The Heron Maiden
鷺娘
Sagi Musume
An unrelenting passion leads to doom
A woman consumed by passion is combined with the sad figure of a white heron. This enigmatic piece conveys a range of emotions from stillness to joy, but is imbued overall with a sense of sorrow.
Mounting passion
A young girl in a pure white kimono appears on a snow-covered set, looking like a heron that has just alighted. The lyrics compare the girl’s emotions to the snow piling on her umbrella, speaking of her love as delicate snowflakes inexorably melting away. They sing sadly of unrequited love, and the girl’s true identity as a heron is suggested by gestures such as her graceful arm movements.
【Left】Heron Spirit（Bando Tamasaburo） January 2009 Kabukiza Theatre
【Right】Heron Spirit（Bando Tamasaburo） January 2009 Kabukiza Theatre
A young girl’s amour
An instant costume change reveals the figure of a elegant young girl. The stage brightens, and a cotton hat (or hand towel) is used as a coquettish expression of her youthful emotions. This is called kudoki, a depiction of her feelings, which include frustration over her unrequited love and her shy happiness at the memory of her first encounter with her lover.
Heron Spirit（Bando Tamasaburo） January 2009 Kabukiza Theatre
Popular song
She reappears in a different costume and dances without props to a popular song. The narrator sings that it is harder to win the heart of her love interest than to scoop salt from the seas at Suma. She dances energetically to music bemoaning the difficulty of a man’s heart.
Heron Spirit（Bando Tamasaburo） January 2009 Kabukiza Theatre
Umbrella dance
The lights dim, and after a brief interlude of light drum music, the lights brighten to reveal yet another instant costume change. The maiden performs a dance with an umbrella. The lyrics include many playful puns on “umbrella”. This rhythmical section deviates from the main story and proceeds in a bright tempo.
Heron Spirit（Bando Tamasaburo） January 2009 Kabukiza Theatre
Punishment in hell
The stage darkens again, and when the musical tone changes, the girl reveals her red under-kimono, showing her going mad with resentment. She does another quick change to reveal her bird self, and blood oozes from her injured shoulder. In the heavy snowfall, she suffers the torments of hell for having fallen in love. The lyrics describe the state of hell, and the music gains momentum. The girl, taking her final breaths, desperately moves her wings in a piteous attempt to survive. She finally loses her strength and succumbs.
【Left】Heron Spirit（Bando Tamasaburo） May 2005 Kabukiza Theatre
【Center】Heron Spirit（Bando Tamasaburo） May 2005 Kabukiza Theatre
【Right】Heron Spirit（Bando Tamasaburo） January 2009 Kabukiza Theatre
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