Product Description

Japanese nõ theatre or the drama of ‘perfected art’ flourished in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries largely through the genius of the dramatist Zeami. An intricate fusion of music, dance, mask, costume and language, the dramas address many subjects, but the idea of ‘form’ is more central than ‘meaning’ and their structure is always ritualized. Selected for their literary merit, the twenty-four plays in this volume dramatize such ideas as the relationship between men and the gods, brother and sister, parent and child, lover and beloved, and the power of greed and desire. Revered in Japan as a cultural treasure, the spiritual and sensuous beauty of these works has been a profound influence for English-speaking artists including W. B. Yeats, Ezra Pound and Benjamin Britten.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #314780 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-30
• Original language: Japanese
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 384 pages

Customer Reviews

Thorough and beautiful
Thorough work from a genuine specialist,together with an ability to convey beauty and scope in translation. Though some great ones are missing and some rather dusty ones are included in this selection, it remains quite worth buying to upgrade one's culture and enjoyment of Japanese civilisation.