Japanese
PIANO
and
Western
PIANO
(Poland)
Michelle
Myers
IB Program
Geography
of Japan
•73% of Japan is forested,
mountainous.
•Japan is one of the most
densely populated
countries in the world.
•The islands of Japan are
located in Pacific Ring of
Fire. Japan has 108 active
volcanoes.
• Japan is located in the Pacific
Ocean, an island nation of East
Asia.
• Archipelago of 6,852 islands.
•Destructive earthquakes,
often resulting in tsunami,
occur several times each
century.
•Land Mass is 377,873km².
Population
• Population: 127.3 million.
• Linguistically and culturally
homogeneous, composed of
98.5% ethnic Japanese, with
small populations of foreign
workers. Zainichi Koreans,
Zainichi Chinese, Filipinos,
Brazilians mostly of
Japanese descent, and
Peruvians mostly of
Japanese descent are among
the small minority groups in
Japan.
• Japan has the longest overall
life expectancy at birth of any
country in the world: 83.5
years.
•
•
84–96%of the Japanese population
subscribe to Buddhism or Shinto,
including syncretism.
Estimates are based on people
affiliated with a temple, rather than
the number of true believers. Other
studies suggest only 30% of
population identify themselves as
belonging to a religion.
•
Nevertheless, the level of
participation remains high,
especially during festivals and
occasions such as the first shrine
visit of the New Year.
-Japanese streets are decorated on Tanabata, Obon and Christmas.
- >1% of Japanese Christian.
-Other minority religions include Islam, Hinduism,
Sikhism, and Judaism, and since the mid-19th century
numerous new religious movements have emerged in
Japan.
Religion
History
Ancient Times:
Japan first appears in written history in
Chinese Book of Han. Despite early
resistance, Buddhism was accepted. There
was emergence of a strong Japanese state
and was characterized by appearance of
literature as well as development of
Buddhist-inspired art and architecture. The
smallpox epidemic of 735 killed 1/3 of
Japan's population.
This marked beginning of the Heian period,
during which a distinctly indigenous
Japanese culture emerged, noted for its art,
poetry and prose. The lyrics of Japan's
national anthem Kimigayo were written
during this time.
FEUDAL ERA
Japan's feudal era was
characterized by the
emergence and dominance of
a ruling class of warriors, the
samurai. There were many
“warring states.” During the
16th century, traders and Jesuit
missionaries from Portugal
reached Japan for the first time,
initiating direct commercial and
cultural exchange between
Japan and the West. The Edo
period also gave rise to
kokugaku ("national studies").
MODERN ERA
The early 20th century was a period of
"Taishō democracy“ (increasing
expansionism and militarization). World
War I enabled Japan, on the side of the
Allies, to widen its influence. Japan
resigned from League of Nations 2 years
later. In 1936, Japan signed with Nazi
Germany, and the 1940 Tripartite Pact
made it one of the Axis Powers. In 1941,
Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and
declared war, bringing the US into World
War II. Because of the atomic bombings
of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 ,
Japan agreed to surrender to US. In 1947,
Japan adopted a new constitution
emphasizing liberal democratic practices.
Japan later achieved rapid growth to
become the second-largest economy in
the world (before China).
Culture
•Influences from Asia, Europe and North America.
•Traditional arts include crafts such as ceramics, textiles,
swords dolls and performances of various types of dances.
-Tea ceremony, martial arts, calligraphy, origami, Geisha and
games.
SPORTS:
-Sumo is considered Japan's
national sport.
-Martial arts such as judo,
karate and kendo
-Baseball, soccer, and golf is
very popular as well.
FOOD:
Cuisine is based on
combining staple foods,
-rice or noodles,
-soup and okazu (dishes
made from fish, vegetable,
tofu and the like to add
flavor to the staple food)
-fish
And music…
Japan Traditional
Instruments
-
There are many large Japanese drums (taiko). The
most dramatic is the Odaiko (big drum).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPsHfqKx1NA
-
- The biwa is a short-necked lute, for gagaku, to
accompany early puppet plays and also by blind
monk entertainers, the Japanese equivalent of
travelling minstrels.
-
The most famous flute is the shakuhachi bamboo
flute. In medieval times, the shakuhachi became
associated with wandering Buddhist priests known as
komuso or 'priests of nothingness'. They played the
shakuhachi as a spritual discipline.
-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jDt0NqBZyk
•
Percussion, stringed and
wind instruments (mostly
flutes).
Piano and Classical Music in Japan
•
Western classical music, introduced
in the late 19th century, now forms
an integral part of Japanese culture.
As elements of the Western middle
class lifestyle gradually spread to
other nations, the piano became
common in these nations as well,
especially in Japan.
The Japanese were first exposed
to it in the second half of the 19th
century, after more than 200 years
of national isolation during the Edo
Period. But after that, Japan
studied classical music earnestly
to make it a part of their own
artistic culture.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
r9o4yKhwumI
Lots of repetition and legato
notes usually define the mood
of modern Japanese piano
music. Like most piano pieces in
the world today, Japan mostly
uses common time or 4/4.
Japan’s culture
perceives piano music
as something to be
enjoyed. They hold
countless of concert
halls for various piano
performances.
Japanese
Pianist,
Joe Hisaishi
Composer,
Director, Writer
and Pianist.
Biography
and
Studies
-Hisaishi’s birth name was
Mamoru Fujisawa,
-Born in Nakano Nagano,
Japan on December 6,
1950.
-He started playing music from
a young age.
College of Music in 1969 to
major in music
composition.
-
He enjoyed his first
success of the business
in 1974 when he
composed music for a
small animation called
Gyatoruzu. His first
album, MKWAJU, was
released in 1981.
Influences
•In the 1970s, Japanese popular music, electronic
music, and new-age music flourished; those genres,
as well as the Yellow Magic Orchestra (a Japanese
electronic band in 1978–1983), influenced Hisaishi's
compositions.
•He developed his music from minimalist ideas and
expanded toward orchestral work. Around 1975,
Hisaishi presented his first public performance,
spreading his name around his community.
Prominent Works
He is best known for his work
with animator Hayako
Miyazaki, having composed
scores for many of his films.
Including…
Castle in the Sky (1986)
-My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
-Kiki's Delivery Service (1989)
-Spirited Away (2001)
-Howl's Moving Castle (2004)
-Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea
(2008)…etc!
http://ww
w.youtube
.com/watc
h?v=H82
QHiUvY5
E&feature
=related
Western: Polish
Pianist…
FRÉDÉRIC
CHOPIN
Romantic
Composer,
Writer, and
Pianist
Biography
•
•
•
BIRTH DATE: March 01,
1810
DEATH DATE: October
17, 1849
PLACE OF BIRTH:
Zelazowa Wola, Poland
-Published his first
composition at age
seven and began
performing one year
later.
•
In 1831, he moved to
Paris, socialized with
high society and was
known as an excellent
piano teacher. His piano
compositions were
highly influential. He
died of tuberculosis and
ill health in 1849
Chopin's mazurkas
based on the
traditional Polish
dance (the
mazurek) but
different from the
traditional variety
because they were
suitable for
concerts halls as
well as dance
settings. With his
mazurkas, Chopin
brought a new
sense of
nationalism.
Comparisons
http://www.youtube.com/wa
tch?v=hOcryGEw1NY
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=ThheURpb8-4
Differences
Chopin
•
•
•
•
•
Chopin's preludes move up
the circle-of-fifths.
Chopin is considered one of
the great masters of Romantic
music.
Chopin himself never named
an instrumental work beyond
genre and number.
Chopin's music for the piano
combined a unique rhythmic
sense, frequent use of
chromaticism, and
counterpoint.
Chopin composed music to
accompany only Polish texts
(but not German and
French)..
Hisaishi
-Hisaishi’s songs vary from each
other regarding his chords.
-Hisaishi is considered one of the
great masters of Japanese film
scores (Asian Film Award for
Best Composer)
-Hisaishi personally names his
songs.
-While possessing a stylistically
distinct sound, Hisaishi's
music has been known to
explore and incorporate
different genre.
-Hisaishi composed music for his
Japanese audience through
animations and movies. –
China, Korea, etc.
Similarities
• Both attended a university to pursue music.
(Chopin: Univ. of Warsaw and Hisaishi:
Kunitachi College of Music).
• Chopin's music is well known for benefiting
from rubato (which was how he himself
performed his music), as opposed to a strictly
regular playing. Hisaishi also plays freely and
stays in character with his songs.
• The great majority of Chopin's compositions
were written for the piano as solo instrument;
all of his extant works feature the piano in one
way or another.
• Chopin's works emphasize nuance and
expressive depth rather than sheer virtuosity.
• Chopin was the first to write “ballades” and
“scherzo” as individual pieces. Hisaishi also
wrote songs for a bigger symphony.
Citations/Bibliography
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_history_of_the_piano#
The_spread_of_the_piano
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Japan#Western_cl
assical_music
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Hisaishi
• http://www.200chopin.com/images/chopin_head.jpg
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Ch
opin
• http://www.musicnotes.com/images/productimages/mtd/
MN0109055.gif
• http://www.musicnotes.com/images/productimages/mtd/
MN0036882.gif
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
• http://www.japan-zone.com/culture/instrument.shtml