Kanze Motoakira

Japanese: 観世元章 - かんぜ・もとあきら

Year of death: 18 January 1774 (28 February 1774)
Year of birth: 1722
Noh actor of the pre- and mid-Edo period. The 15th Kanze Daifu. The eldest son of the 14th Kiyochika. In 1747, he succeeded to the family headship and, like his father, served as a Noh instructor for the Shogun family. In 1750, he performed an unprecedented 15-day Daikanjin Noh in Edo, performing 43 dances himself. In 1752, his younger brother Oribe Kiyohisa was allowed to establish a branch family (the Kanze Tetsunojo family), and the school's popularity reached its peak. On the other hand, Gensho devoted himself to publishing the so-called "Meiwa Kaisei Utaihon," and with the cooperation of Kamo Mabuchi, Tanyasu Munetake, and others, he selected 210 pieces, including restored and new pieces, and significantly revised the lyrics, but the lyrics, which were strongly influenced by national learning and had a strong retro feel, were extremely unpopular and were discontinued immediately after his death. He was also eager to adopt new performances, and created many special performances called "kogaki." Many of these short plays are still followed today, and the reforms he made in terms of directing have been very successful. Even if he went too far in some areas, he was an outstanding tayu who was the founder of the Kanze troupe's revival. <References> Omote Akira, "Thoughts on the Kanze 'Sakono' Tayu" (Kanze, September 1990 issue)

(Michiko Ishii)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：安永3.1.18(1774.2.28)
生年：享保7(1722)
江戸前・中期の能役者。15代観世大夫。14代清親の嫡男。延享4(1747)年に家督を継ぎ,父同様将軍家の能指南役を勤める。寛延3(1750)年に江戸で15日間にわたる未曾有の大勧進能を興行し,自ら43番を舞う。宝暦2(1752)年には弟織部清尚の分家(観世銕之丞家)樹立も認められ,流勢は頂点に達する。その一方で元章はいわゆる『明和改正謡本』の刊行に力を注ぎ,賀茂真淵,田安宗武らの協力の下で,復曲,新作を含めた210番の曲目選定ならびに詞章の大幅な改定を行ったが,国学の影響を受けた復古的色彩の強い詞章はすこぶる不評で,彼の没後直ちに廃止される。また新演出の採用にも意欲的で,「小書」と呼ばれる特殊演出を数多く編み出した。これらの小書の多くは現在も踏襲されており,演出面での改革は大きな成果を上げた。行き過ぎた点はあったにせよ,観世座中興の祖として傑出した大夫であった。<参考文献>表章「観世“左近”大夫考」(『観世』1990年9月号)

(石井倫子)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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