Noh book - Utaibon

A Noh script with musical scores for Noh rehearsals. The parts that the kyogen actors are responsible for when performing as Noh are usually omitted, and the parts that the waki actors are responsible for are also standardized to the script of the shite style, so it is difficult to call it an actual Noh performance script. Handwritten books by Zeami from around the 15th century are called Noh books, but in many cases they only contain the script. Noh books were published after the 16th century, and the oldest are said to be the Kurumaya book of the Konparu school and the Koetsu book of the Kanze school. In the Edo period, with the popularity of suutai, they were probably the most prolific publications in the field of Japanese literature. Kotaibon, which are collections of passages from Noh songs, became so popular that they were even used as textbooks for temple schools. In the late Edo period, with the establishment of the iemoto system, they became a monopoly on publishing, and they remain the economic base of the industry to this day. Currently, the Nohgaku Shorinbon books for the five schools of shite, Umewaka, the Shimogakari Hosho school of waki, and the Kanze school are published in volumes of 11 songs and 5 songs. They are increasingly being published as performance scripts and for the convenience of viewers, with explanations of the lyrics and chanting style as well as information on direction, costumes, and stage sketches. There are now even more advanced books that include rhythmic instructions. While the standardization and precision of the melody for amateur training has helped to popularize Noh among amateurs, it is important to note that it has also had a counter-effect of restricting the performance of experts.

[Masuda Shozo]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

能の台本に謡曲稽古(けいこ)用の譜をつけたもの。能として上演されるときの狂言方が担当する部分は省略されるのが普通であり、またワキ方の分担する部分も、シテ方の流儀の台本で統一されているので、実際の能の上演脚本とはいいがたい。15世紀ごろの世阿弥(ぜあみ)自筆本などは能本とよばれるが、台本のみ記されている場合も多い。謡本が刊行されたのは16世紀以後で、金春(こんぱる)流の車屋本(くるまやぼん)、観世流の光悦本などが最古とされる。江戸時代は素謡(すうたい)の流行に伴って、おそらく国文関係ではもっとも多量な出版物となった。謡曲の一節を集めた小謡本(こうたいぼん)などは寺子屋の教科書ともなるほど普及した。江戸後期、家元制度の整備によりその独占出版と化し、現代でもその経済的基盤となっている。現在、シテ方五流と梅若、ワキ方下掛宝生(しもがかりほうしょう)流、観世流の能楽書林本から11曲1冊、5曲1冊の体裁で刊行されている。辞解や謡い方の解説から、演出や扮装(ふんそう)、舞台スケッチなどを加え、上演台本、観能の便に供する性格も強くなっている。さらにリズムのとり方まで加えた高度なものも出るようになった。なお素人(しろうと)の稽古のための節付けの画一化、精密化が、アマチュアへの普及には役だつ一方、玄人(くろうと)の演奏を逆に規制する反作用も見逃せない。

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