Saibara: Volume 1, Text: Japanese Court Songs of the Heian Period

by Elizabeth Markham

Overview

Saibara ('Drover's Songs') is the title of a genre of measured Japanese court song, traditionally believed to have been derived from the songs of pack-horse drivers bringing tribute from the provinces to the Heian capital and known to have formed part of the official court repertory at least since AD 859. From literature of the Heian period (782–1184) it is evident that these songs enjoyed great popularity at court as entertainment music practised by noble amateurs. Six songs are still performed today, albeit vastly modified. As well as being of value to musicologists, these volumes will interest readers concerned with early Japanese literature and paleography.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521105972
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	04/02/2009
Pages:	432
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 9.60(h) x 3.20(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. Sources; Part II. Instruments, tablatures and transcription of the primary musical sources; Part III. A detailed study of a typical Saibara illustrating analytical procedures applied to the entire repertory; Part IV. Relationships between Saibara and pieces from the Togaku and Komagaku repertories; Part V. Melodies and melody-types; Part VI. Transformation of the six Saibara of the modern repertory; Bibliography; Indexes.