What is nohgaku?
A History and an essence of NOH
■Noh
Noh is a classical Japanese performance from which combines elements of dance, drama, music and poetry into one highly aesthetic stage art. Largely based in the cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto, it is performed throughout the country by professional artists, mainly men, who have passed down the art among family members for numerous generations. There is also a wide following of both male and female amateurs who practice and perform its chant, dance and instruments.
･History
Noh developed into its present form during the 14th and 15th centuries under the leadership of the distinguished performer-playwrights Kannami and his son Zeami. Zeami, in particular, wrote numerous plays which are still performed in today’s classical repertory of some 250 plays. He also wrote a number of secret works which explain aesthetic principles governing Noh and given details on how the art should be composed, acted, directed, taught, and produced.
Noh flourished during Zeami’s time under the patronage of the military Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Later during the Edo period (1603-1868), Noh became the official performance art of the military government. Feudal military Lords (Daimyô) throughout the country supported their own troupes and many studied and performed the art themselves.
With the societal reforms of the Meiji period (1868-1912), Noh lost its governmental patronage and was left to fend for itself. Although it nearly died out, enough performers regrouped, found private sponsors, and began teaching the art to amateurs so that it slowly began to flourish again.
Today, like many classical performance forms throughout the world, Noh cannot be described as a popular art among the Japanese people as a whole. Yet its supporters are enthusiastic and its professional performers are highly trained and extremely busy performing and teaching throughout the country. There are today approximately 1,500 professional performers who make their living largely through performing and teaching Noh.
･Types of plays
There are five categories of Noh plays. In order, these feature gods, warriors, beautiful women, miscellaneous (notably mad-women or present time), figures, and supernatural beings. During the Edo period, a full day’s program consisted of the ritual piece Okina-Sanbaso followed by one play from each category in the above order. One Kyôgen play would be presented between each Noh. Of the five categories, the women plays are the slowest in tempo but the most poetic, and of the highest level in expressing yugen, an aesthetic term suggesting quiet elegance and grace, and subtle and fleeting beauty.
･Characters
The main character of a Noh play is called the shite (pronounced sh’tay) who sometimes appears with companion characters called tsure. The secondly actor, the waki, is often a traveling priest whose questioning of the main character is important in developing the story line. He also often appears with companion waki-tsure. An interlude actor called ai or ai-kyôgen also often appears as a local person who gives further background to the waki, and thus to the audience, in order to understand the situation of the shite.
･Masks
Makeup is not used in Noh. Rather, delicately carved masks are usually used by the shite main character and/or the tsure attendant. These masks are considered objects of superb beauty as well as powerful means of expression. Any character being portrayed which is not a middle aged man living in the present will wear a mask. Therefore all characters portraying women and old men wear masks as well as supernatural beings such as ghosts, deities, demons, and divine beasts. In general, masks either have a more or less neutral expression or portray a very strong emotion. The former, in fact, allows the mask a variety of expressions with the play of light and shadow on it as the actor changes slightly the tilt of the mask. Even in roles in which an actor does not wear a mask, the sense of a masked face is evident. This is called hitamen, literally “direct mask.” for this, the actor does not use his face for realistic expression but rather for mask-like expression.
Costumes Costumes in Noh are elaborately made with gorgeously dyed silk. These costumes reveal the type of the character being portrayed and follow prescribed conventions as to their use. Still, there is much variety. The detail of design, the color combination, the richness of texture, and the strength of form give Noh its visual impact. All characters, whether rich or poor, young or old, male or female, are all beautifully costumed. The costuming process is complex. Rather than the actor putting on his own costume, two or three costumers (shite, waki and kyôgen actors)are needed to sculpt the costume on the actor.
■Music of Noh
･Nôkan (A Flute)
Nôkan (a flute for Noh) is a sole wind instrument that made by Môsô bamboo. To make Nôkan, smoke that bamboo until it gets black then divide into 8 parts. Next, remake a cylinder with these parts inside out. After lacquering it, fix with cherry birch. Nôkan has another little bamboo cylinder between blowhole and plate. This is called "Nodo" and the most peculiar part in Nôkan. Nodo breaks down a scale and helps to make a delicate sound. As Nôkan is only melodious instrument in Noh, it is not necessary to turn it to other parts. This device expresses characters' impression also scene.
･Kotsudumi (A Small Hand-Drum)
Two membranes, one shell and linen cord (Shirabe) constitute Kotsudumi. Membranes are horse skins and the shell is cherry wood. This unique drum-sound easily depends on climate. It has better sound on rainy day. Therefore the drummer usually gives the drum moisture breathing on or licking a small paper put on the back membrane which drummer never beats. So, he is the only one who hopes rain on the performing day. Both small and big hand-drums change their sound by slacken Shirabe. Kotsudumi has four different sounds (Chi, Ta, Pu and Po). Please challenge to differentiate this.
･Otsudumi (A Big Hand-Drum)
Otsudumi must be the most painful instrument in the world. Its membranes are the same as Kotsudumi and Taiko, but they do not lacquer. Kotsudumi to the contrary, Otsudumi prefers dry weather, therefore the drum needs to be roasted for 1 or 2 hours before the performance. For this reason, Big Hand-Drummer always comes first to the stage. These membranes can only stand for about ten times and it lasts for 1.5hour. When the programme is over the time, drummer often changes its skins. Otsudumi is placed as a second leader. It decides sound speed and stress, just like a concertmaster in an orchestra when Taiko leaves from the group.
･Taiko (Stick Drum)
Taiko also has two membranes a shell of cherry wood and linen cord (Shirabe). However, Taiko uses two animals' skins. It is covered by horse's skin like other drums, and then put small deer's on the centre, where sticks come down. It is done the same on the other side. Sticks are called as Bachi. These are made by Japanese cypress. When Taiko is ready, it is settled on a stand (Dai) that made of rosewood or ebony. This is mainly played on the second half, but sometimes it joins earlier and finishes before the last. Taiko makes whole performance gorgeous and cheerful but it also has an effect giving serenity to the scene.
■Noh Orchestra
It has no conductor either string. Players give a big chant to keep a time and they also make contact each other. It always starts from a Flute. This is called "Hishigi". Fue is the only instrument that can describe the scenes, characters' feeling and its action. Three drums more concentrate on whole mood. Taiko or Otsudumi makes proper tempo on each scene and leads entire theatre.
At last, I would like to point out another difference to western instrument. All the drums can take in parts. Except flutist, players always bring their tool as pieces and put these all together at every performance.
copyright & written by Shizuko KANZE