What is so good and interesting about No? Noh theater originated in the 14th century and quickly became fashionable among the samurai and the highest aristocracy of the Tokugawa shogunate. That is, Noh theater was initially aimed at the upper class and was inaccessible to the general public. Nowadays, of course, a Noh theater performance , but still, you need a feeling of being chosen and understanding what is happening on stage, where the slightest nuances are filled with a deep meaning that is incomprehensible to the casual viewer.
Over the centuries, the theater has developed into a powerful national tradition and has been filled with the aesthetic fullness of a museum miniature. Simple, but carrying a deep meaning, the stage decoration emphasizes the depth of feelings of the masks, framed in sometimes colorful, sometimes simple kimonos. Both masks and kimonos are passed down from generation to generation within each school, and masks with a three-hundred-year history are not uncommon. Although masks can be very impressive - like "Hannya" - the mask of an avenging demon - most have a calm, one might even say detached expression, designed to evoke a full range of viewer emotions.
Accompanied by a choir, drums and flutes, the main character or Shite tells stories from the lives of mortals and spirits, gods and demons, battles won and lost, murderers and Buddhist monks of archaic Japan. The archaic language in which the story is told deepens the “great mystery” of the masks.
The performance usually lasts three and a half to five hours and consists of several plays, interrupted by small miniatures from the life of ordinary people - Kyogen, and refined dances of Noh - Shimai plays, designed to emphasize the sublimity of the main action.
Basically, Noh performances are given in special theaters. However, recently, outdoor performances - Takigi - are once again gaining popularity among the Japanese.
Young Woman Mask, Hannya (Avenging Demon Mask), Old Man Mask, Noo Mask
A little history
A country torn apart by internecine wars throughout its existence is unlikely to retain accurate references to the origins of a particular art. But roughly we can say that its theatrical activity began around the seventh century AD. Like the Japanese people themselves, this direction came to the islands through the borders closest to the “mainland” from China, Korea and from the shores of Russia, which then still belonged to the Ainu.
The Ainu are one of the first peoples to inhabit the Japanese islands. At first they lived near the Amur River and in the southern part of the Kamchatka Peninsula. According to the latest census data, the main place of residence of the people at the moment is the island of Hokkaido.
The most ancient forms of Japanese theater are pantomimes (gigaku) and dances (bugaku). Initially, they were performed during religious rites and national holidays. Bugaku exists to this day, but gigaku has lost its significance and has gradually been replaced by new types of pantomimes.
The essence of kabuki theatrical performances
Kabuki theater embodies the values of the Tokugawa era, and it is they that form the basis of the plots. This is, for example, the law of justice, which embodies the Buddhist idea of rewarding the suffering person and the inevitable punishment of the villain. Also the Buddhist idea of the transience of earthly things, when high-born families or powerful leaders fail. The basis of the conflict can often be a clash between Confucian principles such as duties, duty, respect for parents, and personal aspirations.
Makeup and costumes match the roles played by the actors as closely as possible. Most often, the costumes correspond to the fashion of the Tokugawa era, are elegant and highly stylized. Masks are not used in performances; they are replaced by complex makeup that reflects the content of the role. Also in the performances they use wigs, which are classified according to the social status, age and occupation of the characters.
Types of Japanese theater
Considering that this theater honors traditions, its structure has remained virtually unchanged for many generations. There are only a few genres of performance that can be distinguished:
- Nogaku
- Kyogen
- Bunkaru
- Shadow play
- Kabuki
Japanese Nogaku Theater
Initially, only the highest ranks of feudal society could enjoy it, but it has survived to this day, having undergone some changes. It combined two directions: Noh and kyogen, which was mainly played for a simple crowd. If classical Noh theater has a complex plot and expensive decorations, then kyogen usually has comedic scenes that are designed to make the peasants laugh. They are not as elaborate and last much less.
Noh theater was the 14th century AD, when the Ashikaga shogunate ruled. Kanami Kiyotsugu and his son Zeami Motokiyo are considered the progenitor of the genre. Gradually moving away from sarugaku, they managed to create a new genre that is popular hundreds of years later. Both actors dedicated their lives to popularizing their own art.
Sarugaku is a type of farce in Japanese theater consisting primarily of acrobatic elements. It vaguely resembles a modern circus.
It is worth paying attention to the way you express emotions. The actors of the past decided not to develop the acting game of facial expressions, but replaced it with masks - the actor was armed with a whole arsenal of masks, which he changed during the course of the plot, quickly changing the emotion to another. masks were created that changed facial expression depending on the angle - if you look from below, you could see a sad face, and from above, a joyful one. And vice versa. To work with such masks, it was necessary to work with certain angles when acting, which is only possible for an experienced actor.
The plot of the play most often comes from the mouth of the main character. He talks about the events leading up to the main action, and only after that the secondary characters join.
Kyogen
Originally served as a sideshow for nogaku. The latter often involved too much drama. And in order not to spoil the mood of the audience, sometimes small humorous breaks were made in the performance.
These scenes had no impact on the overall plot. And for the most part they were small digressions from the lives of the main characters. There were many everyday situations familiar to the viewer, simple jokes and absurdities.
After World War II, interest in Japan increased slightly. Kyogen became popular in the west and was given more stage time. Over time, it formed a separate genre, which now functions without the support of its “big brother”.
Bunkaru
Theater that is not limited by the gender or age of spectators and performers. Actors tell folk stories and legends about heroes of the past in the form of large dolls. The plots of this genre often consisted of mystical and legendary events. It is easier to create unimaginable images from dolls, of which there are more than enough in the folklore of the land of the rising sun. Gradually changing structurally - live actors began to wedge themselves into the action - bunkaru turned into an incredible show with colorful images and an abundance of different music.
Japanese shadow theater
The most popular art of medieval Japan. True, he came from China , but he assimilated perfectly and became part of another culture. Initially, the fundamental difference was the use of paper dolls alone, which were controlled by actors who moved them with bamboo sticks from below. But after some time, people began to participate as the main characters.
The action took place on a large canvas made of paper fabric. At some distance from it there was a light source, which cast the shadows of the dolls onto the canvas itself. The “Heroes” danced and sang songs about their adventures, battles with opponents and evil Oni spirits.
They - in Shintoism - are huge anthropomorphic demons with horns and fangs. The skin is usually red, black or blue. They live in the Japanese version of hell - jigoku. Fierce warriors who possess cunning and cunning, which is why they often take on human form.
Kabuki
Fundamentally male Japanese theater. It was he who went farthest outside the country and became popular among foreigners. It is noteworthy that even if there is a female character in the scene, she is still played by a man . Perhaps this came from the military campaigns of the samurai, when they had to leave home for many months, but the craving for art could not remain. It consists of dance and vocal parts. They go inextricably from each other, harmoniously complementing every aspect of the performance.
There is a detailed article about this theater on our website: here.
Noh theater masks
For the most part, Noh masks are not tied to any specific role, but are widely used in different plays for different roles. Noh masks , which are often said to lack individuality in expression, combined with the actor's deeply symbolic movements and monotonous music create a unique artistic atmosphere. Masks are an essential attribute of drama. The great thing about Noh masks is that they REALLY CONVEY emotions. Feelings of joy and anger, humor and pathos, are expressed by a subtle change in tilt when applying the mask to the face, the play of light on the stage, the dramatic recitative of the choir - Utai and the accompaniment of drums and flutes - Hayashi. At first glance, Noh masks do not convey any emotions, however, in fact, they contain enormous potential, revealed by the actor on stage.
Today there are about 200 masks, most of which are made from Japanese cypress. Some individual masks (such as Okina) are used only for certain roles and appear only once or twice a year. It is interesting to note that different schools (directions) of Noh use different masks and kimonos for the same roles.
The attractiveness of Noh theater is that the masks express the “pure” emotions of the characters, without the impurities and influences of the actors’ own faces. So if you are looking for “pure” emotions, then sooner or later you will find yourself at a BUT performance.
Historical reference
History dates the emergence of national theatrical art in Japan to approximately the 7th century. It came from neighboring countries of the East: from Chinese, Korean, Indian, Persian, Tibetan expanses. In many ways, theatrical performances of that time are associated with religious beliefs: shamanism, Taoism, Confucianism, the Shinto religion, but most of all with Buddhist teachings.
Two types of art came to Japan first:
- gigaku - pantomimes;
- Bugaku - dancing.
They were performed during religious festivals, folk festivals, and later won a separate stage, becoming a kind of theater. Gigaku existed until the 10th century, but then it was overthrown from the theatrical stage by other, more sophisticated types of pantomime. Bugaku still exists.
Theatrical talents were passed on from generation to generation: often the children of actors inherited their profession, and a whole dynasty was formed. Thanks to this, the whole world can get acquainted with the masterpieces of this art and get to know the original Japanese soul through the prism of theater.
Bunraku
Bunraku is a great entertainment for children and their parents, because it is a puppet theater and an enchanting musical performance in one package. Fairy-tale, mythical and folklore motifs come to life here.
The story began with the fictional princess Joruri, who became the main character of the ballads that formed the basis of the productions. At first there were no dolls - the monks performed songs, then the ensemble was supplemented by musicians, and the stories were accompanied by pictures. Only later were the images replaced with real figures.
The narrator is the main character, he is called gidayu here. It tells the story of events and also creates additional sound, such as creaking or rustling. The height of the dolls reaches one and a half meters.
In Bunraku, the puppets are controlled by actors in black robes with a hood - so they do not distract the audience from the magic happening on the stage.
Search for words by mask and definition
The sunrise over the old outport in Le Havre made an indelible impression not only on this artist, but on the entire world of painting.
The name of this Egyptian god translated means “opener”, because. it was believed that it “opens the mouth” of the gods and opens the day at sunrise.
The god of light, appearing over the mountains before sunrise in ancient Roman mythology.
An animal greeting the sunrise with a whistle.
Film actress who won an Oscar for Best Actress in 1928 in the films 7th Heaven, Angel in the Street and Sunrise.
Bright illumination of the horizon before sunrise or after sunset.
In 1907, he was awarded the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun - in recognition of the heroism of Russian sailors, becoming one of the first Russians to receive this order.
At the very dawn of civilization, a person waited for the sun to rise, and as soon as its edge appeared, he walked towards it until it completely rose above the horizon, but what was the distance traveled called?
Son of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Citizen of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Russian writer, author of the stories “Before Sunrise”, “The Tale of Reason”.
Time before sunrise.
A scientist studying the Land of the Rising Sun.
This European dance goes back to the sun cult revered in ancient times.
Who professionally studies the Land of the Rising Sun?
In Chinese mythology, a huge ten-headed beast opens the gates for the rising sun.
Science about the land of the rising sun.
A set of scientific disciplines that study the land of the rising sun.
Number of definitions found: 19
Source
Theater shadows
Shadow theater has its roots in ancient times. The place of its origin is considered to be Asia, and it reached its greatest prosperity in China. This is where Japanese shadow theater came from.
Initially, the performances used figures cut out of paper or leather. The stage was a wooden frame covered with white cloth, behind which the actors were hiding, operating the figures and singing. Using directional light, character-figures were reflected on the screen.
Shadow theater in different areas had its own types of figures and repertoire of songs performed.
