C. Andrew Gerstle, Kiyoshi Inobe, William P. Malm
Theater as Music: The Bunraku Play “Mt. Imo and Mt. Se: An Exemplary Tale of Womanly Virtue"
Center For Japanese Studies, University of Michigan: 1990. Michigan Monograph Series in Japanese Studies, 4. First edition. 0939512386 302 pages.
Volume, measuring approximately 6.5" x 9.5", is bound in black cloth with stamped gilt lettering to spine. Book shows light shelfwear. Binding is firm. Previous owner's name appears at top of front flyleaf. Pages are clean and bright. Dust jacket, with price of $46.95 on rear flap, shows light shelfwear. Jacket is preserved in mylar cover.
"Bunraku drama has been recognized by many Western artists and scholars form early in this century as a fascinating theatrical tradition. While many have acknowledged the genius of this dramatic form, few have attempted to analyze the tradition in depth. This book is the first attempt to examine Bunraku in performance and to bring together musical, dramatic, and historical analyses into one study.
The three authors focus on the famous “Mountains Scene” (Yama no dan), the third scene of the third act of "Mt. Imo and Mt. Se: An Exemplary Tale of Womanly Virtue" (Imoseyama onna teikin, 1771) by Chikamatsu Hanji, to examine its place in the history of Bunraku and to analyze it as an example of a living tradition. By focusing on one text and on the music of one particular performance, the authors illuminate the rich musical and dramatic conventions that lie at the foundation of today’s performance.
"Theater as Music," with its articles, translations, text, and glossary of terms, is a complete guide to Bunraku as a performing tradition and will be useful to anyone interested in music or theater."