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Noh Theatre
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Noh Theatre
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Noh Theater
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Noh Theater
  • Order:
  • Duration: 2:33
  • Published: 01 Oct 2006
  • Uploaded: 29 Aug 2011
  • Author: dadaism03
A scene from Noh performed in Tokyo, Japan.
http://wn.com/Noh_Theater
Japanese Culture Styling: Noh - 能
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Japanese Culture Styling: Noh - 能
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  • Duration: 3:42
  • Published: 30 Jan 2008
  • Uploaded: 02 Sep 2011
  • Author: muzex
Besides the dancer, the music group of Noh with 8 persons was divided into 2 even groups. 4 persons sang and 4 persons played instruments. The music is full of the mystery. Filmed @ Tokyo, Jan. 30, 08.
http://wn.com/Japanese_Culture_Styling_Noh__能
Noh play
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Noh play
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  • Duration: 2:51
  • Published: 26 May 2008
  • Uploaded: 01 Sep 2011
  • Author: japanwander
Noh play at Ikebana Festival, Osaka
http://wn.com/Noh_play
Noh performance
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Noh performance
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  • Duration: 2:31
  • Published: 24 Nov 2006
  • Uploaded: 28 Aug 2011
  • Author: masomase
Me performing in a traditional Japanese noh play. My act is called Yourou.
http://wn.com/Noh_performance
Kashu-Juku Noh Theater
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Kashu-Juku Noh Theater
Kashu-Juku Noh Theater www.japansociety.org Noh & Kyogen with Live Music In conjunction with Carnegie Hall's JapanNYC festival Thursday, March 24, 7:30 PM Friday, March 25, 7:30 PM Saturday, March 26, 7:30 PM Encounter the theater form developed and preserved since the 14th century! Kyoto-based Kashu-juku Noh Theater, led by Katayama Shingo of the prestigious Katayama noh family, is joined by kyogen actors from the Shigeyama family in providing this rare opportunity for American audiences to experience the 600-year-old tradition of noh and kyogen performed back-to-back. In Japanese with English subtitles. The program includes: MAI-BAYASHI: Literally meaning "dance & music," a mai-bayashi is a solo dance depicting the climax of a famous noh play. This program features the ferocious battle scene from Yashima. KYOGEN: Boshibari (Tied to a Pole) Tied up by their master, two servants are thwarted in drinking his sake. How will the two rascals get a hold of their beloved beverage again? NOH: Aoi no Ue (Lady Aoi) In this famous adaptation of a story from the classic novel The Tale of Genji, the jealous Lady Rokujo--who had sent a spirit to possess Genji's wife, Aoi--is confronted in combat by a Buddhist monk intent on saving her soul. Pre-Performance Lecture: One hour before all show times, free to ticket holders. www.japansociety.org
http://wn.com/Kashu-Juku_Noh_Theater
Noh Theatre Masks
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Noh Theatre Masks
Here I show a compilation of some Noh Japanese theatre masks I dont have images of every mask so I put what I had. Hope u like it
http://wn.com/Noh_Theatre_Masks
Kabuki / Noh Theatre
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Kabuki / Noh Theatre
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  • Duration: 2:39
  • Published: 27 Mar 2007
  • Uploaded: 03 Sep 2011
  • Author: anotherpg
Kabuki / Noh theatre in Tokyo for EO event
http://wn.com/Kabuki_/_Noh_Theatre
Noh play Odaiba Tokyo part 1
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Noh play Odaiba Tokyo part 1
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  • Duration: 2:00
  • Published: 08 Aug 2007
  • Uploaded: 30 Jul 2011
  • Author: murasakiryu
noh play japan tokyo odaiba
http://wn.com/Noh_play_Odaiba_Tokyo_part_1
MST3K Noh Theater Host Segment
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MST3K Noh Theater Host Segment
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  • Duration: 1:58
  • Published: 01 Jul 2006
  • Uploaded: 03 Sep 2011
  • Author: HBKFan75
From Mystery Science Theater 3000 Episode 819 - Invasion of the Neptune Men. Mike confuses the bots regarding Japanese theater.
http://wn.com/MST3K_Noh_Theater_Host_Segment
Noh Dance
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Noh Dance
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  • Duration: 0:54
  • Published: 12 Dec 2007
  • Uploaded: 29 Aug 2011
  • Author: kystelnacht
Basically a part of class I learnt a simple Noh Dance and got to do it in costume
http://wn.com/Noh_Dance
Noh Theatre 『復活の日』
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Noh Theatre 『復活の日』
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  • Duration: 1:51
  • Published: 22 Oct 2008
  • Uploaded: 07 Jun 2011
  • Author: raku6481
a modern theatrical noh at Taman Budaya Surakarta 19 October 2008 Titlen Når vi døde vågner (復活の日/when we dead awaken) By: Henrik Ibsen Script-directed: Mitsuya Mori Noh Composition: Reijiro Tsumura Cast Irene: Reijiro Tsumura (Noh Actor) Alnold Rubek: Koji Okukawa (Noh Actor) Maia: Yu Mizuno (Modern Actress) Ulfheim: Masaru Ikeda (Modern Actor) Musicians Flute: Yusuke Kuribayashi Small Drum: Masahiro Sakata Large Drum: Shonosuke Okura, Yoshio Ueno Chorus: Nobuo Nakasho, Keigo Suzuki, Takashi Kuwata Staff Artistic Designer: Ben Uchiyama Lighting Designer: Takashi Takei (TAKE STUDIO) Costumes: Ai Higuchi Stage Designer: Hyoue Ichikawa Assistant Director: Junko Nakagawa Coordinator: Hiromi Kubota (Manohara co.,ltd) Translator: Albertus Prasetyo Heru Nugroho Assistant Producer: Nobutaka Kurihara Head Producer: Toshiyuki Natori Production: Theatre Office Natori This story tells about Rubek, a sculptor, who became famous through his masterpiece entitled "Resurrection Day". Together with his wife who is still young, Maia, he returned to their hometown in the north of the country. However, dissatisfaction about the self existence was felt by him. At the time then appears Irene, a model in his earlier works, in a ghostly figure. She tried Rubeks past as a sculptor and then they climbed the mountain to welcome the shimmering dawn. However, the storm throws the mountains and they both buried by landslide snow that arise with the monstrous heavy voice. From the down of the <b>...</b>
http://wn.com/Noh_Theatre_『復活の日』
Traditional Japanese Noh Music-Gaku
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Traditional Japanese Noh Music-Gaku
This is for everyone who loves traditional japanese music as much as i do :)
http://wn.com/Traditional_Japanese_Noh_Music-Gaku
all about noh
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all about noh
  • Order:
  • Duration: 1:31
  • Published: 27 Jun 2006
  • Uploaded: 26 Aug 2010
  • Author: daemonneko
one day everybody suddenly starts to care about noh and decided they want to learn it. O_o note: the two performers were also the ones who performed in the play: unravel noh.
http://wn.com/all_about_noh
Seong Yul Noh 2010 Swing in Biz Hub Style Swing Vision Slow Motion with golfcentraldaily.com
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Seong Yul Noh 2010 Swing in Biz Hub Style Swing Vision Slow Motion with golfcentraldaily.com
  • Order:
  • Duration: 0:28
  • Published: 14 Aug 2010
  • Uploaded: 31 Aug 2011
  • Author: doctordonal
We caught up with PGA Championship contender Seong Yul Noh at the 2010 Irish Open to film his swing in slow motion with the Casio Ex-f1 biz hub style swing vision camera
http://wn.com/Seong_Yul_Noh_2010_Swing_in_Biz_Hub_Style_Swing_Vision_Slow_Motion_with_golfcentraldailycom
能noh
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能noh
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  • Duration: 4:00
  • Published: 03 Aug 2008
  • Uploaded: 13 Jun 2011
  • Author: artmnet0
report 土蜘蛛tsychigumo(spider limbed monster) :鬼退治物detail--- en.wikipedia.org study-- www2.ntj.jac.go.jp classic Japanese musical drama deals with spirits, ghosts, phantasms, and supernatural worlds. Time is often depicted as passing in a non-linear fashion, and action may switch between two or more timeframes from moment to moment...etc
http://wn.com/能noh
Noh Alam Shah - Bicycle kick, tendangan salto AREMA vs PERSEMA by BWcell.mp4
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Noh Alam Shah - Bicycle kick, tendangan salto AREMA vs PERSEMA by BWcell.mp4
  • Order:
  • Duration: 1:22
  • Published: 04 Feb 2010
  • Uploaded: 27 Aug 2011
  • Author: MrBwcell
mantabbb....
http://wn.com/Noh_Alam_Shah__Bicycle_kick,_tendangan_salto_AREMA_vs_PERSEMA_by_BWcellmp4
Seung Yul Noh practicing his swing US open 2011
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Seung Yul Noh practicing his swing US open 2011
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  • Duration: 2:53
  • Published: 24 Jul 2011
  • Uploaded: 03 Sep 2011
  • Author: terryrowles
noh practice.avi
http://wn.com/Seung_Yul_Noh_practicing_his_swing_US_open_2011
noh FUNABENKEI
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noh FUNABENKEI
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  • Duration: 7:24
  • Published: 14 May 2009
  • Uploaded: 26 Aug 2011
  • Author: uncoan
能楽 [船弁慶] 抜粋 (後シテ) 第五回 若者能 公演記録 (2009.1.10喜多六平太記念能楽堂) 喜多流能楽師の若きシテ方 塩津圭介を中心に大学生など若者たちによって主催される[若者能]の記録。能楽は見るものではない、感じるものだ。 前シテ 井上真也 後シテ 塩津圭介 子方 井上大風 ワキ 則久英志 間狂言 山本則秀 笛 藤田貴寛 小鼓 森貴史 大鼓 大倉慶之助 太鼓 林雄一郎 撮影 鈴木亮 製作 若者能実行委員会
http://wn.com/noh_FUNABENKEI
Linton Kwesi Johnson - It Noh Funny
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Linton Kwesi Johnson - It Noh Funny
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  • Duration: 3:43
  • Published: 12 Jul 2009
  • Uploaded: 04 Sep 2011
  • Author: mikerasta84p
It noh funny rasta 1 love to LKJ n this awesum tune..... from the album "Forces of Victory" a trully classic 4 the I!!! enjoy ma bredrens n sistrens paix!!!!
http://wn.com/Linton_Kwesi_Johnson__It_Noh_Funny
Seung Yul Noh's swing 2010 Ⅱ
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Seung Yul Noh's swing 2010 Ⅱ
Before & After lessons by coach Hyunjee Chun(LPGA T&CP Class A and Ph. D). The Memorial Tournament vs. US OPEN
http://wn.com/Seung_Yul_Noh's_swing_2010_Ⅱ
Noh Mask Carving (Japanology excerpt)
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Noh Mask Carving (Japanology excerpt)
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  • Duration: 5:28
  • Published: 12 Jan 2010
  • Uploaded: 03 Sep 2011
  • Author: Daibusshi
This clip from Japanology focuses on the creation of a female Noh Mask by the sculptor Hori Yasuemon I. Mask subtleties are described by Mitsue Nakamura.
http://wn.com/Noh_Mask_Carving_Japanology_excerpt
Ika Noh Id Ginawo by Abraham Edwin
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Ika Noh Id Ginawo by Abraham Edwin
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  • Duration: 4:22
  • Published: 13 Feb 2007
  • Uploaded: 07 Aug 2011
  • Author: gmbest85
It was my favourite love song..i learnd this song when 1st time i heard that.. SHE like me when SHE heard im sang this song..wow!! SHE become my GF,im so happy,so romantic..but suddenly SHE's gone.. Gone..Gone...I hope to see her again..
http://wn.com/Ika_Noh_Id_Ginawo_by_Abraham_Edwin
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Seong Yul Noh 2010 Swing in Biz Hub Style Swing Vi­sion Slow Mo­tion with golfcentraldaily.​com
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能noh
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South Korean Noh Seung-yul
photo: AP / Andy Wong
South Korean Noh Seung-yul
Noh cadang insurans untuk ternakan, tanaman Noh. Noh. Korea's Seung-yul Noh South Korean Noh Seung-yul Seung-yul Noh of Korea makes his way to the 18th green during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament Landsat image of Mono Lake. Mono Lake (pronounced /ˈmoʊnoʊ/ moh-noh) is a large, shallow saline lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in a basin that has no outlet to the ocean. Saitō Musashibō Benkei Mrs. Laura Bush presents Alicia Guadalupe Montero Perez, left, and Ingrid Janet Noh Canto, center, of La Chacara Children´s Cultural Center a Coming Up Taller Award during a ceremony in the East Room Monday, Jan. 22, 2007. Gilberto Palmerin of the Suizen-ji Joju-en (Suizenji Koen) is a tsukiyama (constructed mountain) style Japanese garden located in downtown Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan Suizen-ji Joju-en (Suizenji Koen) is a tsukiyama (constructed mountain) style Japanese garden located in downtown Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan Suizen-ji Joju-en (Suizenji Koen) is a tsukiyama (constructed mountain) style Japanese garden located in downtown Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Mount Fuji Suizen-ji Joju-en (Suizenji Koen) is a tsukiyama (constructed mountain) style Japanese garden located in downtown Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan Izumi Shinto Shrine Suizen-ji Joju-en (Suizenji Koen) is a tsukiyama (constructed mountain) style Japanese garden located in downtown Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan Shiramine Shrine (白峯神宮, Shiramine jingū?) is a Shinto Shrine in Kamigyō-ku, Kyoto[1] Suizen-ji Joju-en (Suizenji Koen) is a tsukiyama (constructed mountain) style Japanese garden located in downtown Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The main tsukiyama is a representation of Mount Fuji. Suizen-ji Joju-en (Suizenji Koen) is a tsukiyama (constructed mountain) style Japanese garden located in downtown Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The main tsukiyama is a representation of Mount Fuji Okazaki Castle tenshu Japanese white pine from the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum at the United States National Arboretum. Geisha performing in traditional kimono. Japanese culture has evolved greatly over the years, from the country's original Jōmon culture to its contemporary culture, which combines influences from Asia, Europe and North America. Kinkaku-ji or 'The Temple of the Golden Pavilion' in Kyoto, Special Historic Site, Special Place of Scenic Beauty, and UNESCO World Heritage Site; its torching by a monk in 1950 is the subject of a novel by Mishima. Festival hall Nagoya Castle (名古屋城, Nagoya-jō?) is a restored Japanese castle located in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. TokyoNationalMuseum Panoramic view of the Hellenic theatre at Epidaurus Partial view of the temple of Apollo Epikurios (healer) at Bassae in southern Greece



  • The Guardian By Norman Dabell CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland, Sept 1 (Reuters) - South Korean youngster Noh Seung-yul flew the flag for Asian players in Thursday's European Masters opening round and said he was inspired by playing partner Rory McIlroy. Noh's two-under-par 69 left him four strokes behind U.S. Open...
  • The Star SHAH ALAM: Calls for the parlia­mentary select committee on electoral reform to be chaired by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim only reflects PKR's greed for power, said Selangor Umno deputy liaison chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar. Noh said...
  • Breitbart Asian Tour number one Noh Seung-yul of South Korea is confident his remodel... Asian Tour number one Noh Seung-yul of South Korea is confident his remodelled golf swing under the guidance of renowned coach Butch Harmon will drive him to glory at the British Open next week. The prodigious Korean, who...
  • The Star KUANTAN: Kuantan Trawler Fishermen Association members are willing to meet Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar over the reduction in diesel subsidy and the strike by trawlermen. Its vice-chairman Hing Hua Kow said the association welcomed the open dialogue proposed by...
  • The Star KUALA LUMPUR: "It is their right to strike but they should talk to us'' was Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar's response to deep-sea fishing trawler operators on a nationwide strike since Saturday over the reduction in diesel subsidy. He said plans were being drawn...
  • The Star PETALING JAYA: Saving Yayasan Selangor is the reason why the state government awarded the temporary occupation licences (TOLs) to the foundation instead of the...
  • The Guardian By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER, England, May 27 (Reuters) - South Korean teenager Noh Seung-yul found the moat in front of the 18th green three times as he racked up an ugly 11 in the PGA Championship second round on Friday. The 19-year-old, who caused heads to turn last year by winning the Asian...
  • The Business Review Phoenix Business Journal - by Jan BUchholz Date: Friday, April 22, 2011, 3:00am MST Related: Jan Buchholz/The Business Journal...
  • CBS SportsLine KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia -- Newly crowned Masters champion Charl Schwartzel narrowly made the cut Saturday to join joint leaders Rory McIlroy and Alexander Noren in the third round of the Malaysian Open. Defending champion Noh Seung-yul of South Korea was not as lucky when the second round of the...
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    Noh

    ]] , or - derived from the Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh 'performance day' lasts all day and consists of five Noh plays interspersed with shorter, humorous kyōgen pieces. However, present-day Noh performances consist of two Noh plays with one Kyōgen play in between.

    While the field of Noh performance is extremely codified, and regulated by the iemoto system, with an emphasis on tradition rather than innovation, some performers do compose new plays or revive historical ones that are not a part of the standard repertoire. Works blending Noh with other theatrical traditions have also been produced.

    History

    Together with the closely related kyōgen farce, Noh evolved from various popular, folk and aristocratic art forms, including Dengaku, Shirabyoshi, and Gagaku.

    Kan'ami and his son Zeami Motokiyo brought Noh to its present-day form during the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573) under the patronage of the powerful Ashikaga clan, particularly the third shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. It would later influence other dramatic forms such as Kabuki and Butoh. During the Meiji era, although its governmental patronage was lost, Noh and kyōgen received official recognition as two of the three national forms of drama.

    By tradition, Noh actors and musicians only rehearse together once, a few days before the actual performance. Generally, each actor, musician, and chorus member practises his or her fundamental movements, songs, and dances independently, under the tutelage of a senior member of the school. Thus, the mood of a given performance is not set by any single performer but established by the interactions of all the performers together. In this way, Noh could be seen as exemplifying the medieval Japanese aesthetics of transience, exemplified by the saying of Sen no Rikyu, "ichi-go ichi-e", "one chance, one meeting".

    One of the important centres of Noh was Nagoya, which upholds its tradition in today's Nagoya Noh Theatre.

    Roles

    There are four major categories of Noh performers: shite, waki, kyōgen, and hayashi.

    # Shite (仕手, シテ). In plays where the shite appears first as a human and then as a ghost, the first role is known as the maeshite and the later as the nochishite. #* Shitetsure (仕手連れ, シテヅレ). The shite's companion. Sometimes shitetsure is abbreviated to tsure (連れ, ツレ), although this term refers to both the shitetsure and the wakitsure. #* Kōken (後見) are stage hands, usually one to three people. #* Jiutai (地謡) is the chorus, usually comprising six to eight people. # Waki (脇, ワキ) performs the role that is the counterpart or foil of the shite. #* Wakitsure (脇連れ, ワキヅレ) or Waki-tsure is the companion of the waki. # Kyōgen (狂言) perform the aikyōgen (相狂言) interludes during plays. Kyōgen actors also perform in separate plays between individual noh plays. # Hayashi (囃子) or hayashi-kata (囃子方) are the instrumentalists who play the four instruments used in Noh theater: the transverse , or , the , and the . The flute used for noh is specifically called .

    A typical Noh play always involve the chorus, the orchestra, and at least one shite and one waki actor.

    Plays

    The current repertoire consist of approximately 250 plays, which can be divided according to a variety of schemes. The most common is according to content, but there are several other methods of organization.

    Categories

    Noh plays are divided by theme into the following 5 categories, which are numbered in this order and referred to by these numbers (a "3rd group play", for instance). # Kami mono (神物) or waki nō (脇能) typically feature the shite in the role of a human in the first act and a deity in the second and tell the mythic story of a shrine or praise a particular spirit. # Shura mono (修羅物) or ashura nō (阿修羅能, warrior plays) have the shite often appearing as a ghost in the first act and a warrior in full battle regalia in the second, re-enacting the scene of his death. # Katsura mono (鬘物, wig plays) or onna mono (女物, woman plays) depict the shite in a female role and feature some of the most refined songs and dances in all of Noh. # There are about 94 "miscellaneous" plays, including kyōran mono (狂乱物) or madness plays, onryō mono (怨霊物) or vengeful ghost plays, and genzai mono (現在物), plays which depict the present time, and which do not fit into the other categories. # Kiri nō (切り能, final plays) or oni mono (鬼物, demon plays) usually feature the shite in the role of monsters, goblins, or demons, and are often selected for their bright colors and fast-paced, tense finale movements.

    Mood

  • Mugen nō (夢幻能) usually deals with spirits, ghosts, phantasms, and supernatural worlds. Time is often depicted as passing in a non-linear fashion, and action may switch between two or more timeframes from moment to moment.
  • Genzai nō (現在能), as mentioned above, depicts normal events of the everyday world. However, when contrasted with mugen instead of with the other four categories, the term encompasses a somewhat broader range of plays.
  • Style

  • Geki nō (劇能) or drama plays are based around the advancement of plot and the narration of action.
  • Furyū nō (風流能) or dance plays focus rather on the aesthetic qualities of the dances and songs which are performed.
  • Okina (or Kamiuta) is a unique play which combines dance with Shinto ritual. It is considered the oldest type of Noh play, and is probably the most often performed. It will generally be the opening work at any programme or festival.

    Sources

    The Tale of the Heike, a medieval tale of the rise and fall of the Taira clan, originally sung by blind monks who accompanied themselves on the biwa, is an important source of material for Noh (and later dramatic forms), particularly warrior plays. Another major source is The Tale of Genji, an eleventh century work of profound importance to the later development of Japanese culture. Authors also drew on Nara and Heian period Japanese classics, and Chinese sources.

    Some famous plays

    :For a more comprehensive list, see . :Plays with a separate article are listed here.

    The following categorization is that of the Kanze school.

    Performance elements

    Noh performance combines a variety of elements into a stylistic whole, with each particular element the product of generations of refinement according to the central Buddhist, Shinto, and minimalist aspects of Noh's aesthetic principles.

    Stage

    The traditional Noh stage consists of a pavilion whose architectural style is derived from that of the traditional kagura stage of Shinto shrines, and is normally composed almost entirely of hinoki (Japanese cypress) wood. The four pillars are named for their orientation to the prominent actions during the course of the play: the waki-bashira in the front, right corner near the waki's standing point and sitting point; the shite-bashira in the rear, left corner, next to which the shite normally performs; the fue-bashira in the rear, right corner, closest to the flute player; and the metsuke-bashira, or "looking-pillar", so called because the shite is typically faced toward the vicinity of the pillar.

    The floor is polished to enable the actors to move in a gliding fashion, and beneath this floor are buried giant pots or bowl-shaped concrete structures to enhance the resonant properties of the wood floors when the actors stomp heavily on the floor (compare nightingale floor). As a result, the stage is elevated approximately three feet above the ground level of the audience.

    The only ornamentation on the stage is the kagami-ita, a painting of a pine-tree at the back of the stage. The two most common beliefs are that it represents either a famous pine tree of significance in Shinto at the Kasuga Shrine in Nara, or that it is a token of Noh's artistic predecessors which were often performed to a natural backdrop.

    Another unique feature of the stage is the hashigakari, the narrow bridge to the right of the stage that the principal actors use to enter the stage. This would later evolve into the hanamichi in kabuki.

    All stages which are solely dedicated to Noh performances also have a hook or loop in ceiling, which exists only to lift and drop the bell for the play Dōjōji. When that play is being performed in another location, the loop or hook will be added as a temporary fixture.

    Costumes

    The garb worn by actors is typically adorned quite richly and steeped in symbolic meaning for the type of role (e.g. thunder gods will have hexagons on their clothes while serpents have triangles to convey scales). Costumes for the shite in particular are extravagant, shimmering silk brocades, but are progressively less sumptuous for the tsure, the wakizure, and the aikyōgen.

    For centuries, in accordance with the vision of Zeami, Noh costumes emulated the clothing that the characters would genuinely wear, whether that be the formal robes of a courtier or the street clothing of a peasant or commoner. It was not until the late sixteenth century that stylized Noh costumes following certain symbolic and stylistic conventions became the norm.

    The musicians and chorus typically wear formal montsuki kimono (black and adorned with five family crests) accompanied by either hakama (a skirt-like garment) or kami-shimo, a combination of hakama and a waist-coat with exaggerated shoulders (see illustrations). Finally, the stage attendants are garbed in virtually unadorned black garments, much in the same way as stagehands in contemporary Western theater.

    Masks

    The masks in Noh (能面 nō-men or 面 omote, feature) all have names. They are made out of materials such as clay, dry lacquer, cloth, paper, and wood.

    Usually only the shite, the main actor, wears a mask. However, in some cases, the tsure may also wear a mask, particularly for female roles. The Noh masks portray female or nonhuman (divine, demonic, or animal) characters. There are also Noh masks to represent youngsters or old men. On the other hand, a Noh actor who wears no mask plays a role of an adult man in his twenties, thirties, or forties. The side player, the waki, wears no mask either.

    Several types of masks, in particular those for female roles, are designed so that slight adjustments in the position of the head can express a number of emotions such as fear or sadness due to the variance in lighting and the angle shown towards the audience. With some of the more extravagant masks for deities and monsters, however, it is not always possible to convey emotion. Usually, however, these characters are not frequently called to change emotional expression during the course of the scene, or show emotion through larger body language.

    The rarest and most valuable Noh masks are not held in museums even in Japan, but rather in the private collections of the various "heads" of Noh schools; these treasures are usually only shown to a select few and only taken out for performance on the rarest occasions. This does no substantial harm to the study and appreciation of Noh masks, as tradition has established a few hundred standard mask designs, which can further be categorized as being one of about a dozen different types.

    Props

    The most commonly used prop in Noh is the fan, as it is carried by all performers regardless of role. Chorus singers and musicians may carry their fan in hand when entering the stage, or carry it tucked into the obi. In either case, the fan is usually placed at the performer's side when he or she takes position, and is often not taken up again until leaving the stage.

    Several plays have characters who wield mallets, swords, and other implements. Nevertheless, during dance sequences, the fan is typically used to represent any and all hand-held props, including one such as a sword which the actor may have tucked in his sash or ready at hand nearby.

    When hand props other than fans are used, they are usually introduced or retrieved by stage attendants who fulfill a similar role to stage crew in contemporary theater. Like their Western counterparts, stage attendants for Noh traditionally dress in black, but unlike in Western theater they may appear on stage during a scene, or may remain on stage during an entire performance, in both cases in plain view of the audience.

    Stage properties in Noh including the boats, wells, altars, and the aforementioned bell from Dōjōji, are typically carried onto the stage before the beginning of the act in which they are needed. These props normally are only outlines to suggest actual objects, although the great bell, a perennial exception to most Noh rules for props, is designed to conceal the actor and to allow a costume change during the aikyogen interlude.

    Chant and Music

    , ōtsuzumi (hip drum), kotsuzumi (shoulder drum), flute.]]

    Noh theatre is accompanied by a chorus and a hayashi ensemble (Noh-bayashi 能囃子). Noh is a chanted drama, and a few commentators have dubbed it "Japanese opera." However, the singing in Noh involves a limited tonal range, with lengthy, repetitive passages in a narrow dynamic range. Clearly, melody is not at the center of Noh singing. Still, texts are poetic, relying heavily on the Japanese seven-five rhythm common to nearly all forms of Japanese poetry, with an economy of expression, and an abundance of allusion.

    It is important to note that the chant is not always performed "in character"; that is, sometimes the actor will speak lines or describe events from the perspective of another character or even a disinterested narrator. Far from breaking the rhythm of the performance, this is actually in keeping with the other-worldy feel of many Noh plays, especially those characterized as mugen.

    Noh hayashi ensemble consists of four musicians, also known as the "hayashi-kata". There are three drummers, which play the shime-daiko, ōtsuzumi (hip drum), and kotsuzumi (shoulder drum) respectively, and a shinobue flautist.

    Jo, Ha, Kyū

    One of the most subtle performance elements of Noh is that of Jo-ha-kyū, which originated as the three movements of courtly gagaku. However, rather than simply dividing a whole into three parts, within Noh the concept incorporates not only the play itself, but the songs and dances within the play, and even the individual steps, motions, and sounds that actors and musicians make. Furthermore, from a higher perspective, the entire traditional Noh program of five plays also manifests this concept, with the first type play being the jo, the second, third, and fourth plays the ha (with the second play being referred to as the jo of the ha, the third as the ha of the ha, and the fourth as the kyū of the ha), and finally the fifth play the kyū. In general, the jo component is slow and evocative, the ha component or components detail transgression or the disordering of the natural way and the natural world, and the kyū resolves the element with haste or suddenness (note, however, that this only means kyū is fast in comparison with what came before it, and those unfamiliar with the concepts of Noh may not even realize the acceleration occurred).

    Audience etiquette

    Audience etiquette is generally similar to formal western theater – the audience quietly watches. Surtitles are not used, but some audience members follow along in the libretto. At the end of the play, the actors file out slowly (most important first, with gaps between actors), and while they are on the bridge (hashigakari), the audience claps restrainedly. Between actors, clapping ceases, then begins again as the next actor leaves. Unlike in western theater, there is no bowing, nor do the actors return to the stage after having left. A play may end with the shite character leaving the stage as part of the story (as in Kokaji, for instance) – rather than the play ending with all characters on stage – in which case one claps as the character exits.

    During the interval, tea, coffee, and wagashi (Japanese sweets) may be served in the lobby. In the Edo period, when Noh was a day-long affair, more substational makunouchi bentō (幕の内弁当, "between acts bento") was served. After the show is over, お神酒 (o-miki, ceremonial sake) may be served in the lobby on the way out, as part of the Shinto ritual.

    In terms of seating, there is seating in front of the stage, to the left side of the stage, and in the corner front-left of stage; these are in order of decreasing desirability. While the metsuke-bashari pillar obstructs the view of the stage, the actors are primarily at the corners, not the center, and thus the two aisles are located where the views of the two main actors would be obscured, ensuring a generally clear view regardless of seating.

    Actors

    , 1895–1939), sōke of Kanze school]] There are about 1500 professional Noh actors in Japan today, and the art form continues to thrive. Actors begin their training as young children, traditionally at the age of three. Historically, the performers were exclusively male. In the modern day, a few women (many daughters of established Noh actors) have begun to perform professionally. Zeami isolated nine levels or types of Noh acting from lower degrees which put emphasis on movement and violence to higher degrees which represent the opening of a flower and spiritual prowess. Many people also study Noh on an amateur basis. While the field of Noh performance is extremely codified with an emphasis on tradition rather than innovation, some performers do compose new plays or revive historical ones that are not a part of the standard repertoire. Works blending Noh with other theatrical traditions have also been produced.

    The five extant schools of Noh shite acting are the Kanze (観世), Hōshō (宝生), Komparu (金春), Kita (喜多), and Kongō (金剛) schools. Each school can have different leading families, where the iemoto family, carrying the same name of the school, is considered as the most important. The iemoto holds the power to create new plays or modify lyrics and performance modes.

    The society of Noh (Nōgaku Kyōkai), to which all professionals are registered, strictly protects the traditions passed down from their ancestors (see iemoto). However, several secret documents of the Kanze school written by Zeami, as well as materials by Komparu Zenchiku, have been diffused throughout the community of scholars of Japanese theater.

    Actors normally follow a strict progression through the course of their lives from roles considered the most basic to those considered the most complex or difficult; the role of Yoshitsune in Funa Benkei is one of the most prominent roles a child actor performs in Noh. Other 'graduation pieces' include Shakkyō, Dōjōji and Hachi no Ki. In his maturity, an actor will be confronted with pieces where the main character is an elderly person, especially the 'Komachi' pieces, portraying the famous Heian period poetess Ono no Komachi, such as Kayoi Komachi or Sekidera Komachi.

    Besides professional acting, Noh is practiced by thousands of amateurs who train in chant and dance and often producing recitals.

    Influence in the West

    Western artists influenced by Noh include:

    Theatre practitioners

  • Bertolt Brecht
  • Peter Brook
  • Jacques Lecoq
  • Jacques Copeau
  • Eugenio Barba
  • Jerzy Grotowski
  • Heiner Müller
  • Eugene O'Neill
  • Osvobozené divadlo
  • William Butler Yeats
  • Paul Claudel
  • Composers

  • William Henry Bell
  • Benjamin Britten
  • Carlo Forlivesi
  • Olivier Messiaen
  • Karlheinz Stockhausen
  • Iannis Xenakis
  • David Byrne
  • Harry Partch
  • Poets

  • Ezra Pound
  • Aesthetic terminology

    Zeami and Zenchiku describe a number of distinct qualities that are thought to be essential to the proper understanding of Noh as an art form.
  • Hana (花, flower): the true Noh performer seeks to cultivate a rarefied relationship with his audience similar to the way that one cultivates flowers. What is notable about hana is that, like a flower, it is meant to be appreciated by any audience, no matter how lofty or how coarse his upbringing. Hana comes in two forms. Individual hana is the beauty of the flower of youth, which passes with time, while "true hana" is the flower of creating and sharing perfect beauty through performance.
  • Yūgen (幽玄): an aesthetic term used to describe much of the art of the 13th and 14th centuries in Japan, but used specifically in relation to Noh to mean the profound beauty of the transcendental world, including mournful beauty involved in sadness and loss.
  • Kokoro or shin (both 心): Defined as "heart," "mind," or both. The kokoro of noh is that which Zeami speaks of in his teachings, and is more easily defined as "mind." To develop hana the actor must enter a state of no-mind, or mushin.
  • Rōjaku (老弱): the final stage of performance development of the Noh actor, in which as an old man he eliminates all unnecessary action or sound in his performance, leaving only the true essence of the scene or action being imitated.
  • Myō (妙): the "charm" of an actor who performs flawlessly and without any sense of imitation; he effectively becomes his role.
  • Monomane (物真似, imitation or mimesis): the intent of a Noh actor to accurately depict the motions of his role, as opposed to purely aesthetic reasons for abstraction or embellishment. Monomane is sometimes contrasted with yūgen, although the two represent endpoints of a continuum rather than being completely separate.
  • Kabu-isshin (歌舞一心, "song-dance-one heart"): the theory that the song (including poetry) and dance are two halves of the same whole, and that the Noh actor strives to perform both with total unity of heart and mind.
  • See also

  • Iemoto
  • Kitayama Bunka
  • Higashiyama Bunka
  • Shuhari
  • References

    Bibliography

  • James R. Brandon (editor). "Nō and kyōgen in the contemporary world." (foreword by Ricardo D. Trimillos) Honolulu : University of Hawaiʻi Press. 1997.
  • Karen Brazell. Traditional Japanese Theater: An Anthology of Plays. New York: Columbia University Press. 1998.
  • Eric Rath. The Ethos of Noh: Actors and Their Art. Harvard University Asia Center Press, 2004.
  • Royall Tyler (ed. & trans.). Japanese Nō Dramas. London: Penguin Books. 1992 ISBN 0-14-044539-0
  • Arthur Waley. Noh plays of Japan. Tuttle Shokai Inc. 2009 ISBN 4805310332 ISBN 978-4805310335
  • External links

  • Noh Stories in English Ohtsuki Noh Theatre Foundation
  • Nō Plays -Translations of thirteen Noh plays- Japanese Text Initiative, University of Virginia Library
  • Virtual Reality and Virtual Irreality On Noh-Plays and Icons
  • Page on the variable expressions of Noh masks
  • Noh plays Photo Story and Story Paper the-Noh.com : Comprehensive Site on Noh
  • Category:Dances of Japan Category:History of theatre Category:Theatre in Japan * Category:Japanese styles of music Category:Japanese traditional music Category:Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity

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