Oppenheimer Modern Noh

2023年01月18日

「オッペンハイマー」は、アメリカの科学者J・ロバート・オッペンハイマーと、1945年8月6日に広島に投下された原子爆弾の開発について描いた英語による現代能楽集です。この作品は、ユダヤ教・キリスト教の枠組みではなく、仏教の枠組みの中で、罪悪感、償い、贖罪について探求しています。ここでは、洞察力と責任・カルマの間の緊張が、百丈と狐の禅の物語を通して探求され、解放・救済のテーマは、恐ろしい仏教の知恵王、不動明王の行動と輪廻（終わりなき生と死）によって組み立てられています。

『Oppenheimer』は伝統的な無限能の構成と形式を持ち、主人公は何らかのカルマの障害により、死んでも人間の姿を離れられない人の亡霊である。多くの場合、無限能の演目は、幽霊を輪廻転生から解放し、解脱させることができる。この演目では、J.ロバート・オッペンハイマーの霊が登場します。彼は、原爆を発明したという自分の行為の恐ろしい結果に苦しめられ、毎年広島に戻り、自分の兵器が引き起こした苦痛に自ら苦しむことを余儀なくされています。オッペンハイマーの霊は、禅の伝統的な物語である百丈と狐を考えることによって、広島の火の中で不動明王に出会い、ついに苦しみから解放される。不動明王は、オッペンハイマーに剣とわなを与え、すべての生き物が苦しみから解放されるように、特に広島の原爆によって負った傷と傷跡のために踊ることができるようにと、オッペンハイマーに命じた。

(English) Oppenheimer is a modern Noh play in English about the American scientist J Robert Oppenheimer and the development of the atomic bomb, which was dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. It explores guilt, atonement, and redemption within a Buddhist rather than a Judeo-Christian framework. Here tensions between insight and responsibility/karma are explored through the Zen story of Hyakujo and the fox, and themes of liberation/redemption are framed by the actions of the fearsome Buddhist Wisdom King, Fudô Myô-ô, and the wheel of Samsara (endless birth and death).

Oppenheimer has the structure and form of a traditional Mugen Noh, where the main character is the ghost of a person who, because of some karmic hindrance, cannot leave their human form at death. In many cases, the action of a Mugen Noh play will free the ghost from the wheel of Samsara so that they can attain liberation. In this play, the spirit is that of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who, tormented by the horrible consequences of his action in fathering the atomic bomb, is condemned to return each year to Hiroshima to himself suffer the agonies that his weapon caused. Through contemplation of the traditional Zen story of Hyakujo and the fox, the ghost of Oppenheimer is finally released from his suffering when he encounters Fudô Myô-ô within the fires of Hiroshima. Fudô gives Oppenheimer his sword and snare so that he can dance for the liberation of all beings from suffering, particularly the wounds and scars that we all bear due to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The First Poster for Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer is Here to Change the World

Noh drama is both austere and enthralling.

Whereas Gagaku traces its origins to Tang China(618-907), Noh evolved within Japan, notably with the canonical work of Zeami (c1363-1444).

While China's local ritual dramas (often using masks) have been much studied, everything about Noh seems remote from Chinese theatre.

The plots, derived from medieval literature such as the Genji and Heike Monogatari(Story), are based on the theme of exorcism; often, a traveler or pilgrim (the Waki role) meets a local dweller, who is later revealed as the ghost of a renowned ancient personage who died there in tragic circumstances (the part of shite).

Perpetuating the spirit of Zen in modern Japan, all the performative elements are otherworldly.

They entrancing-from the vocals of the solo actors and chorus and the masks and costumes to the Hayashi ensemble of piercing bamboo flute punctuated by the haunting rhythms of the three types of drums (with their otherworldly kakegoe cries) and the cathartic final dance.

Orchestral tours always allowed me to explore local cultures, and in Japan in the 1990s, regional Noh theatres were always my first port of call. Here are two complete dramas:

Atsumori is a Yugen ghost play by Zeami, based on the Heike Monogatari:

The monk Renshō (in the Waki role) arrives at Ichi-no-Tani seeking forgiveness from Atsumori (the shite role) and calming his spirit.

There he meets a flute-playing youth and his companions; after they briefly discuss the bamboo flute and Atsumori, the child reveals that he has a connection to Atsumori.

In the second act, after a kyōgen interlude, the actor who played the youth in the first act has changed costume, now playing Atsumori.

Along with the chorus chanting for him, he relates his tragic story from his perspective, re-enacting it in dance form.

The play ends with the monk Renshō refusing to re-enact his role in Atsumori's death; the ghost declares that the monk is not his enemy and asks him to pray for his release.

能　敦盛　Nō: Atsumori (Full Japanese Noh play "Atsumori")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IANlUMrfEw

In Takasago, a priest travels to Takasago in pleasant spring weather.

He hears a bell toll in the distance among the beautiful pine trees.

An elderly couple arrives and begins to sweep the area under the pine bower.

The older man recites from a collection of waka poetry, describing the Takasago and Sumioe wedded pine trees that, according to legend, will remain together for eternity.

When he explains that the paired pines symbolize the marital relationship, the priest observes that all relationships, like life itself, fall short of the ideal expressed in the poem.

At this point, the old couple reveals that they are the spirits of the paired pines, and they set sail across the bay in a small boat.

As the tide goes out, the priest also sets sail.

能　高砂　Nō: Takasago (Full Japanese Noh play: "Takasago")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VG7Qu3gpX-M

10)

While the Noh scene in Japan has remained mainly faithful to medieval plots, Allan Marett, working with Richard Emmert, has composed two remarkably imaginative new Noh dramas in English.

11)

Among the distinguished pupils of Laurence Picken working on Tang music at Cambridge in the 1970s, Allan then began devoting himself to Noh, and his drama Eliza (1985) makes a kind of bridge to his fine fieldwork on aboriginal culture in Australia:

Eliza (1985) - A Noh play in English written by Allan Marett

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bJHepiF_Hc

12)

A traveler to Fraser Island in Australia meets an older woman who tells the story of Eliza Fraser, the wife of the captain of a shipwrecked ship years ago.

The woman begins to tell fantastic stories about Eliza's experiences and how these were used to satisfy the beliefs of white society.

13)

As the traveler questions her story full of exaggeration, the woman's true nature as the spirit of Eliza is set free.

The spirit reappears and dances at an aboriginal festival, reliving her experiences of aboriginal culture and the truth of her pleasant stay with aboriginal peoples.

See also Representing Aboriginal music and dance.

https://stephenjones.blog/2021/01/26/representing-aboriginal-music/

14)

No less remarkable is Allan's 2015 drama Oppenheimer:

Oppenheimer - A Noh Play in English - Oct. 1st ,2015

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqfdoPAxiVk

15)

In Noh, agents of suffering (often warriors) first appear trapped in the form of a ghost and then, in the course of the play-attain, liberation; thus, the drama traces the spiritual journey of Robert J. Oppenheimer from tormented spirit to agent of redemption.

16)

It makes an allegory about the tragedy of Hiroshima and how it affects us all.

As Allan comments, "my play points beyond Hiroshima to all acts of violence and inhumanity."

17)

Oppenheimer has the structure and form of a traditional Yugen Noh, where the main character is the ghost of a person who cannot leave their human form at death because of some karmic hindrance.

In many cases, the action of a Yugen play will free the ghost from the wheel of samsara so that they can attain liberation.

18)

In this play, the ghost is that of J. Robert Oppenheimer, who, tormented by the horrible consequences of his action in fathering the atomic bomb, is condemned to return each year to Hiroshima to himself suffer the agonies that his weapon caused.

19)

Through contemplation of the traditional Zen story of Hyakujo and the fox, the ghost of Oppenheimer is finally released from his suffering when he encounters Fudô Myô-ô within the fires of Hiroshima.

Fudô gives Oppenheimer his sword and snare so that he can dance for the liberation of all beings from suffering, particularly the wounds and scars that we all bear due to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

20)

Putting to one side experiments like traditional Noh versions of Shakespeare (such as Macbeth) and the influence on Western dramatists and composers (Yeats, Brecht, Britten, and so on), much of the impetus for innovation within Noh has come with international collaboration.

21)

Richard Emmert has long been a protagonist in developing Noh in English.

Such creations feature new plots while remaining faithful to the spirit of Noh (recognition, redemption, and so on) and traditional performance style and staging.

22)

I wonder impertinently if there's more radical potential for modern Noh. Bruno Nettl has suggested some parameters for change in world musicking (gradual or extreme, allowable variation, isolated preservation, and so on), with varying approaches to maintaining elements considered core elements.

23)

In Europe, opera has changed substantially over time.

Apart from new operas, we have avant-garde productions of older operas, using the original plots but interpreting them in modern settings, often with the "original" music; and we have "rock operas."

24)

Within Japan, might one use a sax, drum kit, punk vocals, skyscrapers, and modern costumes?

Irrespective of such idle musings works like Eliza and Oppenheimer make refreshing, stimulating innovations in the Noh repertoire.