Etenraku
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}
{{Italic title|reason=:Category:Japanese words and phrases}}
{{nihongo|Etenraku|越天楽||literally music brought from heaven{{cite book|last=Schuller|first=Gunther |title=Musings: The Musical Worlds of Gunther Schuller|publisher=Oxford University Press US|date=1989|isbn=0-19-505921-2}}}} is a Japanese gagaku melody and dance. It is usually played with a hichiriki or ryūteki,{{cite book|last1=Hiscock|first1=Chris|last2=Metcalfe |first2=Marian |last3=Murray |first3=Andy |title=New music matters 11-14 |publisher=Heinemann |date=1999 |isbn=0-435-81091-X |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OZBvAEQdgYEC&dq=etenraku&pg=PT53}} and is accompanied by other traditional instruments such as the shō, koto and kakko.
History
The origin of Etenraku is not fully known. There are theories that the melody was created in Japan, but others believe that it is from Khotan, a tributary state of the Tang dynasty that became part of the repertoire of the Chinese court.{{cite book|last=Picken|first=Laurence|title=Music from the Tang Court|publisher=CUP Archive|date=1990|isbn=0-521-34776-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Lgs4AAAAIAAJ&dq=etenraku&pg=PA119}}
During the Heian period, a gagaku form known as {{nihongo|imayō|今様||literally modern style}} became popular. In this form, poems would be sung using melodies. Etenraku was one of the most popular melodies to be used in imayō.
In 1931 Hidemaro Konoye arranged an orchestral version of the piece, and it was later picked up by Leopold Stokowski.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/11/20/archives/kreisler-soloist-with-stokowski-he-plays-the-brahms-violin-concerto.html|title=KREISLER SOLOIST WITH STOKOWSKI|last=Downes|first=Olin|date=1935-11-20|work=The New York Times|accessdate=27 November 2009}}
These days, Etenraku is often performed at wedding ceremonies.{{cite book|last=Malm|first=William P. |title=Traditional Japanese music and musical instruments|publisher=Kodansha International|date=2000|isbn=4-7700-2395-2|url=https://archive.org/details/traditionaljapan0000malm|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/traditionaljapan0000malm/page/115 115]|quote=etenraku.}}
Melody
There are different versions of Etenraku in three of the modes of gagaku - hyōjō, ōshiki, and banshikicho.{{cite book|last=Tokita|first=Alison |author2=David W. Hughes|title=The Ashgate research companion to Japanese music By |publisher=Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|date=2008|isbn=978-0-7546-5699-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W2JTgQGc99EC&dq=etenraku&pg=RA1-PA172}} The banshikicho version is purported to be the oldest of the melodies, but the hyōjō version is best known in Japan.{{cite web|url=http://www.komuso.com/pieces/Banshikicho_Etenraku.html|title=Banshikicho Etenraku|publisher=The International Shakuhachi Society|accessdate=27 November 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013064606/http://www.komuso.com/pieces/Banshikicho_Etenraku.html|archive-date=13 October 2008|url-status=dead}}