Masato Tajino

Hayashi

A 'hayashi' is a group of performers who provide musical accompaniment for Japanese Noh or kabuki theatre. In Noh, they are purely instrumentalists; the type of instruments featured and the order in which they sit on stage follow established practices. The leftmost performer plays a small taiko, set on a stand before him, with two drumsticks. To his right is the ōtsuzumi hip drum, followed by the kotsuzumi shoulder drum, and the Noh flute. In kabuki, a number of shamisen players are added, along with, depending on the play, taiko drums of various sizes, various types of flutes, and other instruments, including a myriad of devices for sound effects. This composition for clarinet choir includes Eb clarinet, 3 Bb clarinets, alto clarinet, bass clarinet, contra alto and contrabass clarinets and optional percussion.