Noh Theater

For an example of a Noh performance I found this video. I would like to note some of the portions of Noh tradition I understand and observe some that are culturally oriented. As you watch the performance, you can observe that there are four men playing various instruments, actors wearing masks, and a group of men that sing and chant. That being said first let us look at the instruments. One man plays an aerophone called the nohkan. This bamboo flute is used to further express the singing/chanting. The nohkan also provides some melody to the ensemble. From the audiences perspective, the man to nohkan's left is playing the ko-tsuzumi. The ko-tsuzumi is a drum held over the shoulders and has chords that the drummer uses to change the pitch of the drum. Once again, to his left is the o-tsuzumi's player. This drum is held near the waist of the player. Finally, the fourth istrument to the left of the o-tsuzumi is the taiko drum. The taiko drum is in the drummers lap as he plays it. The actors wear noh masks which are used in part by the actors to define the role and express the mood. The way the actors move is also used to express the mood of the play. And the singers chant and narrate the play. The plays are well known by the actors and are for this reason not rehearsed together. The actors know what movement to take next based purely on the music. The backdrop, masks, and words chanted tell the audience the plays meaning.