Meriyasu is a type of music used in kabuki theatre performances in Japan.
Originally derived from the Portuguese word meias, meaning a stretchy material (and still used today to refer to knitted garments), [1] meriyasu came to denote a form of theatrical music which expanded and contracted in order to fit the events unfolding on stage. [2] Played on the shamisen, meriyasu interludes are generally called for to accompany sections of dialogue. As a result, they are usually instrumental solos, rather than songs. [3] Despite this, the genre is still classified as a subset of nagauta ("long song") music. [4] [5]
Meriyasu is a type of music used in kabuki theatre performances in Japan.
Originally derived from the Portuguese word meias, meaning a stretchy material (and still used today to refer to knitted garments), [1] meriyasu came to denote a form of theatrical music which expanded and contracted in order to fit the events unfolding on stage. [2] Played on the shamisen, meriyasu interludes are generally called for to accompany sections of dialogue. As a result, they are usually instrumental solos, rather than songs. [3] Despite this, the genre is still classified as a subset of nagauta ("long song") music. [4] [5]