Rise of the Koto: The Transformation of Musical Texture in Japanese Tegotomono Open Access

Abstract

This thesis explores how the rising importance of the Japanese koto in the soukyoku-jiuta subgenre of tegotomono led to a shift in overall musical texture from homophony to instances of heterophony and polyphony within the subgenre. This transformation is paralleled by the koto, originally optional in the ensemble, becoming an indispensable member of the tegotomono ensemble by the end of the Edo period. Both the koto and shamisen have extensive, celebrated repertoires in their respective genres of soukyoku and jiuta, but tegotomono brings the two together. This combination of koto and shamisen was an unexpected innovation, because the koto was a historically high-brow instrument and the shamisen low-brow. Despite this surprising collaboration, both instruments became indispensable members of what is now considered the canon tegotomono ensemble, and the subgenre displays influences from the repertoires of both the koto and shamisen. Four representative works of tegotomono are analyzed in this thesis to track the shift in both musical texture and how the koto directly relates to this change. Defining features in tegotomono that depict this change include the koto creating a more complex texture as its musical lines drift away from homophony, increasingly elaborate compositions, and most importantly, motifs akin to call-and-response called kake-ai.

Table of Contents

List of Figures & Tables

A Note on the Japanese Language

Introduction....................................................1

Chapter I. History of the Koto and Tegotomono.....5

Chapter II. Structure of Tegotomono...................14

Chapter III. Analysis........................................25

Conclusion......................................................50

Appendices

Appendix A: Glossary of Terms..........................52

Appendix B: Sheet Music Notation.......................56

Bibliography...................................................58

Discography....................................................60

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Asian and Asian American Studies
Degree	BA
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	History, Asia, Australia and Oceania Music
Keyword	Japan Koto Shamisen Music Jiuta Heterophony Tegotomono Sokyoku East Asian Studies
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Ravina, Mark, Emory University
Committee Members	Krakauer, Benjamin S, Emory University Bertrand, Lynn Wood, Emory University

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