NO

History

Sarugaku and Dengaku

Until the 17th century, No is known under the name of sarugaku No nō , or simply Sarugaku . This last term comes itself from sangaku , which indicates a whole whole of Performing arts, including the Acrobatie S, the Jonglerie, the Prestidigitation and the Pantomime, imported China. Gradually, the comic mime became principal attraction, involving the name change ( sarugaku being able to be read spectacle of the monkey ).

At the court, priviliégié art was the Gagaku (music) and the Bugaku (dance accompanying the Gagaku). This art wanted to be harmonious, elegant, refined, and was intended for a mainly aristocratic public.

To the same time, the country traditions and rites had given rise to a whole of dances and rites intended to ensure of good harvests and to alleviate the bad spirits. Practiced in relation to the practices divinatoires of the Buddhism esoteric, these ritual had the support of the large lords and the large Buddhist temples. These supports led the dancers Gagaku to stress the dramatic dimension of their Article the Kagura , is often mentioned like one of the essential sources of No.

Friendly Kan' and Zeami

In 1345, Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, the future Shogun then travels from there to Japan, attends a spectacle Sarugaku given by an experienced actor (43 years): Kiyotsugu Kan' friendly (1333 − 1384). Very impressed by its stage business, Yoshimitsu Ashikaga invites it (him and its troop, like his/her son Motokiyo Zeami, then 11 years old) to settle at its court. The support conferred by this powerful relation made it possible friendly Kan' to develop a synthesis of Pantomime sarugaku and dances and songs of the Gagaku in the direction of an elegant and refined art, adapted to the tastes of an aristocratic public.

The paternity of No is allocated however to the son of friendly Kan', Motokiyo Zeami (1363 - 1443). Actor in the troop of his father, it also profited from the favor of the shogun. Pushing stylization further had not done it his/her father, it imposed the yūgen , “quiet elegance”, as ideal of No Zeami was at the same time an actor, a director, and a prolific author, writing all at the same time theoretical parts and tests which became the foundations of No It is probable that it altered as a pronfondor the majority of the parts written by his father, as well as the former parts. Because of constraint imposed by these new rules, the burlesque aspect of the sarugaku found its expression in the comic form of the Kyōgen , of which the representations are dependant as a counterpoint with those of No the essential treaty of Zeami is the Transmission of the flower and the style ( Fushi Kaden ), written in 1423 and who remains the fundamental work for the contemporary actors.

No and shoguns

The later history of No is closely related to its relationships to the capacity. Thus, after the death of friendly Kan', three people shared the front of the scene: Zeami itself, his/her cousin friendly On' (death in 1467) and his/her adoptive brother Zenchiku Konparu (1405 − 1470). Followers of a style more blazing that of Zeami and undoubtedly also better actors, friendly On' and Konparu accepted the favor of the successors of Yoshimitsu Ashikaga, the shoguns Yoshinori Ashikaga (1394 − 1441) and Yoshimasa Ashikaga (1436 − 1490), while Zeami fell in disgrace.

The War of Ōnin (1467 - 1477) and the weakening of the capacity of the shoguns which resulted from this carried a serious blow with No In order to survive, the descendants of friendly On' and Zenkichu Konparu tried to be addressed to a larger audience by bringing more action and more characters.

The revival of No however took place under the auspices of Oda Nobunaga (1534 − 1582) and of Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537 − 1598), this last being a large amateur of No, which ensured the protection of the troops. In same time, the splendid culture of the time Momoyama marked No deeply, transmitting the taste of the splendid costumes to him, the shape of the masks still employed today as well as the shape of the scene. It is also at that time that the repertory of No solidifies.

This protection was continued with the Period Edo under the authority of the Tokugawa. Already deeply related to a family transmission, No then became completely a business of family, each actor having to belong to a chalk-lining (the adoption of adults was then a current practice, making it possible to integrate new actors). This evolution is to be put in relation to the division of the company in increasingly tight classes which take place at that time.

Essential component of the entertainment of the shoguns and by extension of the Samurai S, No became practically reserved with the latter. Under the influence of this public, the representations were done more solemn and longer, No becoming a serious art, requiring a great concentration on behalf of the public.

Towards contemporary No

No failed well to disappear with its guards with the era Meiji, before knowing a return in thanks to starting from 1912. It is at that time that the term nōgaku started to be used to indicate the unit formed by No and the kyōgen and that the first rooms exclusively dedicated to this Article were built.

Again threatened at the following day of the Second world war, No succeeds in surviving, and constitutes today one of the most established traditional arts and best recognized. No was the first form of dramatic art to being registered, in 2001, on the Liste of the intangible world heritage of UNESCO as a share of the Nōgaku , jointly with the Kyōgen .

Dramaturgy

They are short dramas (between thirty minutes and two hours): one day of No is made up of five parts, of different categories.

The scene

The scene proceeds of the device Chinese: an about naked quadrilateral (except the kagami-ita , painting of a pine at the bottom of the scene) open on three sides between the pilasters of cedar which mark the angles of them. The wall on the right of the scene is called kagami-ita , table-mirror. A small door is spared there to allow the entry of the musicians and the chorus. The scene, raised, is always surmounted by a roof, even in interior, and is surrounded on the level of the ground of white gravel in which are planted small pines with the foot of the pillars. Under the scene a system of ceramics earthenware jars is amplifying the sounds at the time of the dances. The details of this system are the prerogative of the families of manufacturers of scenes of No.

The access to the scene is done for the actors by the hashigakari , footbridge narrow on the left of the scene, device adapted then to the Kabuki in way of the flowers ( hanamichi ). Regarded as integral part of the scene, this way is closed side slides by a curtain with five colors. The rate/rhythm and the speed of opening of this curtain give to the public indications on the environment of the scene. The length of the hashigakari imposes spectacular entries. Along this footbridge are laid out three small pines, those define zones where the actor can make a pause to say some words, before its arrival on scene. According to the codified place where the actor stopped, the public includes/understands the type of role which he interprets. According to also that the character walks on the footbridge more or less close to the public, this last can guess the degree of humanity of the role. All these elements as well as the properties of resonance of the scene oblige the actors to use a particular step slipped, without shock of the feet on the ground and the very low hips ( suriashi ).

Because of broad opening of the scene, the public is practically laid out on three sides. The actor must consequently pay an special attention to his placement. The masks restricting his field of view much, the actor uses the pillar before left of the scene to position.

Music and text

In addition to the actors, the scene is occupied by musicians, arranged at the bottom of the scene, and by a chorus from eight to twelve people occupying the right-sided. The music is produced by means of three types of drum S of increasing size, one carried to the shoulder ( KB-tsuzumi ), the second between the legs ( ō-tsuzumi ) and the third ( taiko ) played with rods of Cyprès, as of a Flûte of bamboo with seven holes (Fue is the generic name of the flutes in Japan, the theater No uses the flute Nōkan). The first two drums have a body of cherry tree, the third of elm, all are tended of Cuir of horse and regulated by cords of flax. The music has as a function to create environment, often a strange atmosphere, in particular when intervene of the supernatural elements. The old masks of No were held by the mouth and the actors could not pronounce text, it was thus the chorus which spoke in their place. Currently, the chorus is charged to provide the elements of narration and to say the counterparts of an actor when this one carries out a dance, or to amplify the dramatic intensity of a tirade. The domination of the percussions in the music stresses the fundamental importance of the rate/rhythm in the representation of No.

The text is chant according to rigorously codified intonations. Because of fixing of the repertory at the end of the 16th century, the text is in Japanese antiquated, incomprehensible for the contemporary Japanese. The majority of the rooms propose translations of the text thus.

Actors

A whole of No counts approximately twenty-five artists.

There are four principal categories principal artists, and five categories of roles:

the shitekata corresponds to the type of play of actor more represented. These actors interpret various roles, of which the shite (the protagonist), the tsure (companion of the shite ), the jiutai (sung chorus, composed of six to eight actors), and the koken (servants of scene).
the actor wakikata incarnates the roles of waki , supporting character who is the counterpart of the shite .
the kyōgenkata is the style of play reserved to the actors playing the popular parts in the repertory No and all the distribution of the parts Kyōgen (represented in interlude between two parts No).
the style hayashikata is that of the musicians who play of the four instruments used in No

The artists follow a complete formation of their trade. Thus, that he is actor, dancer or musician, an artist will study before all the song. The disciple, for example a player of percussion, at the time of a course of tsuzumi, prepares to strike his instrument then the Master entonne the song of the part concerned. The disciple attentive with the song learns how to place the rates/rhythms which he memorized on the song that he owes " encourager". To include/understand the concept of this musical form, it is essential to be initiated at the rate/rhythm of the song.

Moreover, not being alone on scene, it must combine with the other percussions in a musical context where measurement is fluctuating (and not constant like that of a metronome) and requires a permanent listening between the artists. It is the song which is used as guide with the unit. To acquire this powerful capacity of listening, all the other instruments are also studied. Thus all the artists are multi-field but on scene, except exceptional case, the artist will play only in his speciality. The song is the essential component and commun run with all the artists.

The shite

The shite is before all the actor who plays the main character of the part and which carries out the dances. It must be able to play a vast range of characters, energy of the child to the god while passing through the old man or the woman. All the actors being of the men, the nature of a character is meant by his costume, very elaborate, and especially by its mask, smaller than the real size. Only the actors shite put masks, considered to concentrate the gasoline of the character to be interpreted. Certain parts tolerate a shite without mask. They are special settings in scene taking into account the specificity of the actor, an intrinsic force at its age (child or old man). In both cases it must attempt to keep an inexpressive face, just like the other people present on scene, and to play as if it carried a mask ( hitamen ).

The trade of actor " shite" recover also the roles of characters accompanying the main role (but which one should not confuse with the secondary roles): woman, child, animal or supernatural being.

The waki

The crucial role of the waki is to question the shite and to give him a reason to carry out its dance. Played without mask, the waki is always a character of human male and alive. It can be a question of an aristocrat, courtier or sent, of a priest, a monk, a Samurai or a man of the people. Its social function is indicated by its costume.

Parts

A part of No implies all the categories of actor. There are roughly two hundred and fifty parts with the repertory. One can divide them in two groups according to their realism, or into six categories according to the topic. This last will influence at the time when the part is played during the traditional day of No, which comprises a part of each one of these six categories.

Genzai nō and mugen nō

The genzai nō indicates the realistic parts. The main character is then an alive human being, and the history proceeds in real-time. The part is centered around the feelings of the character, always taken in a dramatic situation. The spoken dialog constitutes the average essence of exposure.

The mugen nō makes on the other hand call to imaginary creatures, divinities, Fantôme S or demon S. These creatures are always played by the shite . The parts are then divided into two acts. In the first, the creature appears under the aspect of an human being to the waki come to visit a crowned or famous place. With the second act, it appears and carries out a dance. This second act is supposed to be held in a dream or a vision of waki , from where the name of mugen , which indicates this type of experiment.

The subject of the mugen nō generally refers to a legend or a literary work. Written in an at the same time antiquated and poetic language, the text is sung according to intonations obeying strict rules of Kata (forms imposed by the tradition). In the same way, the actors adopt for this type of parts a characteristic slipped step, and the movements of the dances themselves are very codified. This extreme stylization gives to each movement and intonation a clean conventional significance.

The development of the essential characteristics of the mugen nō is allotted to Zeami. Rather than to try to recreate the beauty on the scene, its goal is to cause in the audience a frame of mind suitable for the contemplation of the beauty, its reference being the feeling tested vis-a-vis the beauty of a flower.

Six types of parts

The parts of No are generally classified by subject, which govern their order of representation. This order constitutes a heritage of the time of the Tokugawa:

Okina or kamiuta .
1st category: parts of gods.
2nd category: parts of warriors.
3rd category: parts of women.
4th category: parts of insane women.
5th category: parts of demons.

Okina or kamiuta

It is about a single part combining Danse and ritual Shinto. In any rigor, it is not a question of No, but of a religious ceremony using the same repertory of techniques as No and the kyōgen . It represents the blessing granted by a divinity to the assistance. The mask is then a religious object with whole share.

These parts are also known under the name of sanban , “the three ritual ones”, in reference to the three essential parts fuss-No-OJ , okina , and kyōgen sanba-sarugaku . The main role is held by an actor of No, the secondary role by an actor of kyōgen .

These parts belong to the days of No only at the time of the New Year's Day or special representations. They then are always given to the beginning of the program.

No of gods

Also called waki nō (No according to, after the okina ), they have a divinity like main character. Typically, the first act tells the meeting of a priest with another character on a famous place or on the way towards such a place. At the end of the act, the other character appears a divinity. This one, or a bound divinity, returns to act II to carry out a dance and to bless the assistance, a temple or harvests.

Examples of parts: the Old Pine , the Two Pines , Po Chu-i , the Arc of the temple of Hachiman , the Goddess of the cherry trees , the Queen-mother of the West , Kamo , God of the temple of Shirahige , the Island with the bamboos of the goddess Benten , etc

No of warriors

In Japanese shura-nō , these parts are centered around the spirit of warriors died, and fallen in hell after their death. They return then to tell the life in the will ashura (hell of the war), or their last battle.

Examples of parts: the General Tamura-maru , Yoshitsune in Yashima , the Quiver of Kagetsue , the Warrior Michimori , Drowning of Kyotsune , the Old man Sanemori , Minamoto No Yorimasa , Lady Tomoe .

No of women

Called “No of women” or “No with wig” ( kazura-nō ), these parts turn around the spirit of beautiful women, of noble young people, even of plants or goddess. The essential moment of these parts is a gracious dance.

No of insane women

This category is rather badly defined, because it gathers the parts not belonging to the other groups. They in general depict a character falling into the madness, either by jealousy, or following the death of a expensive being.

No of demons

Also called “No of the end” ( kiri nō ), these parts include/understand a supernatural character, demon, king-dragon, goblin or another spirit of this type, though the central figure of some is simply a noble young person. These parts have a faster rate/rhythm, supported by the use of the rod drum ( taiko ). A rythmée dance constitutes their culminating point, which is also that of the day of No.

Accessories

Just like the repertory, diction and the attitudes, the accessories result from a traditional corpus and play a part in the comprehension of the part. The most known accessories are the masks, but the costumes and the other accessories are the subject of the same attention.

Masks

Documents of the time Momoyama (sixteenth century) give a report on an about sixty mask of No (in Japanese omote , “face”), whose majority are still employed today. They are used for all the roles of shite except for the role of children and alive adult men (in opposition to the phantoms). When the shite plays without mask, it must keep a neutral expression, exactly as if it carried a mask nevertheless. The design of the masks of No mixes with the real elements and symbolic systems, their goal being to inform about the type of character like about his mood. When it puts the mask, the actor leaves his own personality symbolically to take that of the character whom it will incarnate. The contemplation of the mask thus forms part of the preparatory work for the role. Moreover, because of lighting, the expression of the mask is conceived to be able to vary according to the angle of exposure. The actor must thus constantly control the slope of his head in order to present to the light his mask according to the orientation wanted by the mood of his character.

Smaller cuts some than the face of the actor, the masks reduce its field of view considerably. It then uses the pillars of the scene to be located.

Just as for the parts, the masks are divided into six categories.

Masks for Okina

The masks for Okina come from the Sarugaku , and thus date in their design from before formalization from the oldest No So constitute crowned objects preserved in temples. They represent with an exception close to the gods old and laughing. They are distinguished from the masks of No themselves by the fact that the jaw is not interdependent of the remainder of the mask like by the shape of the eyes and the eyebrows.

Masks of old man

The masks of old man gather a large variety of masks which are distinguished from/to each other by the establishment of the hair, the presence of a beard, the treatment of the teeth, and especially the impression. The latter announces the true nature of the creature arising under the appearance of an old man: true old man, it can also act of a god, a phantom or a spirit having adopted such a disguise.

Masks of demon

The masks of demon, which can have the open or closed mouth, are characterized by the great expressivity from the features and coloring gilded from the eyes. These two elements express the installed capacity and the brutality of the supernatural beings which they represent. Only masks of female demons have horns; the masculines do not have any.

Masks of man

The masks of man are the category most. They can represent a particular human type (the beautiful young man, for example), mean physical characteristic (blindness) or be used as disguise with a supernatural being (phantom, young god); some are same specific to a particular role.

Masks of woman

Just like the masks of man, the masks of woman are classified according to the age and of the expression of the character represented. However, they vary much less in diversity of expression, concentrating more on particular types, the young person and beautiful woman, the anxious mother and the worthy old woman. It should be noted that certain expressions, in particular that of the jealous woman, are not classified among the masks of woman, but among the masks of avenger spirit.

Masks of avenger spirit

The masks of avenger spirit are employed besides since anger, the jealousy or hatred submerge the clean character of the creature represented, that it is an living being (man or woman) or supernatural (a phantom), these masks meaning the passage from one state to another. They in common have a dishevelled hairstyle and the gilding of the eyes which, like in the case of the masks of demon, indicate the absence of reserve and the brutality of the characters had by their passion.

Costumes

The costumes ( shozoku ) result from the formal garments of noble and the samurais of the time Muromachi (14th-16th centuries). Generally in Silk, they are particularly thick and heavy in order to accentuate the impression of richness and elegance. Their ornaments, sophisticated, form integral part of the played character, of which they indicate nature as well as mood. So they are practically as important as the mask for the composition of the character, and are the subject of a contemplation of the actor who impregnates himself with his role.

Accessories

All the characters entering on scene, including the musicians, are equipped with a range. The reasons for the ranges, just like the masks and the costumes, inform about the nature and the mood of the character.

A wig box, most of the time a box in lacquer, is frequently used as seat.

Lastly, the decoration consists of light elements, containing bamboo, on which plants or fabrics are dependant, giving an idea of the type of environment of the part. Contrary to all the other objects of No, the elements of decoration are built for each representation, and are destroyed then.

No today

There are approximately thousand five hundred actors and professional musicians of No in Japan today, and this form of art starts again to thrive. Contrary to the Kabuki which always remained very popular, No turned little by little mainly to a certain intellectual elite. The five families of No are the schools Kanze (観世), Hosho (宝生), Komparu (金春), Kita (喜多), and Kongo (金剛). Families of Kyōgen being with share.

One counts approximately sixty representations per month with Tokyo, plus thirty in the Kansai, for funds of two hundred and fifty regularly played parts.

Influence on the Western theater

The opening of the Japan, at the end of the 19th century, arouses the interest of several Western artists. In 1921, the poet Paul Claudel is named ambassador of France in Japan, which marks it more in the dramatic structure of No is its musical quality. It presents this idea in some of its critical texts like Nō and the drama and the music . The influence which the theater No could have on the dramaturgy of Claudel is especially formal. At the same time in Ireland, Yeats, Nobel Prize of literature in 1923, is initiated with No and all its theater impregnates some. Stanislavski or Meyerhold also leans on the Japanese dramaturgy, and makes some experiments of setting in scene orientalizing , but being inspired rather by the Kabuki for its aspect more coloured and exotiquement spectacular. Bertold Brecht, after being itself impassioned for the Chinese theater, adapts in 1930 No: Taniko , under the title DER Ja-Sager (that which says yes).

More recently, modern No of Yukio Mishima, thanks to the French translation of Marguerite Yourcenar, made known with the French-speaking general public some essential components of No, such as the “alive phantoms” or the animalist metamorphoses. The parts of Mishima are very frequently put in scene also by the young companies, and much in the Off of the Festival of Avignon until in the years 2000.

Currently in Swiss, the director Armen Godel, impassioned No and translator of Japanese, assembles in particular works of Root, Corneille, or of course Mishima, impregnating them with the yūgen (catchword of No that Rene Sieffert translated by “subtle charm”) and in France, since the Années 1980, the director and theater director Junji Fuseya initiates Western artists with his adapted technique of its traditional own training of No and kyōgen . It is necessary to still note the inspiration that Peter Brook found certainly at Yoshi Oida, with which it worked of many years.

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