Ticket information for Cerulean tower Noh Theatre

概要

修羅物と言われる演目、いわゆる公達や武士の亡魂をシテとした曲目の中でも、三修羅と呼称されている曲があります。頼政、実盛、朝長の三曲です。いずれも演者に求めらる力量は重く難曲ですが、特に朝長は他の二曲と異なる大曲です。
頼政も実盛も武士としての役割を全うして、死を受け入れながらもこの世に思いを残す執心の強い人間像がシテとして描かれていますが、朝長は負傷兵となった我が身を味方の足手纏いとなる事を良しとせず、弱冠16歳の若さで自ら命を断つ源氏の総大将義朝の次男の霊を後シテとしてます。この悲劇を世阿弥は、他の修羅曲とは全く違う作能にて描いております。
それは、朝長の前半のシテを彼の死に立ち会わざるを得なかった宿場の女主人としている点です。
凄惨な死を目の当たりにした女性は深く心を痛め、日々救いを求めるために朝長の菩提を弔います。それは朝長の死を弔うよりも、我が身の救いを求めるが如くです。前シテの朝長の死に遭遇した場面の語りが、この演目の全てを凝縮していると思います。

中世の人々は今より死が身近にありながらも、現代の我々より強く重く死と向き合っていた事を考えずにはいられません。
前シテの登場からの謡の詞章は美しくも哀しく、また朝長への慈愛を感じさせる素晴らしい言葉の紡ぎです。
今に生きる我々にとって、死を通して生きる事の難しさ、辛さ、それを克服する事のみがまた生きるための意義だと能ならではの美しい言葉の流れが、強く訴えかけてくる演目です。

我が身の生き様と照らし合わせ、心して勤めたいと思っております。
是非ご高覧のほど、よろしくお願いいたします。

overview

Among the plays called Shuramono, or plays in which the souls of nobles or samurai are the shite, there are three pieces called the Three Shura. These are Yorimasa, Sanemori, and Tomonaga. All of them are difficult pieces that require great skill from the performer, but Tomonaga in particular is a large piece that is different from the other two.
Both Yorimasa and Sanemori are portrayed as shite characters who have fulfilled their roles as samurai and accepted death, but still have strong feelings for this world. However, Tomonaga, who is a wounded soldier and does not want to be a burden to his allies, takes his own life at the young age of 16 and plays the second son of the general of the Genji clan, Yoshitomo, as his second shite. Zeami portrays this tragedy in a completely different way from other Shura pieces.
The first half of Tomonaga's shite is the female hostess of an inn who was forced to witness his death.
The woman, who witnessed the horrific death, is deeply saddened, and prays for Asanaga's soul every day, seeking salvation. It is as if she is seeking salvation for herself, rather than mourning Asanaga's death. I think the narration of the scene where the Mae-Shite encounters Asanaga's death condenses the whole of this performance.

Death was closer to people in the Middle Ages than it is now, but they faced it more strongly and seriously than we do today.
The lyrics of the Noh chant that begins with the Mae-Shite's appearance are beautiful and sad, and the words are spun in a wonderful way that makes you feel affection for Asanaga.
For us who live today, the beautiful flow of words that are unique to Noh strongly appeals to us, telling us the difficulty and pain of living through death, and that the only meaning of living is to overcome it.

I would like to perform this performance with care, comparing it to the way I have lived my life.
I hope you will come and see it.

番組 

狂言「樋の酒」シテ 野村万蔵　アド 河野佑紀　小アド 野村万之丞

能「朝長」シテ 友枝雄人　地頭 友枝昭世　ワキ 宝生欣哉　笛 一噌隆之　小鼓 成田達志　大鼓 國川純　太鼓 小寺真佐人

Program 

Kyogen "Hinosake" Shite: Manzo Nomura Assistant: Yuki Kono Sub-Assistant: Mannosuke Nomura

Noh "Asonaga" Shite: Takehito Tomoeda Jigyo: Akiyo Tomoeda Waki: Kinzai Hosho Flute: Takayuki Isso Small Drum: Tatsushi Narita Large Drum: Jun Kunikawa Taiko: Masato Kodera