San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-09-23

Music in Stricken Japan" is given
q prominent place in a recent copy OF
Musical America, in view Of the stu
pendous tragedy which has just oc-
Cured there.
"Of ali the arts of Nippon, whose
people are the most artistic in the
world" the author, q. W. Harris,
Saws. Emusic has received the small
est amount of serious attention from
either Europe or America lie
speaks of the casual way in which the
average writer of conventional books
of travel in Japan dismiss the sub
ject by saying: The japanese are
not a musical people and when 1t is
practiced, the art of music is almost
entirely confined TO women, who
usually use the koto, long, thirteen
stringed harp, and a samisen, with
three strings"
That this is a superficial impression,
jf not a deliberate misststement, is
proyed BY Mr.. Harris, with illustra-
tons taken from the color-prlnts OF
Japan, which of all japanese arts IS
the most astonishing in its variety ana
general excellence. The color-printt
is an. art of the common people and
deals with a great variety OF the every
day interests of common people, but
Of all subjects shown on the ordinary
color-print, players on musical IN
struments is the most usual.
3 1t is probable that japanese music
owes much to Korean and Chinese in
fluences, and that many of the
musical instruments used in Japan
were of Chinese origin. They have be-
come SO modified by usage, however,
that they have become distinctively
national in quality, and many OF them
are like no other instruments found
in the world.
The origin of music in Japan is
variously ascribed by tradition to the
Emperor Jimmu, who was moved to
sing an ode of love to a beautiful
maiden, and to a goddess who sang
a hymn as she danced before the set
ting sun. japanese history in ancient
times was kept alive by group of
professional singers who recited the
deeds of the emperors and heroes OF
the county much as it was done IN the
occidental world.
The usual instruments used in max
ing japanese music, seem to be
grouped into three general divisions
harps, flutes and drums. Of these,
the one in most common use is the
"koto," a narrow instrument over six
feet long, which has thirteen strings,
all Of the same size and length. The
differences in pitch are made with
movable small bridges, which are
moved with one hand while the play
er plucks the strings with the other.
Tuning, which is done in many differ.
emit ways, is a difficult performance,
but is usually exceedingly accurate.
The word "koto" means things" but
though the instrument has come to
signify spiritual things, aud koto
music has come TO have a marked
spiritual significance. and to be asso-
ciated with sacred invocations. The
tone Of the instrument is remarkably
eonorous.
Other plucked instruments in COM
mon use are the "Biwa," a four
stringed instrument of wood, shaped
somewhat like a guitar, but with a
flat back. This is capable of produc-
ing remarkable chords and harmonic
effects, and is used principally as ac-
compartments for old songs of love
and war. Another instrument shaped
much like a banjo. is the "Gekhin, -
made of wood, and having nine frets
and four strings. Its chief interest,
to occidental ears, is that the frets
give the first six notes OF the familiar
occidental scale.
The "Samisen- is perhaps the most
picturesque of all instruments used in
Japan. 1t is a long, narrow instru-
ment, with a slender neck, strung
with three strings, but without frets,
the sounding board part usually being
made either of snake or cat skin.
Much Of the japanese music is very
old, the chants and lyrics, operate
settings and rhythmic dances dates
back for many centuries. Theatrical
performances which are very common
IN Japan are always accompanied by
special music, and, in fact, are quite
as much operas as dramas. The actors
did not speak their parts, but acted
as mines, deliberately costumed and
masked who went through their parts
IN dumb show to the musical accom-
paniment. In many of the old dramas,
at certain points in the action, the
orchestra became chorus, and chant
ed the part of the story that the mines
we're enacting on the stage,
I Since the Russo-Japanese War,
which inspired much new music Of a
military character, notably "The
Soldiers Dream" by Kitamura,
which is immensely popular, Japan
has made rapid growth in the cultiva-
ton and appreciation Of western mu.
sic. Visiting musicians from Europe
and America are sure to find large
and more appreciative audiences in
the city of Toxic than in any other
Eastern country.