Zeami Motokiyo

Zeami Motokiyo ( Japanese 世 阿 弥 元 清 , * 1363 ; † 1443 ) was an important figure in Japanese Noh theater .

As a playwright , theoretician and actor of the Nō, he already appeared as a teenager before the Shogun Yoshimitsu . This promoted various art forms in Japan during the Muromachi period . Together with his father Kan'ami , he created numerous Nō pieces that are still valued today . He developed the ritual cult game into an entertainment game for the aristocratic warrior caste.

Later Shoguns occupied Zeami Motokiyo with a performance ban.

His work Fūshikaden ( 風姿 花 伝 ), also called Kadensho ( 花 伝 書 ), was considered the textbook of Nō for centuries .

Life

Zeami Motokiyo was born when his father was 31 years old. This was already a famous Nō actor and master of his own theater in the provinces of Yamato and Iga . As a child he got to know his father's theater, Kanze-za .

At the age of twelve Kanze-za gave a performance in Kyoto before the Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. The Shogun took him as a lover , according to the Shūdō . Kan'ami died in 1384. Zeami succeeded his father under the name Kanze-Dayu (Master Kanze).

Back then, actors were of low rank and had little education. But Zeami was able to expand his education as the Shogun's favorite. His literary education through Waka , Renga and the traditional works, for example Genji Monogatari , promoted his activity as a Nō writer. He created a total of 50 Nō works.

After Yoshimitsu's death, Zeami's position became difficult. The subsequent Shogun Yoshimochi preferred Dengaku to the Nō theater. After the Todo Yoshimochi, Yoshinori , the sixth Shogun stood in opposition to Zeami and Kanze-za. In 1422 Zeami handed over the master's rank to his son Kanze Motomasa and he himself became a Buddhist monk. Yoshinori's hostility grew.

In 1432 the son Motomasa died. In 1434 Zeami was exiled to the island of Sado . He was still in Sado in 1436 and wrote a book. His place of residence after 1436 is unknown. One suspects the return to Kyoto. A picture of him bears the note that he died in 1443.

Works

Zeami wrote about 60 Nō pieces and about ten Nō textbooks. His works are still played in the No Theater today. He drew the motifs of his drama from Japanese classics and legends, especially Heike Monogatari and Genji Monogatari . His most important works include Takasago (according to legend), Sanemori (after Heike Monogatari ), Izutsu (after Ise Monogatari ) and Aoi no Ue (after Genji Monogatari ).

As a theorist, he mostly wrote for his son, who was also his student. His most famous theoretical work is Kadensho or Fūshikaden .

Web links

Commons : Zeami Motokiyo  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• The Words of Zeami (English)