In Ze’ami’s treatises on Noh, an actor who has reached the highest level of his craft is said to have “blossomed” (ran is the Japanese for orchid), and the rangyoku is a set of vocals dedicated to this position. Ze’ami placed vocals into five categories: celebratory, mysterious, love, sorrow and rangyoku, or “blossoming,” with rangyoku considered the highest and superior form. Rangyoku may also refer to the performance of selections from older plays by a single performer. There are around 50 plays including Asukagawa, Kashii, Shimami, Hatsuserokudai and Tōgokukudari, which required the highest level stage and technique, and as such are rarely performed.
the-NOH.com Contents
Search
Category
- Basic Knowledge (120)
- Buddhism (6)
- Costume (16)
- Costumes (143)
- Dance (56)
- Forms (94)
- Historical Materials (13)
- History (112)
- Important Persons (33)
- Kyōgen (156)
- Masks (27)
- Movement (76)
- Music (104)
- Musical Instruments (28)
- Performance (108)
- Plays (94)
- Production (135)
- Props (78)
- Roles (76)
- Schools (63)
- Stage (43)
- Vocal (84)