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Kitoku Kyu

貴徳急

[Genre]Gagaku
[Style]Bugaku

Kitoku Kyu appears on the following albums

Album Artist
Play ButtonTraditional Music of Japan, The - 01
Kitoku is a dance piece belonging to the Right Dance (Korean Dance). It is said that Kitoku was the name of a Chinese lord of the Han Dynasty who controlled Hun (the present Mongolia). This piece was composed in memory of his victory over that land. Another opinion, historically more credible, is that this piece originated in Manchuria and was introduced to Japan through Korea. The dance is performed by a dancer wearing a special costume and a mask with a high bridged nose. Two assistant dancers who act as the attendants of the lord, stand on the side of the stage and bring, a halberd to the lord.

The piece consists of two movements called Ha and Kyu, which are the two last parts of the previously mentioned Jo-Ha-Kyu form of Bugaku. Ha is played in 4/4 and Kyu in 2/2. The Kyu forms three parts, the first (8 measures) introducing the main theme, the second (8 measures) presents an inserted melody, and the third (16 measures) gives the secondary theme. Instrumentation is in the' previously mentioned style of Right Dance accompaniment; Komabue (flute), Hichiriki, San-no-tsuzumi (side drum), Shoko (gong) and Taiko (big drum)