Japanese Classical-events deze week in Riga

Japanese classical music, primarily known as Hogaku, represents a sophisticated tradition rooted in the imperial courts and Buddhist temples of ancient Japan. The genre is characterized by a unique instrumentation featuring the thirteen-stringed koto zither, the three-stringed shamisen lute, and the meditative shakuhachi bamboo flute. Rhythmically, it adheres to the Jo-ha-kyu structure—a movement from a slow, deliberate start to a rapid climax—while emphasizing the aesthetic concept of 'Ma,' or the artistic use of silence between notes. Its mood is often contemplative and nature-oriented, serving as a foundational pillar for Japanese cultural identity and maintaining a distinct semantic separation from the polyphonic structures of Western art music.