Camp Nou
Aerial view of Camp Nou
Full name	L'Estadi Camp Nou
Former names	Estadio del FC Barcelona (1957–2000)
Location	Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Coordinates	41°22′51.20″N 2°7′22.19″E / 41.380889°N 2.1228306°E / 41.380889; 2.1228306 (Camp Nou)
Broke ground	28 March 1954
Built	1954–1957
Opened	24 September 1957[1]
Renovated	1994, 2008
Expanded	1982
Owner	FC Barcelona
Operator	FC Barcelona
Surface	Grass
Scoreboard	Yes
Architect	Francesc Mitjans Josep Soteras Lorenzo García-Barbón
Capacity	98,787[2] (96,636 in Champions League)[1]
Field dimensions	105 × 68 m (115 × 74 yd)[1]
Tenants
FC Barcelona (1957–present)

Camp Nou (Catalan pronunciation: [kamˈnɔw], New Field) is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain which has been the home of Futbol Club Barcelona since 1957.

The Camp Nou seats 98,787,^[3] reduced to 96,336 in matches organised by UEFA,^[4] making it the largest stadium in Europe and the 11th largest in the world in terms of capacity. It has hosted numerous international matches at a senior level, including two UEFA Champions League finals and the football competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

History[link]

Construction[link]

The construction of Camp Nou started on 28 March 1954 as Barcelona's previous stadium, Camp de Les Corts, had no room for expansion. Although originally planned to be called Estadi del FC Barcelona, the more popular name Camp Nou was used. The June 1950 signing of László Kubala, regarded as one of Barcelona's greatest players, provided further impetus to the construction of a larger stadium.^[5][6][7]

Construction of Camp Nou began on 28 March 1954 before a crowd of 60,000 Barça fans. The civil governor of Barcelona, Felipe Acedo Colunga, presided at the laying in place of the first stone, with a blessing from the Archbishop of Barcelona, Gregorio Modrego. Construction took three years, going 336% over budget for a final cost of 288 million pesetas.^[7] The stadium was officially opened on 24 September 1957. Handel's Messiah was performed at the opening of the stadium.

The architects were a team made up of Francesc Mitjans, Josep Soteras, and Lorenzo García-Barbón.

Early years[link]

In May 1972, Camp Nou hosted its first European Cup Winners' Cup final between Rangers and Dynamo Moscow. Rangers won the match with a score of 3–2. The 1970s marked a turning point for Barcelona with the signing of a new player, Johan Cruyff, in 1973. Electronic scoreboards were installed in the stadium two years later.

One of the stands displaying Barcelona's motto, Més que un club, meaning "More than (just) a club".

The stadium underwent an expansion in 1980, in anticipation of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which added boxes, VIP lounges, a new press area, new markers and the enlargement of the third tier by 22,150 seats for a total capacity of 115,000 spectators. The club raised funds for the remodeling by inscribing thousands of supporters’ names on bricks in return for a small set donation. This later became a topic of controversy when the news media in Madrid reported that the name of long-time Real Madrid chairman and Franco supporter, Santiago Bernabéu, had been commemorated in this way.^[8][9][10] The first important game played was the final of the Winners’ Cup featuring Barcelona against Standard Liège on 12 May 1982. Barcelona won the game 2–1 in front of an audience of 80,000.

Camp Nou was one of several stadiums used throughout the 1982 World Cup, hosting the inauguration ceremony on 13 June. Before a 100,000-person crowd, Belgium upset the defending champions Argentina 1–0 in the match that followed.^[11]

Development[link]

Scale model of Camp Nou, installed since 1985 at the Catalunya en Miniatura park.

The stadium’s capacity has varied greatly over the years, opening at 106,146, but growing to 121,749 for the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

Apart from hosting FC Barcelona, Camp Nou is home turf to the Catalan national team, their latest match as of August 2010^[update] being a 4–2 win over Argentina.^[12] The stadium is frequently used for other football events. The European Cup final between Milan and Steaua Bucureşti was held on 24 May 1989, with the Italian club winning 4–0.^[13] Camp Nou hosted part of the football competition, including the final, in the 1992 Summer Olympics.^[14] In preparation for these Games, two additional tiers of seating were installed over the previous roof-line.^[15]

Camp Nou underwent little change after 1982, except for the opening of the club museum in 1984. The stadium underwent a facelift in 1993–94, in which the pitch was lowered by 2.5 m (8 ft), the security gap that separated the lawn from the galleries was removed, and standing room was eliminated in favor of individual seating. A new press box, renovation of the presidential grandstand and boxes, new parking under the main grandstand, and new lighting and sound systems were completed in time for the 1998–99 season. In 1999 the UEFA outlawed standing sections in stadiums, and Camp Nou’s capacity settled to its current level.^[1] The stadium hosted the 1999 UEFA Champions League Final later that year where Manchester United played Bayern Munich. United won 2–1, coming back from 0–1 down in injury time.^[16]

A view of the supporters’ side during a match, showing the FC Barcelona colours

In 2000, fans were polled concerning the stadium’s name. Of the 29,102 votes the club received, a total of 19,861 (68.25%) preferred Camp Nou to Estadi del FC Barcelona, and thus the official name was changed to the popular nickname.^[17]

During 1998–99, UEFA rated Camp Nou a five-star stadium for its services and functionalities.^[18] However, as per the 2010 regulations, UEFA does not publish a list of the top venues.

The facilities now include a memorabilia shop, mini-pitches for training matches, and a chapel for the players. The stadium also houses the second-most visited museum in Catalonia, FC Barcelona Museum, which receives more than 1.2 million visitors per year.^[19]

Future[link]

The club issued an international tender to remodel the stadium as a celebration of the stadium's fiftieth anniversary. The objective was to make the facility an integrated and highly visible urban environment. The club sought to increase the seating capacity by 13,500, with at least half of the total seating to be under cover. The intention was to make it the fourth largest stadium in the world (in terms of seating capacity), after the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the USA (297,000 capacity), the Rungrado May Day Stadium in North Korea (150,000 capacity) and the Salt Lake Stadium in India (120,000 capacity).

On 18 September 2007 the British architect Norman Foster and his company were selected to "restructure" Camp Nou. With an estimated cost of €250 million, the plan included the addition of 10,000 seats for a maximum capacity of 106,000.^[20] The FC Barcelona board approved the sale of their former training ground (the Mini Estadi) in order to finance the remodeling. The project was planned to begin in 2009 and to be finished for the 2011–12 season.^[21] However, due to the 2008 financial crises and subsequent fall in real estate prices, the sale of the training ground was postponed and likewise the remodeling project. In May 2010 Sandro Rosell, then a candidate for president of FC Barcelona, dismissed the possibility of selling the Mini Estadi, saying it would be indefensible to “sell the crown jewels”, and his election on 30 June 2010 effectively halted the plan to remodel Camp Nou.^[22][23]

Other uses[link]

A panoramic photograph of the stadium in January 2011

Camp Nou was host when U2 played in Barcelona on their 360° Tour.

Camp Nou has been used for various purposes other than football, often hosting major concerts.

Pope John Paul II celebrated mass for a congregation of over 121,000 at Camp Nou on 17 November 1982, on the occasion being made an honorary citizen of Barcelona.^[24]

In 1983 Julio Iglesias played for 60,000 people, in what was described as a "most beautifully orchestrated" concert.^[25] Other high-profile performances at Camp Nou include those by Bruce Springsteen on 3 August 1988 during his Tunnel Of Love Express Tour; and again on 19 July and 20 July 2008 during his Magic Tour. On 10 September 1988, a charity concert organised by Amnesty International to support human rights featured, among others, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Youssou N'Dour, Tracy Chapman, and El Último de la Fila. A concert by the Three Tenors—Josep Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti—was held on 13 July 1997.

On 1 July 2009 the stadium held the launch of the U2 360° Tour, which was attended to the maximum capacity of 90,000 people.^[26] The lead singer of U2, Bono, explained that they had started their tour in Camp Nou since “This is where we wanted to build a space station, designed by Gaudi in the capital of surrealism." The concert ended with Bono wearing an FC Barcelona jersey.^[27]

On August 9, 1988, Michael Jackson appeared at the stadium in front of 95,000 fans during his Bad World Tour.

Transport connections[link]

Avinguda de Xile Station

Tramway[link]

500 metres from Camp Nou there is the Trambaix Avinguda de Xile Station (lines T1, T2 and T3).

Specially at the end of the matches, the service is stepped up.

Metro[link]

The closest stations to Camp nou are Palau Reial, Maria Cristina and Les Corts, on L3; i Badal i Collblanc, on L5. All are 500 to 1000 metres from Camp Nou, depending on the Camp Nou access.

Closest station per accés:

• Accesses 1-10: Palau Reial.
• Accesses 11-16: Collblanc.
• Accesses 17 and 18: Badal.
• Accesses 19-21: les Corts.

Currently a station for Camp Nou is under construction, on L9 and L10.

Usually metro services are stepped up with more staff when there is a match. On working days and Sundays metro runs up to midnight, and Saturdays there is continuous service during all the night.

TMB bus

Bus[link]

The bus lines with a stop close to Camp Nou are:

TMB lines:

• 7 - Diagonal Mar/Z. Universitària
• 15 - Hosp. St. Pau/Collblanc
• 33 - Z. Universitària/Verneda
• 43 - Les Corts/Sant Adrià
• 54 - Estació Nord/Campus Nord
• 56 - Collblanc/Besòs Verneda
• 57 - Pg. Marítim/Cornellà
• 59 - Pg. Marítim/R. M. Cristina
• 63 - Pl. Universitat/Sant Joan Despí
• 67 - Pl. Catalunya/Cornellà
• 70 - Sants/Pg. Bonanova
• 72 - Distr. Gran Via l'Hospitalet/Bonanova
• 74 - Z. Universitària/Fabra i Puig
• 75 - Les Corts/Av. Tibidabo
• 78 - Est. Sants/St. Joan Despí
• 113 - La Mercè
• 157 - Pg. Marítim/Sant Joan Despí

AMB lines:

• L12 - Barcelona (Pl. Reina Maria Cristina)/Cornellà (Almeda)

Nitbus (approximately 22.30h-5h):

• N2 - Hospitalet (Av. Carrilet)/Barcelona (Via Augusta)
• N3 - Collblanc/Montcada i Reixac
• N12 - Barcelona (Pl. Portal de la Pau)/St. Feliu de Llob. (La Salut)
• N14 - Barcelona (Rda. Universitat)/Castelldefels (Centre vila)

Usually the lines 15, 43 and 56 service is stepped up, depending on the demand that may occur. Apart from that there are two special lines to Mossèn Jacint Verdaguer Square and to Catalunya Square when there are matches.

Bibliography[link]

• Ball, Phill (2003). Morbo: The Story of Spanish Football. WSC Books Limited. ISBN 0-9540134-6-8. 
• Eaude, Michael (2008). Catalonia: a cultural history. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-532797-7. 
• Farred, Grant (2008). Long distance love: a passion for football. Temple University Press. ISBN 1-59213-374-6. 
• Murray, Bill; Murray, William J. (1998). The world's game: a history of soccer. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06718-5. 
• Snyder, John (2001). Soccer's most wanted: the top 10 book of clumsy keepers, clever crosses, and outlandish oddities. Brassey's. ISBN 1-57488-365-8. 

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Camp Nou

• bcn.travel/camp-nou-stadium-barcelona Stadium profile including photos and videos.
• Stadium featured on Estadios de Espana(English)

v t e Barcelona landmarks Buildings and interesting places Arc de Triomf Avinguda Diagonal Barcelona Pavilion Barcelona Royal Shipyard Bellesguard Biblioteca de Catalunya Casa Amatller Casa Batlló Casa Calvet Casa de l'Ardiaca Casa Fuster Casa Lleó Morera Casa Milà Casa Terrades Casa Vicens Castell dels Tres Dragons Cathedral of Santa Eulalia Columbus Monument Dona i Ocell Els Quatre Gats Estació de França Fabra Observatory Font de Canaletes Forum Building Fossar de les Moreres Fundació Joan Miró Old Hospital de Sant Pau Hospital de Sant Pau Hotel Arts Hotel Habitat Sky IMAX Barcelona Jewish quarter Jonqueres Monastery La Boqueria L'Auditori L'Illa Magic Fountain of Montjuïc Mercat del Born Mercat de Sant Antoni Montjuïc Castle Montjuïc Communications Tower Olympic Harbour Olympic Ring of Barcelona Palau del Baró de Quadras Palau Episcopal de Barcelona Palau Güell Palau de la Generalitat de Catalunya Palau Reial Major Palau Robert Palau de la Virreina Parliament of Catalonia Pedralbes Monastery Poble Espanyol Sagrada Família Sagrat Cor Sala de les Cent Columnes Santa Maria del Mar Santa Maria del Pi Torre Agbar Torre de Collserola Vapor Vell World Trade Center Barcelona Streets and squares Avinguda Diagonal Carrer d'Avinyó Carrer Ferran Carrer Tallers Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes La Rambla Passeig de Gràcia Plaça de Catalunya Plaça d'Espanya Plaça Reial Plaça Sant Jaume Plaça de Sant Felip Neri Rambla de Catalunya Museums Archaeology Museum of Catalonia CaixaForum CCCB CosmoCaixa Barcelona Fundació Antoni Tàpies Gracia Arts Project Jardí Botànic de Barcelona MACBA Museu de les Arts Decoratives Wax museum Museu de Ceràmica Egyptian Museum Museu de l'Eròtica de Barcelona Museu Etnològic Museu Frederic Marès Museu d'Història de Catalunya Museu d'Història de la Ciutat Maritime Museum Museu del Modernisme Català Museu de la Música Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Museu del Perfum de Barcelona Museu Picasso Museu Tèxtil i d'Indumentària Museu de la Xocolata Sports Camp Municipal Narcís Sala Camp Nou Camp de Les Corts Estadi de Sarrià Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Mini Estadi Palau dels Esports Palau Blaugrana Palau Sant Jordi Performing arts Gran Teatre del Liceu L'Auditori Palau de la Música Catalana Teatre Apolo Teatre Grec Teatre Lliure Teatre Poliorama Teatre Romea Parks Laberint d'Horta Parc de les Aigües Parc de la Ciutadella Parc de Diagonal Mar Parc de l'Espanya Industrial Park Güell Parc de la Creueta del Coll Parc Joan Miró Montjuïc Zoos Aquarium Barcelona Parc Zoològic de Barcelona Beaches Barceloneta beach Bogatell beach Mar Bella beach Nova Icària beach Nova Mar Bella beach Sant Sebastià beach

v t e La Liga venues, 2011–2012 Anoeta Benito Villamarín Vicente Calderón Camp Nou Ciutat de València Coliseum Alfonso Pérez Cornellà-El Prat El Madrigal El Molinón El Sardinero La Romareda La Rosaleda Los Cármenes Mestalla Iberostar Stadium Reyno de Navarra San Mamés Sánchez Pizjuán Santiago Bernabéu Vallecas

v t e 1982 FIFA World Cup stadia Alicante - José Rico Peréz Elche - Martínez Valero Barcelona - Camp Nou Barcelona - Sarrià Bilbao - San Mamés Gijón - El Molinón La Coruña - Riazor Madrid - Santiago Bernabéu Madrid - Vicente Calderón Malaga - La Rosaleda Oviedo - Carlos Tartiere Zaragoza - La Romareda Sevilla - Benito Villamarín Sevilla - Pizjuán Valencia - Luis Casanova Valladolid - José Zorrilla Vigo - Balaídos

v t e Olympic venues in football 1900: Vélodrome de Vincennes · 1904: Francis Field · 1908: White City Stadium · 1912: Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm Olympic Stadium (final), Traneberg · 1920: Jules Ottenstadion, Olympisch Stadion (final), Stade Joseph Marien, Stadion Broodstraat · 1924: Stade Bergeyre, Stade de Colombes (final), Stade de Paris, Stade Pershing · 1928: Monnikenhuize, Olympic Stadium (final), Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel · 1936: Hertha-BSC Field, Mommsenstadion, Olympic Stadium (final), Poststadion · 1948: Arsenal Stadium, Champion Hill, Craven Cottage, Cricklefield Stadium, Empire Stadium (medal matches), Green Pond Road, Griffin Park, Selhurst Park, White Hart Lane · 1952: Helsinki Football Grounds, Kotka, Lahti, Olympic Stadium (final), Tampere, Turku · 1956: Melbourne Cricket Ground (final), Olympic Park Stadium · 1960: Florence Communal Stadium, Grosseto Communal Stadium, L'Aquila Communal Stadium, Livorno Ardenza Stadium, Naples Saint Paul's Stadium, Pescara Adriatic Stadium, Stadio Flaminio (final) · 1964: Komazawa Olympic Park Stadium, Mitsuzawa Football Field, Nagai Stadium, Tokyo National Stadium (final), Nishikyogoku Athletic Stadium, Ōmiya Football Field, Prince Chichiba Memorial Football Field · 1968: Estadio Azteca (final), Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Estadio Nou Camp, Jalisco Stadium · 1972: Drei Flüsse Stadion, ESV-Stadion, Jahnstadion, Olympiastadion (final), Rosenaustadion, Urban Stadium · 1976: Lansdowne Park, Olympic Stadium (final), Sherbrooke Stadium, Varsity Stadium · 1980: Dynama Stadium, Dynamo Central Stadium, Grand Arena, Grand Arena (final), Kirov Stadium, Republican Stadium · 1984: Harvard Stadium, Navy – Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Rose Bowl (final), Stanford Stadium · 1988: Buson Stadium, Daegu Stadium, Daejeon Stadium, Dongdaemun Stadium, Olympic Stadium (final) · 1992: Estadi de la Nova Creu Alta, Estadi del FC Barcelona (final), Estadio Luís Casanova, La Romareda, RCD Espanyol Stadium · 1996: Florida Citrus Bowl, Legion Field, Orange Bowl, RFK Memorial Stadium, Sanford Stadium (final) · 2000: Brisbane Cricket Ground, Bruce Stadium, Hindmarsh Stadium, Melbourne Cricket Ground, Olympic Stadium (men's final), Sydney Football Stadium (women's final) · 2004: Kaftanzoglio Stadium, Karaiskakis Stadium, Olympic Stadium (final), Pampeloponnisiako Stadium, Pankritio Stadium, Panthessaliko Stadium · 2008: Beijing National Stadium (final), Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Shanghai Stadium, Shenyang Olympic Sports Center Stadium, Tianjin Olympic Center Stadium, Workers Stadium · 2012: City of Coventry Stadium, Hampden Park, Millennium Stadium, St James' Park, Wembley Stadium (final) · 2016: Estádio Nacional de Brasília, Arena Fonte Nova, Estádio do Maracanã, Mineirão, Estádio do Morumbi

Look up camp in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Camp or encampment may refer to:

Outdoor accommodation and recreation[link]

• Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site
• Summer camp, typically organized for groups of children or youth
• A term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to describe a cottage
• Tent city, a housing facility often occupied by homeless people or protesters

Gatherings of people[link]

• Camp meeting, a Christian gathering which originated in 19th century America.
• Temporary settlement of a band of hunter-gatherer peoples
• A term commonly used in the titles of technology-related unconferences, such as Foo Camp and BarCamp
• Displaced Persons camp
• Refugee camp, a temporary encampment for displaced people

Areas of imprisonment or confinement[link]

• Internment camp, also called a concentration camp, resettlement camp, relocation camp, or detention camp
• Extermination camp
• Labor camp
• Prisoner-of-war camp

Geographical locations[link]

• Camp (Falkland Islands), a term used in the Falkland Islands to refer to any part of the islands outside of the islands' only significant town, Stanley.
• Câmp, two villages in Romania
• A village on the Dingle Peninsula, in the Republic of Ireland
• The Camp, a village in Gloucestershire
• The Central Atlantic Magmatic Province

Entertainment[link]

• Camp (film), a 2003 independent film, written and directed by Todd Graff, about an upstate New York performing arts summer camp
• Camp Records, a 1960s record label that specialized in producing gay-themed novelty records and singles
• Camp Mulla, a Kenyan hip hop group
• Camp (album), a 2011 album from rapper Childish Gambino

Military[link]

• Cantonment
• Military camp

Other uses[link]

• Camp (style), an ironic appreciation of that which might otherwise be considered outlandish or corny
• cAMP, Cyclic adenosine monophosphate
• CAMP, cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides

See also[link]

• Camp Coffee
• Camp (surname)
• CAMP (disambiguation), the acronym
• CAMPS, missile defense system for civilian aircraft
• Camper (disambiguation)
• Camping (disambiguation)
• Campus
• Kemp (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Noh performance at Itsukushima Shrine

Okina hōnō (dedication of Noh play A Venerable Old Man) on New Year's Day

Noh (能, Nō^?), or Nogaku (能楽, Nōgaku^?)^[1]—derived from the Sino-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 often 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[link]

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 what is essentially its present-day form during the Muromachi period (1336 to 1573)^[2] 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[link]

Noh stage. Center: shite; front right: waki; right: eight-member jiutai (chorus); rear center: four hayashi-kata (musicians); rear left: two kōken (stage hands).

There are four major categories of Noh performers: shite, waki, kyōgen, and hayashi.^[3]

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Kyōgen (狂言) perform the aikyōgen (相狂言) interludes during plays. Kyōgen actors also perform in separate plays between individual noh plays.
4. Hayashi (囃子) or hayashi-kata (囃子方) are the instrumentalists who play the four instruments used in Noh theater: the transverse flute (笛, fue^?), hip drum (大鼓, ōtsuzumi^?) or ōkawa (大皮^?), the shoulder-drum (小鼓 , kotsuzumi^?), and the stick-drum (太鼓, taiko ^?). The flute used for noh is specifically called nōkan or nohkan (能管^?).

A typical Noh play always involve the chorus, the orchestra, and at least one shite and one waki actor.^[4]

Plays[link]

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.^[5]

Categories[link]

Noh plays are divided by theme into the following five categories, which are numbered in this order and referred to by these numbers (a "3rd group play", for instance).

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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[link]

• 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[link]

• 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[link]

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[link]

For a more comprehensive list, see List of Noh plays (A–M) N–Z.

Plays with a separate article are listed here.

The following categorization is that of the Kanze school.

Performance elements[link]

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[link]

World's oldest Noh stage at Miyajima

1: hashigakari. 2: kyōgen spot. 3: stage attendants. 4: stick drum. 5: hip drum. 6: shoulder drum. 7: flute. 8: chorus. 9: waki seat. 10: waki spot. 11: shite spot. 12: shite-bashira. 13: metsuke-bashira. 14: waki-bashira. 15: fue-bashira.

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[link]

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.^[6]

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[link]

Three pictures of the same female mask showing how the expression changes with a tilting of the head. In these pictures, the mask was affixed to a wall with constant lighting, and only the camera moved.

A "Ko-jo" (old man) mask; in the collection of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Noh masks (能面 nō-men or 面 omote) all have names. They are carved from blocks of Japanese cypress (檜 "hinoki"), and painted with natural pigments on a neutral base of glue and crunched seashell.

Usually only the shite, the main actor, wears a mask. However, in some cases, the tsure may also wear a mask, particularly in the case of female roles. 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[link]

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[link]

Hayashi-kata (noh musicians). Left to right: taiko, 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. The singing parts of Noh are called "Utai" and the speaking parts "Kataru".^[7]

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-worldly 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[link]

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[link]

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 substantial makunouchi bentō (幕の内弁当, "between acts bento") was served. On special occasions, when the performance is over, お神酒 (o-miki, ceremonial sake) may be served in the lobby on the way out, as it happens in Shinto rituals.

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-bashira 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[link]

Kanze Sakon (観世左近, 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.^[8] 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), Kongō (金剛), and Kita (喜多) 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[link]

Western artists influenced by Noh include:

Theatre practitioners[link]

• 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[link]

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

Poets[link]

• Ezra Pound

Aesthetic terminology[link]

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[link]

• Iemoto
• Higashiyama Bunka
• Shuhari

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

• 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 4-8053-1033-2, ISBN 978-4-8053-1033-5.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Nō

• An Introduction to Noh & Kyogen
• 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
• "Noh & Kyogen". Japan Arts Council. http://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/index.html. 
• Page on the variable expressions of Noh masks
• Noh plays Photo Story and Story Paper the-Noh.com : Comprehensive Site on Noh
• "Hachi-No-Ki, A Perspective"

Antoni Bou i Mena (Catalan pronunciation: [ənˈtɔni ˈβɔw]), also known as Toni Bou (born 17 October 1986 in Piera, in Catalonia, Spain), is an internationally renowned motorcycle trials rider. He has been the outdoor FIM Trial World Championship champion from 2007 to 2011, and the indoor one also from 2007 to 2011. With these 10 world titles, he is already the second most successful rider in history, after Dougie Lampkin with 12 titles, surpassing Jordi Tarrés who is third with 7 titles. At the age of 20 years and 5 months, Bou was the second youngest rider ever to win the World Indoor Title,^[1] and the youngest to do it on a 4-stroke motorbike.

Biography[link]

Toni Bou's first race win was in 1999, when he obtained the Catalan Cadet Trials Championship title at the age of 12. In 2001 he was the Spanish Junior Trials Champion. His World Trials debut was in 2003, when he ended 13th in the World Outdoor Trials Championship, and 1st in the European Outdoor Trials Championship. His first World Trials win was in 2006 when he ended 5th in the outdoor championship, and 3rd in the indoor one. In the same year he was the Spanish Outdoor Trials Champion.

In 2007 he was World Trials Champion for the first time, both in the indoor and outdoor Championships. He was able to repeat this feat in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.

In terms of National Team achievements, he has been part of the Spanish team, fully composed by Catalan riders, that obtained Trial des Nations wins in the years 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009. He also achieved the same in the indoor version of the competition in the years 2006, 2007 and 2008.

The 2009 season was a perfect one for him, achieving all his objectives,^[2] as he won all the major 5 titles, including the indoor and outdoor world titles, the indoor and outdoor Spanish titles, and the Trial des Nations title. This feat was only achieved once before, by Adam Raga in 2005.

Toni Bou rides a Repsol Montesa HRC bike.

Titles[link]

1. 5 World Motorcycle Trials Champion: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
2. 6 World Motorcycle Trials Indoor Champion: 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
3. 2 Spanish Trials Champion: 2006, 2009
4. 1 Spanish Trials Indoor Champion: 2009
5. 5 Trial des Nations: 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
6. 4 Trial des Nations Indoor: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012
7. 1 European youth cup: 2002
8. 1 European Trials Champion: 2000

Results at the World Trials Championship[link]

The following table shows the final position achieved by Toni Bou at the World Motorbike Trials Championship Outdoor:^[3]

Results at the World Trials Championship Indoor[link]

The following table shows the final position achieved by Toni Bou at the World Motorbike Trials Championship indoor:^[4]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Toni Bou

• Toni Bou official site
• Toni Bou at Facebook
• Toni Bou profile, at HondaRacing