Biography
The Kyoto Imperial Court Music Orchestra performs Gagaku, the ancient music of the Japanese royal court. Dating from the Nara (645 - 710) and Heian (794 - 1185) periods, Gagaku is a stately, formal music performed by an orchestra consisting of wind, reed, string, and percussion instruments. Most notable, and giving Gagaku its characteristic sound, are the hichiriki, a double-reed instrument (somewhat like an oboe) with a nasal sound which is used to carry the melody, and the sho, which consists of 17 reed pipes and provides the harmony. Gagaku is one of the oldest forms of music still in existence, but is seldom heard, even in Japan.
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