Benefits Overview

Traditional Japanese Music and Musical Instruments

When William Malm published his wide-ranging study of traditional Japanese music in 1959, it was the first time in the twentieth century that such work had been carried out in a Western language. Malm's book has still not been replaced as the single most interesting and authoritative text on the subject. But until now it was never revised or updated, nor were its illustrations ever changed. With the present publication, however, an extensively improved edition that includes a CD of sample music has been made available. Professor Malm's aim has always been to attract the layman reader as well as the musicologist, which has given this book its strength and durability. The writing is lively and personal, and is accompanied by a generous number of drawings and photos of players and their instruments. The book opens with a historical outline of Japan's musical life, then moves on to its religious music, Shinto and Buddhist; its court music; the music of the Noh drama; and the music of specific instruments: biwa, shakuhachi, koto, and shamisen. After examining the components of Kabuki music, it closes with a chapter on folk music and the music of other cultures in Japan. And to put all this in a practical context, a CD is provided, giving examples of these different forms. Whether your interest is in a particular form of Japanese music - the marvelous sonority of the bamboo flute, for example - or in music in general, Malm's book will more than satisfy your curiosity.