Nha Nhac， meaning “elegant music”， refers to a broad range of musical and dance styles performed at the Vietnamese royal court from the fifteenth to the mid-twentieth century. Nha Nhac was generally featured at the opening and closing of ceremonies associated with anniversaries， religious holidays， coronations， funerals and official receptions. Among the numerous musical genres that developed in Vietnam， only Nha Nhac can claim a nationwide scope and strong links with the traditions of other East Asian countries. Nha Nhac performances formerly featured numerous singers， dancers and musicians dressed in sumptuous costumes. Large-scale orchestras included a prominent drum section and many other types of percussion instruments as well as a variety of wind and string instruments. All performers had to maintain a high level of concentration since they were expected to follow each step of the ritual meticulously.

雅樂(lè)直譯為“優(yōu)雅的音樂(lè)”，指的是15—20世紀(jì)中在越南王宮的各種風(fēng)格的音樂(lè)和舞蹈。它在各種慶典儀式的開(kāi)始和結(jié)束時(shí)演出，如周年慶典、宗教節(jié)日、加冕、喪葬或接見(jiàn)儀式等。越南眾多的本土音樂(lè)種類(lèi)中，只有宮廷雅樂(lè)堪稱(chēng)是具有全國(guó)影響、與東亞各國(guó)傳統(tǒng)有著緊密聯(lián)系的音樂(lè)。宮廷雅樂(lè)的演奏需要人數(shù)眾多的樂(lè)師，有時(shí)需要伴舞和伴唱，歌舞演員服飾雍容華貴，衣料質(zhì)地精良。大型樂(lè)隊(duì)由樂(lè)鼓領(lǐng)頭指揮，占據(jù)中心位置，其他包括多種打擊樂(lè)器（排鐘、鑼、鈴鐺和木鈴）和管弦樂(lè)器（笛子、蘆笛、小號(hào)、箏和琵琶。樂(lè)師必須非常專(zhuān)注，以跟隨儀式的各個(gè)步驟。

宮廷雅樂(lè)誕生于黎朝（1427—1788），在阮朝（1802—1945）形成體系和程式，定為王家音樂(lè)。作為王權(quán)和永恒的象征，宮廷雅樂(lè)在每年多達(dá)100個(gè)慶典活動(dòng)中，成為宮廷儀式的主要部分。它的作用不限于宮廷儀式的伴奏，還可以敬奉神靈和國(guó)王，同時(shí)它也傳輸著越南人的哲學(xué)思想和對(duì)宇宙的認(rèn)識(shí)。

Nha Nhac developed during the Le dynasty （1427-1788） and became highly institutionalized and codified under the Nguyen monarchs （1802-1945）. As a symbol of the dynasty’s power and longevity， Nha Nhac became an essential part of the court’s over 100 ceremonies. However， the role of Nha Nhac was not limited to musical accompaniment for court rituals： it also provided a means of communicating with and paying tribute to the gods and kings as well as transmitting knowledge about nature and the universe.