Gagaku reigns supreme among the traditional arts of Japan in its depth of history and artistic perfection. Its musical roots lie far to the west, in Persia, India, and Vietnam, whose music traveled to China over the Silk Road. There, they were grafted onto ancient Chinese court music and Chinese folk music to create new forms. The result was the classical Chinese music and dance that reached its zenith during the Tang dynasty (618-907). Envoys to the Tang from the Nara period Japanese court then introduced that art form, which became Gagaku, to Japan. Through a creative fusion of indigenous Japanese music and musical traditions from the Asian continent, including China and the Korean Peninsula, mingled, shaped and refined during the mid-Heian period, when Japanese court culture flourished, Gagaku evolved its own highly distinctive style. Despite undergoing some change over time, its fundamentals have remained unchanged ever since. Gagaku is thus the world’s most ancient form of orchestral music.Music is the most transient of arts. When the sounds die away, the music is gone. Yet Gagaku has survived, despite repeated threats of extinction, for more than a thousand years. Gagaku was transplanted to Japan from continental Asia as imported, alien music. The ancestral musical forms have died out in their countries of origin. Only Gagaku has survived unchanged, in Japan.This film begins by introducing a five-string biwa lute stored in the Shosoin. It is inlaid with elaborate mother-of-pearl decoration in a style that originated in India. What were the tonal qualities of the sounds this beautiful instrument produced?Gagaku, a Japanese art form, is filled with infinite musical resonances from all across Eurasia. This deeply moving music has transcended time and space. This film was created to share its eternal fascination with people everywhere.
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