Short abstract:
In many of the world’s dramatic traditions, the religious origins of drama have become obscured. Not so, in Japan, where almost every form of drama that has ever existed is still alive today. This seminar introduces Gagaku, an early form of Japanese drama that drew on continental traditions, merging and refining them to produce high art. Gagaku is today performed on several occasions throughout the year at Shinto shrines and at the Imperial palace. The seminar will examine the way in which cosmological concepts run through many aspects of the form, for example the symbolism attached to each of the wind instruments used in the Gagaku orchestra. There will also be a presentation of one of the most famous orchestral pieces associated with Gagaku.
Short biography:
– Dr Ruth Herd: has a keen interest in all aspects of drama. After obtaining degrees in Japanese and Chinese, she then received her D.Phil. in Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford in 2001. The topic of her thesis was the influence of early modern Japanese drama on the birth and development of modern Chinese drama.
– Misa Kawamura-Besser: is a musician (piano and vocal) and linguist. After obtaining a degree in Music from Soai University, Osaka, Japan, she went on to study Ethnomusicology, Socio-musicology and Music Psychology at the Institute of Popular Music, University of Liverpool. It was there that she obtained her M.A. She is also a keen linguist, who has taught Japanese in the UK and in Germany. She studied Language Teaching Methodology at Aston University, Birmingham and has worked as a translator and interpreter. In recent years, her focus has been music pedagogy. Her pupils range from young children to adults.