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Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies #4
Theater as Music: The Bunraku Play “Mt. Imo and Mt. Se (Volume 4)
Bunraku drama has been recognized by many Western artists and scholars form early in this century as a fascinating theatrical tradition. While many have acknowledged the genius of this dramatic form, few have attempted to analyze the tradition in depth. This book is the first attempt to examine Bunraku in performance and to bring together musical, dramatic, and historical analyses into one study.
The three authors focus on the famous “Mountains Scene” ( Yama no dan ), the third scene of the third act of Mt. Imo and Mt. An Exemplary Tale of Womanly Virtue ( Imoseyama onna teikin , 1771) by Chikamatsu Hanji, to examine its place in the history of Bunraku and to analyze it as an example of a living tradition. By focusing on one text and on the music of one particular performance, the authors illuminate the rich musical and dramatic conventions that lie at the foundation of today’s performance.
Theater as Music, with its articles, translations, text, and glossary of terms, is a complete guide to Bunraku as a performing tradition and will be useful to anyone interested in music or theater.
The three authors focus on the famous “Mountains Scene” ( Yama no dan ), the third scene of the third act of Mt. Imo and Mt. An Exemplary Tale of Womanly Virtue ( Imoseyama onna teikin , 1771) by Chikamatsu Hanji, to examine its place in the history of Bunraku and to analyze it as an example of a living tradition. By focusing on one text and on the music of one particular performance, the authors illuminate the rich musical and dramatic conventions that lie at the foundation of today’s performance.
Theater as Music, with its articles, translations, text, and glossary of terms, is a complete guide to Bunraku as a performing tradition and will be useful to anyone interested in music or theater.
302 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 1990
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June 28, 2021
A book about music, by its nature, is going to be hard to follow if you are not familiar with the music – and especially if it comes from a culture of music you aren’t familiar with. Words about music can only do so much, and in most cases just end up sounding like so much technical-speak. I believe at one time there might have been a website or CD that accompanied this book. I couldn’t find anything online.
Regardless, the bunraku puppet theatre of Japan was a very musical form. For the most part not an opera/musical in the Western sense (people singing music), but more so, from what I read, chanting or speaking in tone and rhythm with the music.
The detailed discussion of this music, as noted, went way over my head. I didn’t get much out of it. (Other than there are many styles and forms that the musicians could use at different moments of the play to accompany the performance.)
The information about the text and the translation were rather interesting. The author makes an astute observation that all Western readers should be aware of when reading Japanese drama (i.e., jurori, bunraku, and kabuki).
“Self-sacrifice [is] the most important theme in Bunraku, whether it be a man dying for his lord, a woman dying for her husband or lord, a parent sacrificing a child for a higher cause, or a pair of young lovers committing suicide for a life together in the next world….” (p. 106)
Like the medieval works of Arthurian courtly honor, this sense of self sacrifice – to modern, Western eyes -- is regularly taken to the most melodramatic and absurd limits. The characters in Japanese theatre are ready to spill their guts (literally, as in commit seppuku) for the most trivial offenses and errors. But these themes were hugely popular among audiences in the 18th and 19 centuries and the playwright was judged on his innovative presentation of these familiar themes.
The translation of the “Mt. Imo and Mt. Se” scene included in this book is another telling of the classic Romeo and Juliet story in which the son and daughter of two rival families fall in love. Like the familiar story, the mother cuts off the head of her daughter and the father convinces the son to commit seppuku. (Then he cuts off his son’s head.) The only difference of note is that the lovers are quite happy at the end. Seriously, they are extremely happy and eager to die.
Without more knowledge of the music (or at least a video/CD) much of this book is hard to follow. I give them immense credit for trying, however, to make the music more accessible and understandable.
Regardless, the bunraku puppet theatre of Japan was a very musical form. For the most part not an opera/musical in the Western sense (people singing music), but more so, from what I read, chanting or speaking in tone and rhythm with the music.
The detailed discussion of this music, as noted, went way over my head. I didn’t get much out of it. (Other than there are many styles and forms that the musicians could use at different moments of the play to accompany the performance.)
The information about the text and the translation were rather interesting. The author makes an astute observation that all Western readers should be aware of when reading Japanese drama (i.e., jurori, bunraku, and kabuki).
“Self-sacrifice [is] the most important theme in Bunraku, whether it be a man dying for his lord, a woman dying for her husband or lord, a parent sacrificing a child for a higher cause, or a pair of young lovers committing suicide for a life together in the next world….” (p. 106)
Like the medieval works of Arthurian courtly honor, this sense of self sacrifice – to modern, Western eyes -- is regularly taken to the most melodramatic and absurd limits. The characters in Japanese theatre are ready to spill their guts (literally, as in commit seppuku) for the most trivial offenses and errors. But these themes were hugely popular among audiences in the 18th and 19 centuries and the playwright was judged on his innovative presentation of these familiar themes.
The translation of the “Mt. Imo and Mt. Se” scene included in this book is another telling of the classic Romeo and Juliet story in which the son and daughter of two rival families fall in love. Like the familiar story, the mother cuts off the head of her daughter and the father convinces the son to commit seppuku. (Then he cuts off his son’s head.) The only difference of note is that the lovers are quite happy at the end. Seriously, they are extremely happy and eager to die.
Without more knowledge of the music (or at least a video/CD) much of this book is hard to follow. I give them immense credit for trying, however, to make the music more accessible and understandable.
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