Nagauta
Nagauta (long poems or songs) is the dominant musical form for the Kabuki theatre and depicts the various poetic descriptions of the dance and scenes. The early dances of Kabuki were accompanied by kouta (short songs). Nagauta developed during the Genroku period (1688–1703) and was further refined with the introduction of highly skilled shamisen players. In 1727, in Edo (the old name for Tokyo), a style called Edo Nagauta was born. These pieces were composed of short lyrical sections strung together. Nagauta further developed with the addition of other forms and instruments in later periods. This layering of genres and instruments makes nagauta a highly refined and versatile form. While nagauta is vital to Kabuki, it stands on its own as a musical genre and is well suited to independent performances. The main line of nagauta performers began with Kineya Rokuzaemon; it is now in its fifteenth generation.
Nagauta is categorized in five forms: Noh, which draws upon sophisticated structures found within Noh plays as far back as the fourteenth century; kumiuta, which developed from the tradition of grouping together a series of poems set to music, popular in the late seventeenth century; joruri, which was influenced by gidayubushi narrative recitation of the joruri (Bunraku) puppet theatre; Kabuki music, which is suitable accompaniment for dancing; and mixed forms, which contain an assortment of dance borrowed from the other forms.
Nagauta is a lyrical form that consists of four to nine singers, four to nine shamisen, and a Noh ensemble (one to three hip drums, one stick drum, and one flute). As an orchestra, the ensemble is called the shibyoshi (four rhythms). The nagauta ensemble is most often associated with the geza room. When the nagauta shamisen play from the geza alone, it is called aikata; when accompanied by singing, it is called ainote. There are also a number of other instruments played in the geza; the number and variety depend on the play being performed. The nagauta ensemble may also appear onstage and is then called the debayashigata. Nagauta musicians and singers sit on a special platform called the hinadan. The geza ensemble (hayashigata) sit on a step below the hinadan.
Further Reading
Brandon, James R., ed. (1982) Chushingura: Studies in Kabuki and the Puppet Theater. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Brandon, James R., William P. Malm, and Donald H. Shively. (1987) Studies in Kabuki: Its Acting, Music and Historical Context. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Ernst, Earle. (1974) The Kabuki Theatre. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Halford, Aubrey S., and Giovanna Mittalford. (1969) The Kabuki Guide Handbook: A Guide for Understanding and Appreciation with Summaries of Favorite Plays, Explanatory Notes and Illustrations. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle.
Masakatsu Gunji. (1987) The Kabuki Guide. Tokyo: Kodansha.
Raz, Jacob. (1983) Audience and Actors: A Study of Their Interaction in the Japanese Traditional Theatre. Leiden, Netherlands: E. J. Brill.
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