MUSIC 8 – 4 Quarter

th

MAPEH 8
Today’s Lesson

• Traditional Asian Theater

• Performances of Wayang Kulit,
Peking Opera, and Kabuki
• Traditional Asian Theater Music in
Action
 Objectives
Identify musical Describe how a specific idea or
characteristics of selected story is communicated through
Asian musical theater through music in a particular Asian
video films or live Musical Theater;
performances;
Evaluate music and music
performances using guided
Describe the instruments
rubrics applying knowledge of
that accompany Kabuki, musical elements and style.
Wayang Kulit, and Peking
Opera.
 TRADITIONAL ASIAN
THEATER AND ITS ROLE &
PERFORMANCES
Introduction
• Theater Arts is one of the standard
traditions of the people in Asia,
particularly in Japan and China.
• This kind of theater was transmitted
from generation to generation.
• It mirrors or reflects life. Its key
principle is selectivity.
Introduction
• Through various sorts of theater art, a
particular form can convey clarity of
story, order, and wonder, which is
rarely found in ordinary life.
• Asian countries are rich in music.
Genres vary from one country to
another.
THEATER ARTS
• By tradition, Asian theater
encompasses storytelling, dance,
music, and mime and involves
masks, makeup, scenery,
costumes, props, and scripts.
• Theater usually functions as
entertainment in many cultures.
WAYANG
KULIT
 WAYANG
KULIT
Shadow Puppet Theater performance in Indonesia
“Wayang” is an Indonesian term for theater and “Kulit” means skin
which refers to puppet theater performance whose materials are made of
leather and has control rods.
Wayang Kulit is performed with the accompaniment of the “Gamelan”
Ensemble and “Dalang”
 MUSIC OF WAYANG
KULIT
“Gamelan” - an orchestra consisting largely of several varieties of gongs and
various sets of tuned metal instruments that are struck with mallets .
“Dalang” - a specific name for the puppeteer and storyteller who operates the
puppets while narrating the story, speaking all the dialogue, providing the sound
effects, and conducting the Gamelan
 3 Acts in Wayang Kulit Performance
The three acts in Wayang Kulit performance parallel the
mood progression of the three modes of music:
Pathet Nem
Pathet Sanga
Pathet Manyura
These three acts also symbolize stages and spiritual
developments in the life of the story’s hero
 Theatrical Performance

Wayang Kulit was performed in the royal court and widely

performed in public on religious occasions so that knowledge of
wayang became widespread among all classes in Java.

It accompanies the singing/chanting, and it accompanies stage

actions including dance. Entrances, exits, and fight scenes are
executed in time to gamelan music.
PEKING
OPERA
 PEKING OPERA
Peking Opera, also known termed as Beijing Opera, is an essential
cultural tradition in China.
 It is the most leading form of Chinese Opera. It combines, singing,
mime, dance, and acrobatics.
 Music of Peking Opera

• There are two divisions of musical instruments in the Peking

Opera.
1. “Wenchang” - is mainly there to accompany the singing
of the actors and actresses. It features musical instruments
such as jinghu, the yuequin, and the pipa.
2. “Whuchang” - is there to accompany the acting, dancing
and fighting
 Musical Instrument in Peking Opera

There are three broad categories of musical

accompaniment in Peking Opera:
 Aria - is a solo accompaniment portraying a character;
 Qupai - is a fixed-tuned melody;
 Percussion Pattern - provides context to the music
according to the character by his/her rank or
personality.
 Role of Music in Peking Opera

The music of Peking Opera is based on sets of traditional,

codified songs, with the singing primarily following two sets of
tunes.
 The tunes referred to as 'Xipi' are used to express an ecstatic
mood such as pleasure, rage, or agitation.
 The tunes known as 'Erhuang' are used to convey a low-key
mood and deep thought, such as sadness, grief, or melancholy
 Theatrical Performance Practice

• The opera artist’s goal is to make every performance

exceptionally beautiful in every movement they will make.
• The performers’ vocal techniques, as well as rhythms and
melodies, vary depending on his or her thoughts and feelings
adhering to a basic, strict convention that is based on real-life
experiences presented in an artist’s and symbolic manner.
 KABUKI
THEATER
 KABUKI
THEATER
In modern Japanese, the word “Kabuki” is written in three letters where
each letter describes the elements incorporated in this theater arts.
• “Ka” means to sing
• “Bu” means to dance
• “Ki” means to act
 KABUKI
THEATER
Kabuki was the first dramatic entertainment that was designed for the
tastes of the common people in Japan
Kabuki is a popular Japanese theatre form that combines acting, singing,
and dancing. It is highly playful actors who demonstrate their wide range
of visual and vocal performance skills.
 Role of Music in the Kabuki Theater

The music of Kabuki can be divided into two main categories:

“Geza-ongaku” which means Off-Stage Music and “Shosa-
ongaku” which means On-Stage Music.

There are also musical terms such as “Ki” and “Tsuke” which are
"signaling" accents complementing the action of the performers
and transition of one scene to the other
 Theatrical Performance Practice

One of the onstage segments of Kabuki is called Debayashi.

Debayashi is divided into two songs (nagauta and joruri) or a
chant with highly dramatic recitation with the accompaniment of
shamisen.
In this performance, the most popular shamisen music was called
Nagauta (long song). One of the performance music in Nagauta
could be the song “Sakura”, which is also widely performed in
Kabuki.
Questions?
Thank you!