Gosho-raku

The name of a Gagaku piece. It is also called "Gojoraku". It is in the Tang style and the Heijo style. It is known in both Bugaku and Kangen styles, and has other names and characters such as "Tenkan Gojoraku", "Tenshuku Gojoraku", "Reigigaku", and "Goseigaku". It is said to have been written by Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty (reigned 627-650) or the First Emperor of Qin (reigned 246-210 BC), and expresses the five virtues of human beings, benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trustworthiness, in the five tones of the Kyusho Kakucho. It originally consisted of six chapters: Heijo style, Jo, Ei, Ha, Kyu, and Iria-ya. Only three movements, Jo, Ha, and Kyu, remain, which is rare among Gagaku pieces. It is said that in the Ei, which no longer exists, the dancer recited the words. The dance is performed by four people in Ban'e (or Kasane) costumes. The dancers make their entrance by dancing the Zurute to the rhythm, and after dancing the main piece (Jo, Ha, Kyu), they perform the Iriaya dance and exit while the Kyū are played repeatedly. The whole piece is filled with the elegance of the imperial court, and the Iriaya dance in particular is magnificent. The pair of dances are "Totenraku" and "Chikyu". In Kangen, the Kyū in particular is simple and familiar, and is famous along with "Etenraku".

[Yoko Hashimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

雅楽の曲名。「ごじょうらく」ともいう。唐楽(とうがく)、平調(ひょうじょう)。舞楽、管絃(かんげん)の両方があり、異名・別字に「天観五常楽」「天祝五常楽」「礼儀楽(れいぎがく)」「五聖楽」など。唐の太宗（在位627～650）の作とも、秦(しん)の始皇帝（在位前246～前210）の作ともいわれ、人間の行うべき仁義礼智(ち)信の五つの徳を宮商角徴羽(きゅうしょうかくちう)の五声に当てはめて表したもの。元来は「平調調子」「序」「詠」「破」「急」「入綾(いりあや)」の6章からなり、雅楽曲のなかでは珍しく序・破・急の3楽章が現存する。いまはない詠では舞人が詞(し)を吟じたという。舞は四人舞で蛮絵(ばんえ)（または襲(かさね)）装束。舞人は調子で出手(ずるて)を舞い入場、当曲（序・破・急）を舞ったのち、急を重ねて奏するうちに入綾を舞い退場する。全体に王朝の風雅にあふれ、とくに入綾の舞ぶりはみごとである。番舞(つがいまい)は『登天楽(とうてんらく)』『地久(ちきゅう)』。管絃ではとくに急が簡素で親しみやすく、『越天楽(えてんらく)』とともに有名。

［橋本曜子］

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