Finding the
Handle
Thesis—My
essay will support the argument that
heritage begat intertextuality, which begat sustainability. All three terms
describe the same phenomenon. There is an evolution which takes place, sometimes
an overt metamorphosis, other times a covert photosynthesis, that allows music
to live and reproduce itself time after time. Heritage, intertextuality, and
sustainability define that process.
Dissertation--I began this
assignment by digesting all of Jeff Todd’s discourse on his research blog which
outlines sustainable music and its myriad of multiple essence. I was abruptly
struck by his reference to Thoreau’s “Pastoral Symphony.” Todd went on to
describe how he(Thoreau) heard a symphony in sound of nature; that the esteemed
poet “heard” echo and silence. Pardon my colloquial usage but, “Who does that?”
I was captivated in that moment. My prosaic entry was off and running.
The term
“cultural commons” will be critical to
this discussion…it represents cultural heritage, including music.
Where is the
intersection of heritage and copyright? When does intellectual property become
public domain? What is the difference between borrowing and copying?
Can you “have
your cake and eat it too? Lewis Hyde pushed for cultural commons while
copyrighting his own book; curious.
What is
collective being? It’s intangible and therefore tricky. An individual claims
ownership of statements, concepts, and theories that are derivative from a
previous group(or person). Eliot wrote that melodies and even lyrics can be
classified in terms of a mixture of individual talent and tradition handed down
and internalized into one’s own conscious thought process.
The idea of
sustainability encompasses the concept of composers, songwriters, performers,
musicologists, and all devotees of the arts, to freely research, use historical
material in whole or in part, and borrow and intertwine text (Ataka, Kanjincho,
Men Who Step).
At what
point is the entire argument a matter of degrees? At what point do we follow
established rules versus rewriting them…to say nothing of ghost writers or
author’s pen names. What is truly original and what is embellishing and improving
upon tradition/heritage? To what extent do we “stand on the shoulders of our ancestors(giants)”?
Ben Franklin deferred much of his credit for inventions to others, groups,
entities viewed as “collective intellect”.
To what
extent are Kanjincho and Men Who Step on Tiger’s Tail the result of
collaborative tradition and cultural heritage? When does a composer,
playwright, or director stake a personal claim to unique creativity? The
dilemma of this debate rages on as concerns our true selves, our inner selves,
and our personality. How much of one’s humanity is fashioned from “nothing”,
mysteriously appearing out of genetically predetermined matter? How much can be traced to a confluence of environmental factors,
philosophies and real-life chronological events?
The
perpetual existence of sustainability will depend on some combination of
collective being, folk traditions, cultural heritage, and individual agency. As
usual, the majority will impose their will on the masses.
Intertexuality
is the “living out” of sustainability/tradition/heritage…it’s the borrowing,
citation, conscious or unconscious reference, and substitution that can be
definitively documented as to its occurrence.
If one can conceptualize the structure of a pyramid one can imagine how
“Men Who Step on the Tiger’s Tail” was based on “Kanjincho”, which was
conceived out of “Ataka”, which was birthed from “Tales of the Heike”.
The no drama
was an entertainment form which came about as the result of intertextualizaiton,
folk tradition, cultural heritage, and the collective being of people like
Motokiyo Zeami and his father Kan’ami. From the principle of “maximum effect
out of a minimum of means” the facets of staging, setting, music, casting,
costumes, and movement/dance came into being.
The plays
themselves, like Ataka , were dependent on intertextual processes, as well as
the pervasive nature of generational storytelling. Because the genre of a
“living person drama” or “warrior play” was so well received, Ataka became a staple of the repertoire of no
dramas performed on stage. The dan sections and subsections of Ataka reprinted
in chapter 4 of Wade come from the aesthetic principle of jo-han-kyu. Jo-han-kyu
is an example of cultural heritage, and a vital segment of intertextuality.
The
evolution of kabuki from no can be extracted from the text’s lengthy discussion
of traditional heritage/intertextuality. Wade points out that we know from the
preservation of woodblock prints that kabuki staging and performance forces were adapted from no dramas by managers
and actors who wanted to appeal to their audiences.
The playwright
Namiki Gohei III and nagauta musician Rokusaburo Kineya IV together played
pivotal roles in the development of kabuki, and the eventual production of Kanjincho,
the kabuki form of Ataka. Other adaptations such as the expansion of the
hanamichi from the original no bridge can be traced to intertextual/traditional/sustainable
influences.
More examples
of intertextual heretablitiy can be seen in the role of Benkai and how his
character came to be associated with the Ichikawa family, highlighted by
Danjuro Ichikawa IX performance in the initial rendition of Kanjincho for the
emperor in 1887.
The
collective legacy of Kanjincho can be seen additionally in its inclusion into
the canon of eighteen grand spectacle
plays of the 19th century…Kanjincho is now considered to be the
exemplar of kabuki style in Japanese public school education.
Musically,
kabuki lent significance to the role of
musicians by maintaining the traditional instrumentation of the hayashi but
expanding it with singers and shamisen players. This act achieved the intended
effect of popularizing kabuki and further entrenching its place in the culture.
It represented another building block in the structure of sustainable music as
it relates to kabuki. The intertextual references such as musical depiction of
the action on stage were made possible by the introduction of the geza room.
The managers and directors dedicated an area slightly offstage where the
musicians were hidden from audience view, yet could still see the play unfold
before them. The growth in the number of actors and musicians resulted in the
advantage of allowing the reserved, understated quality of no to continue while
accommodating the flashier, more outwardly emotional style of kabuki.
As I read
and ponder Wade’s text in depth, I was reminded of the old rhetorical dispute
of the “spirit of the law” being pitted against the “letter of the law.” What’s
marvelous about embracing sustainable music and Japan’s intertextuality is that
both the old and the new can thrive in a brand new setting. One is not forced
to choose between either the “spirit” or the “letter”. They can coexist
equally! Such is the case in the opening scenes from “Men Who Step on the
Tiger’s Tail”. The story and setting of
the plays are immediately recognized, yet they are transformed by the sounds of a male chorus. Also,
the composer of the film’s score, Hattori, successfully substitutes the
Western-style orchestra for the hayashi while keeping in mind the integrity of
the no’s asymmetrical rhythm and speech patterns. Other compelling
representations of intertextuality must not be overlooked, such as the matsuri
bayashi and unmistakable Japanese scales
juxtaposed against the European instrumentarium, military band influence, and
hymn-like choral music.
Jeff Todd
Titon’s tradition-based writing sets the stage for an enlightening, insightful
examination of sustainable music as it relates to the concept of
intertextuality indigenous to Japan. Bonnie Wade illustrates and describes in
rigorous detail a veritable plethora of instances where cultural commonality
occurs. Ultimately we as students are left richer for our awkward, but still
authentic attempt to answer the questions asked of this blog.
Here are
some links to examples of sustainable music
Bibliography
Nippon
Gakujutsu ShinkÅkai. Ataka. Japanese
Noh Drama. Volume 3, t149-72. Tokyo: Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai, 1960.
Titon, Jeff
Todd. “Thoreau’s Pastoral Symphony.” Sustainable Music, Sept. 30, 2012. http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=492087&backurl=/shelf/my
Titon, Jeff
Todd. “Sustainability Unbound (3): Collective Being.” Sustainable Music, April
30, 2012. http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=492087&backurl=/shelf/my
Wade, Bonnie
C. Music in Japan. New York: Oxford
University Press, 2005
