Theatre Genres I
Theatre genres of Japan, which include dance, music, and acting, have long histories. Largely unchanged for hundreds of years, they are nonetheless popular today. Three of the primary theatre genres are noh, bunraku, and kabuki.
Noh
The philosophy behind Noh, Japan's classical theatre genre, grew out of Zen Buddhism. Supported by the samurai class, noh is one of the most important genres of hogaku. It has greatly influenced many other forms of Japanese music..
Noh was created by Kan'ami Kiyotsugu (1333-1384) and his son Zeami Motokiyo (1363-1443). They ingeniously combined pre-existing theatrical and musical elements to create a new art form with its own fundamental aesthetics. Noh is refined, symbolic, and highly stylized, conveying a profound theatrical experience with the most economical of materials.
The noh stage consists of a main stage, a side stage for the chorus, a rear stage for the musicians, and a long covered passageway. A giant pine tree is painted on the wall behind the musicians. It represents the tree through which noh was transmitted from heaven to man. No additional scenery or curtains are required; however, simple props symbolize boats, wagons, houses, etc. Noh themes often draw from mythology or ancient stories. Traditional performances last all day and include five full plays, usually comprised of two acts, with comic interludes called kyōgen.
There are three types of noh actors: the shite, the waki and the kyōgen. The shite is the principal actor. He dances, sings, and acts a different role in each scene. The waki plays supporting roles, and the kyōgen provide comic interludes. Because actors often wear masks they represent emotions through symbolic gestures which are familiar to an educated audience.
The music of Noh includes an instrumental ensemble called hayashi, a chorus, and solos sung by the actors. The four instruments of the ensemble include three drums, the ko-tsuzimi, o-tsuzumi and taiko, and a seven-holed transverse bamboo flute called the noh-kan. The flute is the only melodic instrument aside from the voice, but its melody is very different from the singer's. Rather than long lines, it plays short motifs related to the action on stage.
The ko-tsuzumi is a small hourglass-shaped drum with two heads made of horsehide. The smallest, yet most important drum of the hayashi, is the ko-tsuzumi. The player plays the drum on his right shoulder, hitting the front skin with his right-hand fingers. Squeezing the ropes that connect the heads of the drum to the body regulates the pitch of the drum. The o-tsuzumi is a larger hourglass-shaped drum, also bearing horsehide heads. The player holds the drum on the left knee, striking it with a hard paper thimble over his middle finger. Before a performance, the drum heats over a charcoal fire for an hour, creating a dry, crisp timbre. The taiko has two cowhide heads, and unlike the other two drums, is played on a stand and struck with two wooden sticks. These different drums simultaneously play distinct drum patterns to create a layered effect.
Rhythm is tremendously important in Noh. Each drum carries about two hundred rhythmic patterns played in eight-beat phrases. The result is a beautiful synthesis of free and metered rhythm which persists among the instruments and between the instruments and voices. Noh vocal style is most like shomyo with its rhythmically free, recitative phrases and melodies.
Although Bon is a religious festival in Japan, most Bon dancing songs are now secular in nature.
