Tamasaburo "Yokihi" 坂東玉三郎 「楊貴妃」 part 1

The dance "Yokihi" is based on the Chinese historical figure Princess Yang Kwei-Fei, who was the beloved concubine of the Tang Dynasty emperor Hsuan Tsung (Genso in Japanese). For more information on this story, see www.taleofgenji...
For the last part of the dance, see • Video

[@oolight]

......聞道漢家天子使，九華帳裡夢魂驚 it's great that through his interpretation, the old sad but beautiful poem comes back to my mind. Tamasaburo is a real artist!!! Not many real artists out there these days!

[@aguqinlover]

I have never seen such a beautiful arts scene He is the soul of art, grace and beauty

[@SecondLotus]

i simply adore tamasaburo. Im in the middle of nowheresville, Iowa, USA and the only kabuki fan ( not to mention the only one in my town who knows that kabuki is not a japanese snack:) ) Thank you so much for posting this! Also, i do like the narrator a lot! He's very helpful, and helps explain things.. since I dont know japanese that well. Where is the best place to get these dvds at?? Thanks! thanks! ^_^

[@thephilosopherkartik]

Splendid imagery conveyed with such surreal grace! It's a tragedy live performances of Kabuki are so rare in India.

[@veinteanosimon]

folding fan is originated in Japan. Its said it spread to China through Korea(or not) in 宋朝(song dynasty). thats after Yokihi's time period(Tang dynasty). plus: the costume Tamasaburo is wearing is a common Chinese opera costume in late Qing dynasty, way different from what Yokihi would be wearing back in Tang. Tang costume would be more similar to 呉服(gofuku) or 唐服.

[@xgteenterritory]

There are still arguments about its orgin. Thus, you can say that it's uncertain whether folding fans orginate from China or Japan. Nonetheless, most scholars have already agreed that folded fans originate from China. But scholars in Sung Dynasty did have special interests Japan's folded fans--Su Dongbo once commented that China's folded fans were not comparable to those of Japan and Korea at that time.

[@misterdonmelvin]

@LaMagaRouge Nice comments, but your criticism of Paul Griffith, the narrator, is misplaced. He is by far one of the most knowledgeable Kabuki scholars and his commentary is a treasure. He gives the perfect amount of information at just the right time. What kind of voice would you prefer? I find his refined English tone very unobtrusive. Foreigners wouldn't understand half of what's going on without his commentary. If you own the DVD, you can turn the commentary off, so buy the DVD!

[@bandotamasaburo]

you're not alone. JP is also a fan in Mexico.

[@Veronikiux]

Look another videos of kabuki theather and you find the diference between Tamasaburo and other actors... Tamasaburo is the kinggg (well, the queennn) of all Onnagata role players!!!! I love Tamasaburo...I'm the only mexican fan of this amazing and awesome actor!!!

[@Veronikiux]

Great!!! ... Tamasaburo México Fans Club ;)

[@DecayedFox]

Beautiful

[@peonyrikki]

Wow, I know this story but I haven't seen something likes this before.

[@thepalacemaid]

Wait, is it just me or was it clearly explained at all in these two parts that it's the spirit of Yang Guifei that the priest is talking to? Here in the peom "Song of Eternal Sorrow", she has already died a tragic death for the emperor, who misses her endlessly and asks the high priest to go find her in the land of the ethereal realm...

[@bluenightfox]

wonderful. greetings from munich!

[@JPandCo]

thnxx 4 that tiff! y es cierto vero, por aca habemos muchos fans mexicanos, lastima ke no haya venido a mexico!

[@spurcheck]

art transcends borders lines drawn in dirt by man

[@hotarub]

Yes,it is not. Yokihi is famous also in Japan and there is 'Yokihi' in Nou as old as Kunqu Opera. Tamasaburo created this Yokihi as Kabuki dance in 1991. In 2008 he produced this with Kunqu Opera actor and band, played it in Kyoto and Beijing.

[@teresa561000]

stupendo..grazie arigato.teresa ludovico

[@xgteenterritory]

This is splendid; I would love to say that it's Chinese but it isn't. I just want to make it clear. I don't understand why that people voted negatively...= =

[@xgteenterritory]

"Yang guifei" is the right one. "Yokihi" is just a direct translation of the pronounciation in Chinese.

[@sleeplessintokyo]

WOW

[@zeldagamer2123]

does someone have the lyric for this song or does someone know the name of the dance?

[@zeldagamer2123]

Does someone know name the of the music of this dance?

[@xgteenterritory]

well, this is noh, a kind of Japanese opera, but the story is based on Chinese History, so Firstly, this is Japanese culture and not Chinese, western culture perhaps influnced the settings on the stage, but everything stays Japanese.

[@henjokongo]

So would this be called Kabuki, or is this an innovation unto itself?

[@TempleofBrendaSong]

@SecondLotus meetoo.

[@MorzikTheKat]

s/he's just moving his hands slowly?

[@LaMagaRouge]

im mexican theres a lot of fans of him, he is so etereal like a bird, and beautiful silence of his movements, by the way I hate the voice of this british