Saibara
Encyclopedia
Saibara is a genre of accompanied vocal Japanese
court music that existed during the Heian period
in the Nara
and Kyoto
regions. It draws from traditional folk music of the Nara period
accompanied by togaku
instruments, with the exception of the , which are replaced by , wooden sticks used for rhythm
.
It may have developed out of music to drive horses along, as the Chinese characters that compose its name seem to indicate but, according to German musicologist Eta Harich-Schneider, there are several other theories.
Song texts are short and simple in character and describe scenes of life. The repertoire was once estimated at some 400 songs. In the late Nara period
the aristocracy became more interested in complex foreign musical imports. Emperor Horikawa
(1079-1107), despite the taste for Chinese culture since the Nara period, also cultivated an interest in fūzokuuta. Courtiers sang saibara songs for entertainment. A fashionable aristocrat was not regarded à jour if he did not know of the latest Chinese imports, such as toka music. In the 14th century, because of the many wars, the repertoire of saibara declined, as many were lost due to the turmoil, and it was only at the crowning ceremony of emperor Emperor Go-Mizunoo
, who ruled from 1611 to 1629, at Nijo Palace that a reconstruction of the old saibara pieces was attempted and the famous saibara piece "Ise no umi" was performed at the Imperial palace in Kyōto
.
The emperor's wife, Fujiwara no Fusahi, tells in her court chronicles how little old material could be found. The repertoire today includes newly created folk songs .
("Near the sea at Ise we want to harvest sea-wheat, while we collect mussels and sea shells we colcollect pearls, I want to find one pearl".)
Music of Japan
The music of Japan includes a wide array of performers in distinct styles both traditional and modern. The word for music in Japanese is 音楽 , combining the kanji 音 with the kanji 楽...
court music that existed during the Heian period
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
in the Nara
Nara Prefecture
is a prefecture in the Kansai region on Honshū Island, Japan. The capital is the city of Nara.-History:The present-day Nara Prefecture was created in 1887, making it independent of Osaka Prefecture....
and Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
regions. It draws from traditional folk music of the Nara period
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
accompanied by togaku
Togaku
Tōgaku is the Japanese pronunciation of an early style of music and dance from the Tang Dynasty in China...
instruments, with the exception of the , which are replaced by , wooden sticks used for rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
.
It may have developed out of music to drive horses along, as the Chinese characters that compose its name seem to indicate but, according to German musicologist Eta Harich-Schneider, there are several other theories.
Song texts are short and simple in character and describe scenes of life. The repertoire was once estimated at some 400 songs. In the late Nara period
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
the aristocracy became more interested in complex foreign musical imports. Emperor Horikawa
Emperor Horikawa
was the 73rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Horikawa's reign spanned the years from 1087 through 1107.-Traditional narrative:...
(1079-1107), despite the taste for Chinese culture since the Nara period, also cultivated an interest in fūzokuuta. Courtiers sang saibara songs for entertainment. A fashionable aristocrat was not regarded à jour if he did not know of the latest Chinese imports, such as toka music. In the 14th century, because of the many wars, the repertoire of saibara declined, as many were lost due to the turmoil, and it was only at the crowning ceremony of emperor Emperor Go-Mizunoo
Emperor Go-Mizunoo
was the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629.This 17th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Seiwa and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later...
, who ruled from 1611 to 1629, at Nijo Palace that a reconstruction of the old saibara pieces was attempted and the famous saibara piece "Ise no umi" was performed at the Imperial palace in Kyōto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
.
The emperor's wife, Fujiwara no Fusahi, tells in her court chronicles how little old material could be found. The repertoire today includes newly created folk songs .
Text of
Ise no umi no, kiyoki nagisa ni, shihogai ni, nanori zo yatsuma, kai ya hirowamu ya, tama ya hiro wa ya("Near the sea at Ise we want to harvest sea-wheat, while we collect mussels and sea shells we colcollect pearls, I want to find one pearl".)