation of Traditional Forms of Music 1. The Introduction of Western Music 1.1. The Role of Western Music in the Program of Modernization: Modernization through Westernization? 1.2. Travels and Musical Exchange: The First Foreign Musicians in Japan and the First Japanese Abroad 1.3. The Traditional and the New in Japanese Music 2. The Evolution of a Western-Style Musical Language in the First Half of the Twentieth Century 2.1. The Influence of French and German Music on Japanese Composers 2.2. The Avant-Garde and Shinkō 3. A New Musical World 3.1. Music Schools and the First Symphony Orchestras 3.2. Music Journals 3.3. The Birth of Opera 3.4. Japanese Society and the Influence of Broadcasting and Recording 4. Nationalism and Music 4.1. Political Movements and the Proletarian Music League 4.2. Propaganda and Censorship Part II 5. The Cultural and Social Situation in the Postwar Period 5.1. Similarities and Differences with Europe 5.2. Continuity and Change on the Postwar Music Scene 6. The Postwar Avant-Garde 6.1. Jikkenkōbō 6.2. Electronic Music 6.3. The Twentieth-Century Music Laboratory 6.4. Composer's Associations 7. The 1960s 7.1. The Impact of Cage. Happening and Performance. The New Direction Group and Its Activities 7.2. The Boom in Traditional Music 8. The Closing Decades of the Twentieth Century 8.1. The Leading Composers: Matsudaira, Yuasa, Takemitsu, Ishii, and Ichiyanagi 8.2. An Overview of the Musical Situation in Japan in the Closing Decade of the Twentieth Century 8.3. Hōgaku 8.4. Other Composers 8.5. The Next Generation Appendix A: List of Japanese Names Appendix B: List of Aesthetic and Musical Terms Bibliography Index About the Author "This book introduces us to the world of contemporary Japanese music and it guides us towards a better understanding of their world."—Luciano Berio Yogaku discusses over a century of musical activity in Japan, detailing, in particular, the music that was inspired by Western music after the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century, and its development through the end of the 20th century. The book not only examines the infiltration of Western music into Japan, but also provides insight into the aesthetic and theoretical aspects of Japanese musical thought. The word yogaku (Western music) is made up of two characters: yo , which means "ocean" (that is, "over the ocean," meaning Western or foreign) and gaku , which means "music." Divided into two parts, the text covers the period preceding World War I as well as the post-war period. The introduction provides a history of music's role in Japanese society, touching upon the differences in the functions of Japanese and Western music. Part One describes the complex process of a new musical world and the European musical ideas that penetrated Japan. Modernization through westernization is explored; the author details the differences between the traditional Japanese music and that composed under Western influence, as well as the French and German impact on Japanese musical compositions. Galliano looks at the appearance of music in schools and the first Japanese musical compositions, as well as nationalism's effect on music through propaganda and censorship. Part Two explores topics such as the post-war avant-garde, the 1960s boom in traditional music, and the closing decades of the 20th century. The next generation of Japanese composers are also considered. Japanese history and music scholars, as well as those interested in Japanese music, will want to include Yogaku in their collection. A discussion of a century of music in Japan, detailing the music that was inspired by Western music after the Meiji Restoration in the 19th century, and its development through to the end of the 20th century. It also explores the aesthetical and theoretical aspect of Japanese musical thought.