Music of Bunraku

MUSIC OF BUNRAKU allows the viewer to experience the exotic drama of Bunraku, the puppet theater of Japan, and to understand its music. Host for the program is Dr. William P. Malm, Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Michigan, who introduces the musical styles, the notation, and the performers of Bunraku. Dr. Sidney Brown, Professor of Japanese History at the University of Oklahoma, explains the historic roots of Bunraku, as illustrated in antique paintings and prints. Artists from the National Bunraku Theater in Osaka demonstrate the musical styles of Bunraku and perform ISE ONDO KOI NO NETABA, "MASSACRE AT THE GEISHA HOUSE IN ISE." The plot deals with the search for a stolen sword, that once unsheathed, must draw blood.