On the Art of the No Drama: The Major Treatises of Zeami (Princeton Library of Asian Translations) [Paperback]

Masakazu Yamazaki (Editor), J. Thomas Rimer (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1984 | ISBN-10: 069110154X | ISBN-13: 978-0691101545 | Edition: annotated edition

This annotated translation is the first systematic rendering into any Western language of the nine major treatises on the art of the Japanese No theater by Zeami Motokivo (1363-1443). Zeami, who transformed the No from a country entertainment into a vehicle for profound theatrical and philosophical experience, was a brilliant actor himself, and his treatises touch on every aspect of the theater of his time. His theories, mixing philosophical and practical insights, often seem strikingly contemporary.

Since their discovery early in this century. these secret treatises have been considered among the most valuable and representative documents in the history of Japanese aesthetics. They discuss subjects from the art of the playwright to the reciprocal nature of the relationship between performer and audience.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Japanese (translation)

From the Back Cover

"Zeami's treatises on the art of No rank among the finest of all writings on the theatre. Though speciticatly devoted to the drarna of a particular place and time--Japan in the early fifteenth century--they contribute to an understanding of the dramatic arts of the world. The texts make absorbing reading, but they are difficult in the original, even for specialists. We arc fortunate that two authorities on the Japanese theatre, a Japanese and an American, have combined forces to translate and present Zeami's most significant works"--Donald Keene, Columbia University

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Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; annotated edition edition (February 1, 1984)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 069110154X
• ISBN-13: 978-0691101545
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #250,205 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Theatre Theory Centuries Old, October 17, 2010

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This review is from: On the Art of the No Drama: The Major Treatises of Zeami (Princeton Library of Asian Translations) (Paperback)

Zeami, born in 1363, is the man to whom No theatre owes its form and soul - his writings on the No drama have shaped and determined it for over half a millenium. But his influences do not stop there - his ideas were highly significant to famed British director Peter Brook's productions (he would cite Zeami's concept of 'Jo, Ha, Kyu' again and again) and No drama has inspired countless directors with its attention to precise movement, its masks, and its almost spiritual approach to performance.
It is possible for a theatre practitioner to read Zeami's treatises and, as far as theory goes, never have to read another book. Zeami covers all basic aspects of theatre, for the performer from the necessity of constant physical training, to the inevitable consequences of aging on a performers career, to the concept of the audience as a participant in the show. The text of this book is drawn from a number of different essays, and Zeami does have a habit here of going over the same material again and again (it is quite possible that Zeami never considered the texts would come together as a single volume), but even so it is hard to escape the feeling of primal importance this book conveys. A needed text.