Appreciate
42nd Gagaku Concert, Large Hall, National Theatre, Tokyo
Performance by musicians and dancers of the Music Department, Board of Ceremonies, Imperial Household Agency
Outline
Manzairaku (‘Ten Thousand Years’) is a comparatively slow Dance of the Left characterized by gentle movements, belonging to the category of hiramai (ordinary dances, also called bun-no-mai, civil or literary dances).
Its composition is said to have been ordered by a number of Chinese rulers: Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty (r. 604–18); Wu Zetian (Empress Consort Wu, empress regnant 690–705); and, to go back perhaps too far, Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty (r. 141–87 BC). Evidently during the wise rule of this leader, whoever it may have been, a phoenix alighted at the court and proclaimed, ‘Ten thousand years to the wise ruler!” Its cry became the melody of the piece, and its movements became the dance.
The central piece of the dance (tōkyoku, the ‘piece itself’) is also performed in kangen style, without dance. The dance is usually danced by four dancers, but can be performed by six.
Structure of the Dance
The accompaniment for the dance as a whole is made up of three sections: 1. Hyōjō no chōshi, performed as a prelude and to accompany the entrance of the dancers; 2. Tōkyoku (the ‘piece itself’); and 3. Hyōjō no chōshi, performed to accompany the exit of the dancers. During the initial Hyōjō no chōshi, the dancers come onto the stage in turn and perform the derute series of fixed entrance movements. The dancers then dance to the piece itself. The music has the metrical scheme nobe-yahyōshi hyōshi-jū, or 10 cycles of 8 measures of 8/4 meter, with the last 3 cycles using a special percussion pattern called shitone-byōshi. During the final Hyōjō no chōshi, the dancers perform the irute series of fixed exit movements in turn, and leave the stage. When the dancers have left the stage, the wind instruments perform the fukidomeku (closing phrase) to bring the performance to its conclusion.
Costume
The kasane-shozoku (‘layered costume’) for this Dance of the Left is in the typical red color. The dancers wear the outer robe (hō) in katakatanugi style, with the robe off the right shoulder and tucked away, so as to reveal the colors and patterns of the layers underneath: the hanpi vest and right sleeve of the shitagasane.
The dancers each wear a torikabuto (‘bird helmet’), which is said to be modeled on the head of the mythical phoenix. Since it is a civil dance, the dancers do not wear swords.
Points for appreciation
This is a solemn, graceful dance that fills the stage, with a varied melody and movements perhaps suggestive of the dance of the phoenix. It is often performed on felicitous occasions, such as imperial accession ceremonies.
* Manzairaku is also called Yōdai-Manzairaku, using the Japanese reading of the name and title of Emperor Yang of the Sui dynasty.
* ‘Answering dances’ of the Right include Engiraku and Chikyū.
