MUSICAL THEATERS

OF ASIA
BY:LEAH VANESSA ERIKA RUBIO
DIZON
JAPANESE THEATER
• started at the end of the 16th century and soon became
the most successful theater in the red light districts of the
great cities
• one of the key features of the Japanese theater is the
vocal technique used in singing
• Sakura or Cherry Blossom is the one of the most
popular traditional songs of Japan
JAPANESE THEATER

• another feature of the Japanese theater is

the vocal technique used in singing
• Ipponchoshi (continous pattern) is used to
an explosive climax in the aragoto
(oversize, supernatural, rough hero)
• another technique adapted in chanting or
joruri is called nori (implies a very sensitive
capacity of riding the rhythms
2 FORMS OF JAPANESE THEATER

• Noh - is a form of theater

involving music, dance and
drama an it was developed
together with kyogen, (form of
traditional Japanese theater
that developed as a sort of
intermission and comic
relief between the solemn
noh acts)
• Kabuki - is known for the
stylization of its drama and for
the elaborate make-up worn by
some of its performers.
VOCAL & INSTRUMENTAL FEATURES
• dances and movements are
accompanied by shamisen (three-
stringed, Japanese musical
instrument derived from the Chinese
instrument) which is from all forms of
Japanese music;
– gagaku - classic court music fom China
during the 18th century
– kagura - performed in Shinto shrines
– no - chants derived from shomyo
(sophisticated and rich tradition of
Buddhist chanting)
NAGAUTA

• the most popular shamisen music that can be

performed by an entire orchestra of twenty
musicians
CHINESE THEATER
• considered as the highest form of art in
China
• Peking opera theater is a stylized Chinese
form of opera from the late 18th century
• it was fully developed and recognized in
the mid-19th century by the Qing Dynasty
court
• each performance in a Peking opera
begins with the ta-lo and siag-lo (small and
large gong and cymbals)
CHINESE THEATER

• actor's delivery of lines is

rigidly controlled by
conventions and with
every role has its
prescribed vocal timbre
and pitch
• spoken passages are in
strict rhythms and tempos
and their lines are
rendered in an extremely
stylized manner
• the highest aim of
performers is to put
beauty into every motion
Instruments in Peking Opera Performance
INSTRUMENT DESCRIPTION
Aerophone
Ti-ts cross flutes -usually played along with singin
Siao recorded flutes - usually played along with singing
Sona trumpet announces prosperous occasions
Chordophone
Violine like
Hu-ch'in two-stringed instruments
Bu-ch'in two-stringed instruments
Guitar like
Yue-ch'in four-stringed instruments
San-sien three-stringed instruments
Pi-p'a similar to lute with four strings
Idiophone
Ta-lo
gongs - signify the beginning of the performance
Siao-lo
Tan-pi-ku kettle drum - used to create the tempo of the performance
2 STYLES OF PEKING OPERA

1. His-p'l - has the lower sound

2.Erh-huang - has the higher sound
* Both styles are utilized by the technique
called fan-pan which is commonly used for
sorrowful music being sung by bearded
characters.
INDONESIAN THEATER
• Shadow puppet theater is a well-known
Indonesian theater in Indonesia and in several
countries around the world
• Wayang Kulit in Central Jave is one of the oldest
tradition in story telling using puppets and
musical accompaniments
INDONESIAN THEATER
• Wayang - theater in Indonesia and Malay
• Kulit - skin and refers to the leather
constructions of the puppets that are
carefuly cut into fine shapes
• Wayang Kulit is being performed in royal
court and on religious occasions and
widespread among all classes in Java
The Performance

• the audience is the most important person

in a Wayang Kulit performance
• the dalang prepares all the materials used
like the cloth and light of the shadow
• puppet on the right side is the good
character and on the left is the bad one
• the stage which is in 2 meters between the
puppets is the stage
DALANG
• the puppeteer who
characterized by being
creative, humorous, flexible
• he manipulates the puppet,
sings, and tap out signals of
the orchestra
• the main ability of the dalang is
the interchanging of the voice
that gives life to different
characters
• the dalang sings the mood
song (suluk) at regular
intervals during performance in
a nine-hour Wayang Kulit may
sing fifty or sixty
The Music: GAMELAN

• the ensemble is compromised by bronze

percussion instruments and it consist of:
1.saron - xylophone and heavy bronze bars
2.gender - bronze xylophone with resonance
chambers beneath
3.bonang - set of bronze bowls
4.gong and kempul - hanging gongs
5.kenong and ketuk - single inverted bronze
bowl
6.gambang - wooden xylophone
The Music: GAMELAN
7. rebab - two-stringed fiddle
8. suling - flute
9. kendang - horizontal drum beat with the fingers
on both ends
10.tjelempung - a zither of thirteen double strings
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!!! :)
GOD BLESS US ALWAYS
Assignment:

1. Watch a Kabuki, Peking Opera, and

Wayang Kulit performance and reflect on
each of these theater performances.

*Outputs should be written in a whole sheet

of paper.