Hassen
| [Genre] | Gagaku |
Hassen appears on the following albums
| Album | Artist | |
 | Gagaku - The Imperial Court Music of Japan | |
|
Known as the music of the crane dances, it is based on a legend of Central China. Eight hermits (hassen) came down from the mountains to the capitol during the Han Dynasty. The hermits were transformed into four cranes. The four dancers wear masks that represent the faces of cranes. A small bell hangs from each mask and its sound symbolizes the voice of the crane. At one point the four dancers form a circle holding each other's sleeves, representing the flight of the birds. The music is in quadruple form and the basic tone is e.
| ||