I’ve heard this piece is supposed to be played occasionally at funerals. I can see it, since at some points, the hichiriki with the flute and shō create such a powerful sound. It reminds me of a shrieking and crying rage of mourning, which fits I guess
Mmm, I don't know much about Japanese culture, but I think in all the religious ceremonies, one thing shinto doesn't deal with is funerals. And this music is supposedly played at shinto shrines. Japanese people can marry shinto style, but funeral is always held buddhist style. There is only one family who conducts shinto funeral; imperial family, so you could have heard from it, I'm not sure. There are different opinions but the court music is said to have originated from Han Dynasty. I guess it's not something Japanese people in general listen to often.
No, from what I know, this is played at weddings. Etenraku (the name of this gagaku composition) is considered a very auspicious piece. If anyone opts for a Shinto wedding like one of my friends did, you'll hear Etenraku played. Similar in a way to the 'Wedding march' song played in Western weddings. Gagaku music is not played at funerals. Instead, Buddhist sutras in Sanskrit are recited, such as 'Haramita shingyo' 般若心経 , or 'Renge kyou' 蓮華経. Some of the chords played by the sho (bamboo pipes) seem to correspond to similar chords played in Western 'suspense music' and in Western music theory, and those chords are considered 'discordant', so anyone who isn't used to hearing these specific chords will probably think gagaku in general sounds 'creepy', but it doesn't hold the same meaning in traditional Japanese musical theory.
