New song Urashima - Shinkyoku Urashima

This is the title of a Nagauta (traditional Japanese folk song). The lyrics were written by Tsubouchi Shoyo, and the music was composed by Kineya Kangoro 5th and Kineya Rokuzaemon 13th. It was first performed in February 1906 (Meiji 39). Nagauta already had a kabuki (traditional Japanese play) piece called "Urashima" that was first performed in 1828 (Bunsei 11), so this work is called a "new piece." The original piece, with lyrics by Shoyo, is a lengthy piece divided into three parts: the prologue (Suminoe no Ura), the middle part (under the sea, the sea shrine), and the final part (the grounds of Amino Shrine, Suminoe no Ura), but this piece is the prologue to the prologue, describing the scenery of Suminoe no Ura. The tuning is varied - honchoshi - roku-dagari - honchoshi - ni-agari - san-dagari - and there are many highlights in both the shamisen and the singing, making this an ambitious work from the Meiji period nagauta world, which aimed to create music to be listened to.

[Kiyoko Moteki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長唄(ながうた)の曲名。坪内逍遙(しょうよう)作詞、5世杵屋(きねや)勘五郎・13世杵屋六左衛門作曲。1906年（明治39）2月初演。長唄にはすでに1828年（文政11）初演の歌舞伎(かぶき)所作事の曲『浦島』があるので、この作品を「新曲」とよぶ。逍遙作詞の原曲は、序（澄の江の浦）、中（海底、海神殿）、詰（網野神社境内、澄の江の浦）と3部に分かれた長大なものであるが、この曲は序幕の序曲、澄の江の浦の情景描写である。調弦は、本調子―六下り―本調子―二上り―三下りと変化に富み、三味線も唄も聞かせどころが多く、聞く音楽を目ざそうとした、明治期の長唄界の意欲的な作品である。

［茂手木潔子］

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