THE KING WHO LOVED MUSIC
People's Artist Bach Hac, Director of the Hue Traditional Royal Arts Theater, said that royal court music gave her many opportunities to go out into the world to interact here and there, but none of them left her as impressed as the two times she performed royal music for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to enjoy. "The two meetings with the Emperor and Empress were exactly 10 years apart and at two locations that bear the mark of traditional royal music, which were the Japanese Imperial Palace and the Hue Imperial City (Hue Ancient Capital). That is an indescribable pride for artists in our profession," People's Artist Bach Hac shared.
Duyet Thi Duong Theater - where the Emperor visited and listened to court music in 2017
According to her, at the end of 2007, during the trip accompanying President Nguyen Minh Triet to an official visit to Japan, the Hue Royal Traditional Arts Theater troupe with 9 members was given priority to perform at the Japanese Imperial Palace. That year, artist Bach Hac was an actor and musician who used the pre-beat clapper to harmonize with the orchestra. After performing the royal music, the troupe continued to perform the typical dance Lan mau xuat lan nhi (mother unicorn gives birth to baby unicorn).
Although it has been 16 years since the first time he met the Emperor, when recounting the story, People's Artist Bach Hac's eyes sparkled with pride and emotion: "After the performance, the Emperor and the royal family present applauded for a long time. Emperor Akihito himself came to meet and shake my hand, and Empress Michiko hugged me and kept praising me... Later I learned that this was the first time a foreign artist had been shaken by the Emperor like that, I was truly moved."
The lion dance was once performed at the Japanese Imperial Palace and even in the ancient capital of Hue for the Japanese Emperor to enjoy.
Emperor Akihito's affection for Hue royal court music was extended when in 2017, during his visit to Vietnam, he visited the Imperial City - the ancient capital of Hue and once again listened to royal court music at Duyet Thi Duong - the first theater built by King Minh Mang in 1826. People's Artist Bach Hac recalled that in 2017, when the Japanese entourage surveyed, she advised on the rituals that the Nguyen Dynasty kings used to welcome heads of state in the past. After visiting the royal court, the Emperor went straight to Duyet Thi Duong theater.
"This time, I did not dance directly but let another artist play the role of the unicorn. After watching, the Emperor came to visit. I replied that artists like us are trying our best to preserve the national cultural identity, researching and exploring to pass on our passion to the younger generation. The Emperor praised, "That's great!", artist Bach Hac said.
K AWAKENING PRIDE
As one of the two artists who performed for the Emperor on both occasions, Mr. Luu Huu Ngoc said that in his first performance at the Japanese Imperial Palace, he was a drummer. The second time he performed at Duyet Thi Duong, Mr. Ngoc played the moon lute. "The first time I performed at the Japanese Imperial Palace, I felt happy for Vietnamese royal music. 10 years later, when the Emperor came to Vietnam, visited Hue and met the musician to listen to royal music again before he abdicated (in 2019), I was proud again," said Mr. Ngoc.
People's Artist Bach Hac commented that Emperor Akihito's interest in Hue royal court music is understandable. Because compared to the royal court music in the land of cherry blossoms (gagaku), Hue royal court music has many similarities. "Understanding this, the first time I came to the Japanese Imperial Palace in 2007, I tried to perform well, turning each movement into a language to introduce Hue royal court culture to Japan. And I was very happy when the whole palace warmly welcomed me. I know I have been somewhat successful in conveying Vietnam's traditional culture to the head of Japan," the female artist shared.
Visit Duyet Thi Duong
People's Artist Bach Hac mentioned that on March 4, 2017, the royal music program for the Emperor only lasted 8 minutes at Duyet Thi Duong Theater to ensure the health of the Emperor and Empress, because at that time both of them were over 80 years old. The performances Tam luan cuu chuyen, Lan mau xuat lan nhi and Luc cung hoa dang had to be shortened. Therefore, by spending an extra 5 minutes to kindly greet the artists after the performance ended, the Emperor's love for royal music moved many people. More than 2 years after his visit to Vietnam, on April 30, 2019, Emperor Akihito officially abdicated, ending the 30-year Heisei Dynasty.
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