2. • J Thomas Rimer, ‘What More do we Need to
Know About the Noh?’ Asian Theatre Journal
9/2 (Autumn 1992): 215-223.
• Noh Plays Database (www.the-noh.com/en/)
• John Wesley Harris, The Traditional Theatre of
Japan: Kyogen, Noh, Kabuki and Puppetry (The
Edwin Mellen Press, 2006).
3. Origins of Nō drama
• Sarugaku – theatre from earlier periods
• The Ashikage shogun patronized sarugaku in
the 14thC
• Zeami (1364-1443)
9. Status of Nō
• From 16thC, Nō was transmitted as an
amateur pastime
• Developed into a refined pursuit
• Formalized, upper-class art
• Serious, solemn, high-art feel
10. Music in Nō
• Music has a secondary role, behind the text
• Shite – principal actor
• Utai – sung text
• Hayashi – instrumental music, played by musicians also
called hayashi
• Usually two acts, with an interlude; may last between
one and two hours
11. Kyōgen
• Comic Nō scenes
• Often used as interludes, or performed
separately
12. Utai (structure)
• Nō plays are built from dan, or scenes
• Each dan often has an introductory song; a
speech, or sung narrative; then a song in one
or two parts.
• The utai is divided further into shōdan, small
structural units
• Jo-Ha-Kyu
13. Utai
• Kotoba – speech mode (stylized intonation)
• Yowagin – uses three tones, in tetrachords –
female, emotional, beautiful
• Tsuyogin – centered on one tone, within range
of min 3rd – male, martial, congratulatory
15. Melodic and Rhythmic Patterns
• Five- and seven-syllable text, in eight-beat
metre
• Utai uses standard rhythmic and melodic
patterns
• Hiranori – chunori – onori
16. Fue
• Seven finger holes
• Wide mouth-hole for embrouchure changes
• No absolute pitch – unmatched to the vocal
19. Hayashi patterns
• Each instrument has its own patterns,
repeated during a shōdan or dance
• Drummers match pauses to the correct utai
syllables – enabling them to follow the singer
20. Current day…
• Nō (and kyōgen) are still performed, though
now a high classical art
• Little public interest?
• Intangible Cultural Heritage
• Around 200 extant plays
21. • Kagekiyo / Shidohogaku – Noh and Kyogen
Plays Live (Asch Records, 1969)
• Kyoto Nohgaku Kai, Japanese Noh Music
(Lyrichord World, 1993)
Editor's Notes
Noh has been studied more than most Japanese music.
Noh has been studied more than most Japanese music.
From the Heian period, a form of theatre known as sarugaku was popular. This was a common entertainment, combining circus-like elements of juggling and so forth originally, but soon developing to be comic dances, comic scenes or short plays, and music.
In the 14th century, a sarugaku troupe performed for one of the Ashikage shoguns; this led to shogunal patronage, and raised sarugaku into a high art form, thereafter known as Noh (and its comic counterpart, Kyogen).
Zeami (1364-1443) was a performer and theorist whose group performed for the Shogun.
There is a main square stage, side stage for chorus, back stage for musicians, and a long (covered) passageway for entry/exit, which can also be part of the stage.
In a two-act drama, the shite will perform as two different characters, while the kyogen will perform in between.
Dance sections may occur in either or both acts.
There is a main square stage, side stage for chorus, back stage for musicians, and a long (covered) passageway for entry/exit, which can also be part of the stage.
In a two-act drama, the shite will perform as two different characters, while the kyogen will perform in between.
Dance sections may occur in either or both acts.
There is a main square stage, side stage for chorus, back stage for musicians, and a long (covered) passageway for entry/exit, which can also be part of the stage.
In a two-act drama, the shite will perform as two different characters, while the kyogen will perform in between.
Dance sections may occur in either or both acts.
There is a main square stage, side stage for chorus, back stage for musicians, and a long (covered) passageway for entry/exit, which can also be part of the stage.
In a two-act drama, the shite will perform as two different characters, while the kyogen will perform in between.
Dance sections may occur in either or both acts.
From the early sixteenth century, Noh was consumed and transmitted as an amateur pastime, something which aristocrats performed and learnt with the aid of professional actors and musicians.
Noh further developed in the following century to become a refined pursuit, one used for educational purposes.
Edo period turned it gradually from common entertainment to formalized upper-class art.
It looks and sounds arcane – has a religious, serious, high-art feel which is difficult for many to like.
Amateur performance is, to the present day, common. As is performance by children!
Noh is also transmitted through school (or iemoto) lineages. These are separate for instruments and shite actors.
Music forms a secondary part of these dramatic forms, behind the text.
Shite and waki actors…
Utai –the sung text – and hayashi – the instrumental ensemble – are the two parts of Noh music.
A full no play may last between one and two hours; performance of excerpts, with only actor(s), or different presentation, is common.
Usually two acts, with kyogen interlude.
Kyogen is used as interludes in Noh dramas, and resembles the comic intermezzos or comeddia dell’arte of Italian opera and theatre.
Nogaku is a typical word for no and kyogen together.
In kyogen, meanwhile, singing becomes a development of the narrative, in that when two characters start to sing, previous tension or argument can become nullified by the fun.
The utai can be divided into shodan, or small structural units. These may be fushi (sung) or kotoba (spoken). Fushi further has congruent or non-congruent rhythmic divisions.
Structurally, noh plays are comprised of dan, or large units, made up of these shodan smaller units. Each dan is made of up to three elements: an introductory song, when the character appears, which may describe scenery or emotions. This is optional. We then have speech or sung narrative. Finally, there is a song (possibly in two parts). Similar to certain operatic forms!
Parts of the text in speech-mode, or kotoba, were once spoken but have over the centuries become stylized into an intonation, and are now included as utai.
There are two types of singing in utai: Yowagin and Tsuyogin.
Yowagin uses three tones – upper, middle, lower – fourths apart, with passing tones. Tsuyogin is centered around one tone, usually a minor third range. Both types use a wide vibrato, and a gradual ascent in pitch through the phrase while retaining relations; these are stronger in tsuyogin.
Tones outside of the three tones are also a fifth higher than the upper, and a fourth or fifth lower than the lower.
The former is for female, or emotional and beautiful texts. The latter is for male, for battle or congratulations.
The jiutai, or chorus, of whom there are today normally eight (though it was in the Edo period as large as 25) sit stage left and often sing the final song of a dan, singing in third person about the character. Originally, when noh started, they were merely a support to the actor’s singing.
Five and seven syllable phrases of the poetic text are adapted to the eight-beat metre with the three rhythmic patterns.
Utai make use of both standard rhythmic and melodic patterns. These have set places they are used, and a regular syntax for how they fit together, thereby meaning that many noh plays are quite similar in a formal way.
The three congruent rhythms are hiranori, chunori and onori – these are used in the last unit of each dan.
There are no extra-musical conventions for such patterns; however, switching between patterns might show development in emotion or narrative tension.
The hayashi ensemble consists of fue (flute), and two/three drums (otsuzumi and kotsuzumi, taiko).
Similar to other side-blown flutes, but different in some ways. Fue has seven finger holes.
A wide mouth-hole allows for large pitch changes with embrouchure, enabling slides and portamento (coupled with gradual uncovering of holes).
It does not have absolute pitch, nor does it relate in terms of pitch to the utai notes. The contour of the melodies is what is important; only the two central tones, used as closing notes for each pattern, are perceived as definite pitches.
These patterns are transmitted by shoga, which indicate direction rather than pitch, as well as phrasing and other playing technique.
In non-congruent singing, the flute accompanies the utai, but not with the same pitch or rhythm, only for timbral backing. In dance sections, without utai, it plays with the same eight-beat metre of the drums.
The ko-tsuzumi is a shoulder drum with two skins, played with right hand on front skin, while the left hand controls pitch by holding the ropes. Paper strips are applied to the back skin to control timbre in a given performance.
The o-tsuzumi, a slightly larger drum played on the knee, again played with right hand on front skin, with a special paper thimble.
The drummers follow an eight-beat metre, which utilizes strokes on the drums (of varied timbre, pitch and striking methods), shouts of syllables on the beats previous to the stokes, and pauses or silent syllables before the shouts.
The most common pattern is called Mitsuji, and is illustrated here… There are over one hundred others.
The taiko is occasionally used, in final songs for supernatural characters or gods.
The taiko stands on the flooe and is played with two sticks.
The hayashi instruments all have their own patterns, which repeat during a shodan or dance. Staggered entries of these patterns – as in gagaku – offer cues to the other performers as to the metre and form.
The dancer communicates the end of a dance, after which the instrument one by one play transitional or closing material.
The drummers match their pauses to the utai syllables – this enables them to follow an amateur or untrained singer, who may not be so aware of the metre and form. The Utai is the most important element, and the hayashi must ‘encourage’ it. This is derived from Noh as a participatory genre – aristocrats would perform with professional performers, who had to be able to cover for the mistakes.
There is considerable freedom and elasticity for the performers within the fairly rigid structures established.
Noh plays (and kyogen) continue to be written and revived, although the number of performers has fallen in recent times, and there is little public interest for something held as a high cultural art.
Around 200 extant plays from the original collections of nearly 2000?
1-40 mins: Act 1
15.40 – entrance of the shite
34.30 – end of scene 3, start scene 4
1.00.00 – entry of Shite as ghost
1.16.55 – start of Atsumori dance
1.25.35 – start of final scene
2.40 – 8.55 (opening); 15.40-23.05 (shite entrance); 34.30-41.30 (scene 4); 60-79 (act 2, Shite as ghost); 85-92 (closing).
Pages 1-4; 6; 10-11; 16-end.
