Stage names:
Onoe Matsusuke IV
Onoe Umegorô
Ichimura Kitsugorô
Matsumoto Kokanshi
Real name: Kurihara Umegorô
Guild: Otowaya
Line number: YODAIME (IV)
Poetry name: Baiga
Existence: 29th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1843 ~ 5 September 1928
Connections:
Masters: Onoe Kikugorô V, Matsumoto Kinshô
Career:
1843: born in Ôsaka in the district of Shimanouchi. His father Kurihara Yasuke was a backstage assistant of the Edo star Matsumoto Kôshirô V.
1844: he goes back to Edo with his father.
1848: he becomes disciple of Matsumoto Kinshô, receives the name of Matsumoto Kokanshi and makes his first stage appearance in March at the Kawarazakiza.
11th lunar month of 1849: his master Matsumoto Kinshô dies.
1st lunar month of 1865: he becomes disciple of Ichimura Kakitsu IV and receives the name of Ichimura Kitsugorô.
8th lunar month of 1868: great shûmei at the Ichimuraza; Ichimura Kakitsu IV and Ichimura Takematsu III respectively take the names of Onoe Kikugorô V and Ichimura Uzaemon XIV; Ichimura Kitsugorô takes the name of Onoe Umegorô.
March 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's masterpiece "Kumo ni Magou Ueno no Hatsuhana"; Umegorô plays the role of Jôga [casting].
June 1881: Onoe Umegorô takes the name of Onoe Matsusuke IV at the Shintomiza, playing the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki in Kawatake Mokuami's jidaimono "Youchi Soga Kariba no Akebono". Premiere in the same theater of Kawatake Shinshichi II's dance-drama "Tsuchi Gumo", which is staged to commemorate the 32nd anniversary (33rd memorial service) of late Onoe Kikugorô III; Matsusuke plays the role of Usui Sadamitsu [casting].
November 1883: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Zôho Tenjiku Tokubei", a revision of Tsuruya Namboku IV's "Tenjiku Tokubei Ikoku Banashi"; Matsusuke plays the roles of Yamana Tokigorô and Kojima Yoshirô [casting].
February 1885: Matsusuke takes part in the opening ceremony of the Chitoseza [more details]. Premiere at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Suitengû Megumi no Fukagawa"; Matsusuke plays the roles of sahainin Yohei and Ibaraki Denji [casting].
March 1886: première at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Mekura Nagaya Ume-ga-Kagatobi"; Matsusuke plays the roles of Okane and Goroji [casting].
November 1891: the title "Oto ni Kiku Tenjiku Tokubei" is used for the first time, in Tôkyô at the Fukanoza; Matsusuke plays the roles of Yoshioka Sôkan and Moku Sôkan [casting].
July 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô", adapted to Kabuki from a famous Rakugo story created by San'yûtei Enchô; Matsusuke plays the role of Iijima Heizaemon [casting].
October 1902: premiere at the Kabukiza of Enokido Kenji's drama "Ninjô Banashi Bunshichi Mottoi"; Matsusuke plays the role of Izumiya Seibei [casting].
February 1903: his master Onoe Kikugorô V dies.
November 1908: revival at the Kabukiza of the kabuki jûhachiban drama "Kagekiyo"; Matsusuke plays the role of Kajiwara Heizô Kagetoki [casting].
April 1910: premiere at the Kabukiza of "Yuki no Yûbe Iriya no Azemichi", a few scenes taken from "Kumo ni Magou Ueno no Hatsuhana" focusing on Kataoka Naojirô and his lover Michitose and staged independently from the rest of the play; Matsusuke plays the role of the blind masseur Jôga [casting].
Comments:
Onoe Matsusuke IV was a talented supporting tachiyaku, excelling in fukeyaku or katakiyaku roles in sewamono dramas.
Onoe Matsusuke IV playing the role of Kômori Yasu in the drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi" (print made by Natori Shunsen)
Print made by Utagawa Kunisada in 1892
The Onoe Matsusuke line of actors