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Noh, world’s oldest extant professional theatre, was created in the Muromachi period by the father and son team of Kan’ami (1332-1384) and Zeami (1363-1443). Zeami wrote many plays some of which are performed even today. He also wrote many works which explain the aesthetic principles governing Noh and gave details as to how the art should be composed, acted, directed, taught and produced.
The masks and costumes used in Noh plays are several hundred years old and the Noh players in their artistic costumes always try to create a stage filled with magnificent physical and spiritual atmosphere. The efforts to create such an atmosphere, are compared to the process of the blooming of “a flower” as termed by Zeami. The essence of the efforts has been passed on to successive generations by Kan’ami and Zeami and at present it is Kiyokazu Kanze (26th generation), who has been honoured with the title of a Living National Treasure by the Japanese government. The Kanze School of Noh has given performances at many famous/historic cities in Japan and abroad including a performance at the last year’s mega event “AICHI EXPO”. Grand Master Kiyokazu Kanze together with Grand Master Motomasa Kanze (25th generation) performed Noh at the opening ceremony of JAPAN MONTH in 1987 at Vigyan Bhawan. |
