Final performance - Final performance

The title of a Gagaku piece. It is a purely instrumental piece with no dance, and belongs to the Kangen style of Chinese music. It is in the Banshiki style, but there are also some Watashimono (a type of transposed piece) pieces in the Oushiki style. The Ryumei-sho and Kyokunsho say that Kenmotsu Yoriyoshi composed this piece by imperial order at the Daijo-e ceremony of Emperor Gosanjo (reigned 1068-72), and that the Minister of the Left, Minamoto no Toshifusa, had it published because there were few pieces in the Banshiki style. The Daijo-e ceremony is the first Niijo-e ceremony held after the Emperor ascends to the throne, and is an important ceremony to give thanks to the gods for the grain harvest of that year. It is thought that a piece in the autumnal Banshiki style was needed to hold a grand banquet. The title of the piece is said to be a reference to the birthday of the Chinese emperor, "Sen'akiraku-setsu." Because the melody is gentle and sad, it is often used at funerals and mourning ceremonies, and is also used to solemnly conclude Buddhist memorial services. Pieces in the Huangzhong style are more common than those in the Banshoku style, and because they have no special meaning and the melody is simple, they are also played at concerts. The terms "Sen'akiraku," "Raku," and "Rakubi," which are commonly used to refer to the final day of a sumo or kabuki performance, originate from this, but in kabuki, it is also written as "Sen'akiraku," to avoid the "fire" character in the character for "autumn."

[Yoko Hashimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

雅楽の曲名。舞はなく純粋な器楽曲で唐楽管絃(かんげん)に属す。盤渉(ばんしき)調だが渡物(わたしもの)（一種の移調曲）に黄鐘(おうしき)調のものもある。『龍鳴抄』『教訓抄』には、後三条(ごさんじょう)天皇（在位1068～72）の大嘗会(だいじょうえ)のとき、監物頼吉(けんもつよりよし)が勅命により作曲し、それを左大臣源俊房が盤渉調の曲は数少ないからという理由で発表させた、とある。大嘗会とは即位後初めて行う新嘗会(しんじょうえ)のことで、その年の穀物の収穫を神に感謝する重要な儀礼。饗宴(きょうえん)を盛大に催すため、秋の調子である盤渉調の曲が必要となったと考えられる。曲名は中国皇帝の誕生日「千秋楽節」にちなんだものともいう。曲調が穏やかで哀感を帯びるので、葬礼・弔事にしばしば用いられるほか、仏事法要では最後を厳かに締めくくるのに使われる。黄鐘調の曲は盤渉調の曲より一般的で、特別な意味はなく、旋律も平明なため演奏会でも奏される。俗に相撲(すもう)や歌舞伎(かぶき)などで興行の最終日を「千秋楽」「楽(らく)」「楽日(らくび)」というのはこれに由来するが、歌舞伎では「秋」の字の「火」を嫌って「千龝楽」とも書く。

［橋本曜子］

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