Continuing its longstanding tradition of presenting the classical Japanese arts, the Holland Festival brings Noh theatre to Amsterdam in 2010. Nōgaku (shortened to 'Noh') is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Noh and its related form, the farcical kyogen, evolved from various popular aristocratic art forms, assuming its present form during the Muromachi period in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. In the Meiji period (1868-1911) Noh and kyogen were officially acknowledged as two of the three national types of drama. Nogaku and kabuki theatre were added to the list of Masterpieces of Oral and Immaterial Heritage of Humanity in 2001.
The particular version of Noh to be performed in Amsterdam is
takigi nō, which means 'Noh by bonfire'. The performance traditionally takes place in the open air, the evening darkness illuminated by bonfires and burning torches. Once a year such a performance takes place at the Shinto shrine at the foot of Mt. Fuji. The locale, one of the traditional approaches to the holy mountain, is surrounded by cypresses. The stage is part of the temple complex and is thus restricted to initiates. The Noh performance usually consists of two or three Noh plays, where the actors wear masks, alternated with comic interludes, kyogen, where they do not. As dusk falls, a priest leads a Shinto ritual blessing of the stage, and two girls light the bonfires with torches. Two assistants in traditional attire have the task of tending the bonfires for the duration of the performance. At an indoor Noh performance a decor panel painted with cypresses is placed at the back of the stage: it not only serves as an acoustic aid, but provides a natural backdrop, simulating the Shinto gods' descent to earth via the cypresses.
A Noh play is typically built of certain standard elements: recited text (
utai), musical accompaniment (
hayashi) on flute and three types of drum, and dance or choreography (
shimai or kata). Two or more actors, wearing imposing masks, are accompanied by a small ensemble and a chorus (
jiutai). There are four major Noh roles, of which
shite and
waki (the protagonist and antagonist) are the most important. The actors and musicians never rehearse together prior to a performance, but prepare their parts independently, preparing their gestures and recitatives under the tutelage of a senior member of the school. The rhythm of the performance is therefore determined not by the 'internal clock' of the play itself, but by the individual performances and interactions between the actors. The star of the 2010 Holland Festival production is the celebrated Umewaka Rokuro Gensho, the 56th head of the illustrious Umewaka family of Noh actors.