Tayo Matsuyama The Puppet Kyubei Translated by Karen Santry from the tales of Heisei Nakamura-za PLAYED BY ACTOR – BANDO TAMASABURO A son of Wankyu, a wealthy shop-owner in Osaka, Kyubei loved a courtesan in Shinmachi called Matsuyama. He spent an enormous sum of money for amusements day and night. For example, at the time of the Lantern festival in July, he ornamented the whole establishment with the New Years’ decoration and sprinkled gold and silver instead of beans at the traditional bean-throwing rite of Stesubun. This has created a sensation all over Osaka. The Wankyu family confined him for fear that the government might dissolve the shop on charge of his misconduct. Kyubei, forbidden to see Matsuyama, became insane and often prowled about the city of Osaka in pursuit of her image. “Sonoomokage ninin Wankyu” is a dance which depicts Kyubei’s search for Matsuyama “Imawakokoromo midaresoro’. ( Now that I am out of my mind…) Kyubei, blinded by love, goes on seeking Matsuyama’s image. At last, he sees a faint figure of Matsuyama, a beautiful figure of Tayu in all her splendor. Tayu is the highest rank among courtesans awarded in recognition of beauty, culture, and personal traits. The holder of the rank is almost like a queen in the society of Yukaku (red-light district). Tayu Matsuyama appears in front of a beggar-like man, yubei, and he goes into raptures. They talk together about their past love and keep reaffirming their bond of love. Matsuyama puts on Kyubei’s haori ( half costume) and transforms into a man’s figure. She thus speaks of her love with Kyubei, just as the lady Takako Fujiwara transformed herself into the figure of her deceased lover, Narihara Ariwara, and dances as they did many years ago. To Kyubei’s eyes, the vision of Matsuyama seems to reflect himself as well as his lover herself. The vision disappears, and all that is left is the sound of winds blowing through the pine trees. Tamasaburo dances the vision of Matsuyama, while a puppet enacts Kyubei handled by Jusaburo Tsujimura. This is an interesting exercise of reversing the roles of the phantom and the reality. Tamasaburo, dancing with the puppet, looked as though he was thinking tenderly of the little puppet of Wanku.
松山 其面影二人椀久
大阪の富豪椀屋の息子久兵衛は、新町の遊女松山を愛し巨額の金をつかって日夜遊興にふけった。たとえば久兵衛は七月の盆に廓中に正月の飾りをさせて、節分の豆まきのかわりに金銀をまきちらした。このことが大阪中の評判となった。椀屋一族は政府がこの乱行を理由に椀屋を取り潰すことをおそれて久兵衛を幽閉した。松山に逢えぬ久兵衛は発狂し、大阪の町を遊女松山の姿を求めてしばしば彷徨った。 その姿を一編の舞踊に描いたのが「其面影二人椀久」である。︎今は心も乱れ候。恋に狂う久兵衛はひたすら松山の面影を追い求める。その久兵衛の目前におぼろな松山の姿があらわれる。新町で全盛を誇った美しい太夫の姿のままである。太夫とは遊女最高の位で、その美しさ、教養、気性においてほとんど遊郭とあう特殊な社会の奥深く秘められた高貴な女王であった。その松山太夫が乞食同然の狂人の久兵衛の前にあらわれる。驚喜する久兵衛。久兵衛と松山はすぎし恋を語り、愛のきずなを繰り返して尽きることがなかった。 その中で松山は久兵衛の羽織を着て男の姿になる。遠い昔在原業平の恋人藤原高子が今はなき業平の姿になって舞ったというその故事を真似て、久兵衛との恋を語るのである。二人椀久。久兵衛の目には幻の松山はおのが姿のようにも見え、恋人その人にも見え、そしていつか幻は消えて待つの枝を渡る風の音だけがのこる。 玉三郎はこの幻の松山を踊り、現実の久兵衛を辻村十三郎が人形で演じた。幻と現実を逆転させた面白い趣向である。人形とともに踊る玉三郎は、小さな椀久の人形でさを優しく愛おしんでいるようであった。