https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUhtCLKFMx0

This performance comes from Japan. The Dance of the Ghost is an example of nō, a type of Japanese musical theater in which musicians play for an actor who dances along with the music. The instrumentation includes the ōtsuzumi (the higher pitched “hip drum”) and kotsuzumi (the lower pitched “shoulder drum”) as well as the fue (flute), which plays at the beginning and the end of the piece. The drummers play steadily with the beat, sometimes playing on the “and” of beats, and the meter remains clear throughout the song. In the video, you can see the drummer using two obviously different types of hits used on the ōtsuzumi; a hard slap hit more towards the edge of the drum head has a very harsh bang and a soft tap, more towards the center of the drum that creates a softer, warmer sounding thud. Throughout the piece, the drummers also sing along with the lead vocalist yelling out “iyō’o” or “yo” repeatedly throughout the song. The “iyō’o” sound is used throughout the song to emphasize an important beat or to syncopate around one. 

I chose this song because I think it is an interesting example of Japanese theater. The Dance of the Ghost, despite being from East Asia, sounds nothing like the theatrical traditions of surrounding nations. The piece maintains the minimalist style of traditional Japanese music and creates a very interesting “feel” for the theatrical dance that accompanies it.