| ICHIKAWA ARAGORÔ I |
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Stage names:
Real name: Gotô Shinjirô Guilds: Miyoshiya [1], Yoshiya [2], Tennôjiya [3] Line number: SHODAI (I) Poetry names: Shigan [1], Seifu [2], Richô [3] Existence: 1759 ~ 13th day of the 11th lunar month of 1813 [4] Connection: Master: Ichikawa Danzô IV, Nakamura Kumetarô I Son: Ichikawa Danzô VI Disciple: Ichikawa Terunosuke Career: 1759: born in Kamigata. His father was a carpenter named Tanbaya Yohê (real name: Gotô Shinza). His yômyô was Naokichi [5]. 1764: he became disciple of Nakamura Kumetarô I at a very young age and received the name of Nakamura Kumejirô. 15th day of the 7th lunar month of 1777 [6]: his first master Nakamura Kumetarô I died. Fall 1777: Nakamura Kumejirô took the name of Nakamura Kumesaburô, went to Edo and definitively settled there. 2nd lunar month of 1778: Nakamura Kumesaburô took back the name of Nakamura Kumejirô and performed at the Nakamuraza in the new year sogamono drama "Kaidô Iro Yawaragi Soga". 7th lunar month of 1778: premiere at the Nakamuraza of the play "Date Kurabe Okuni Kabuki"; Kumejirô played the role of the courtesan Takao [casting]. 3rd lunar month of 1781: Kumejirô played at the Moritaza the roles of En'ya Hangan's wife Kaoyo Gozen, Okaru, Amakawaya Gihei's wife Osono and Ôboshi Yuranosuke's wife Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the roles of En'ya Hangan, Amakawaya Gihei and Ôboshi Yuranosuke were played by Ichikawa Danzô IV. 4th lunar month of 1783: first Kabuki adaptation of Yô Yôdai's puppet theater drama "Kagamiyama Kokyô no Nishikie". The play was staged in Edo at the Moritaza; Kumejirô played the role of Ohatsu [casting]. 7th lunar month of 1784: Kumejirô played at the Nakamuraza the roles of Kyô-no-Kimi and Kokingo in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". 8th lunar month of 1784: Kumejirô played in the same theater the roles of Kaoyo Gozen and Yuranosuke's wife Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". 11th lunar month of 1784: Nakamura Kumejirô took the name of Sanogawa Ichimatsu III at the Nakamuraza, performing in the kaomise drama "Ôakinai Hiru-ga-Kojima". 8th lunar month of 1785: Ichimatsu played at the Nakamuraza the role of Haru in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". 5th lunar month of 1786: Ichimatsu played at the Nakamuraza the role of Yuranosuke's wife Oishi in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the role of Yuranosuke was played by Ichikawa Yaozô III. 5th lunar month of 1787: Ichimatsu played at the Nakamuraza the role of Gihei's wife Osono in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura"; the role of Gihei was played by Sawamura Sôjûrô III. 1st lunar month of 1793: Ichimatsu's rank in the Edo hyôbanki, wakaonnagata section, was jô-jô-(shiro)kichi (superior - superior - (white) excellent) [visual]. 7th lunar month of 1794: premiere at the Miyakoza of the drama "Keisei Sanbon Karakasa"; Ichimatsu played the roles of the yarite Omiya and Banzaemon's nyôbô Sekinoto [more details]. 10th lunar month of 1794: due to some financial difficulties, the salaries of all the actors were drastically reduced. Ichimatsu's yearly salary for the coming season was set to 300 ryô after a reduction of 120 ryô. 4th lunar month of 1795: Ichimatsu played at the Miyakoza the role of Kaoyo Gozen in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". Fall 1798: he became disciple of Ichikawa Danzô IV and tachiyaku actor. 11th lunar month of 1798: Sanogawa Ichimatsu III took the name of Ichikawa Aragorô I at the Moritaza, playing the roles of Wakiya Jirô and the yakko Saruhei in the kaomise drama "Taiheiki Mitsugi no Funauta". 2nd lunar month of 1800: Namiki Gohei's drama "Gosan no Kiri" was staged for the first time in Edo, at the Ichimuraza in a somewhat different version entitled "Sanmon Gosan no Kiri" instead of "Kinmon Gosan no Kiri"; Aragorô played the role of Mashiba Kingo Hisaaki [casting]. 7th lunar month of 1800: Aragorô played at the Ichimuraza the roles of Momonoi Wakasanosuke and Ono Sadakurô in the drama "Kanadehon Chûshingura". 9th lunar month of 1800: Aragorô played in the same theater the role of Terukuni in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". 11th lunar month of 1802: Aragorô played at the Kawarasakiza the roles of Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Igami no Gonta in the drama "Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura". 3rd lunar month of 1808: Aragorô played at the Kawarasakiza the roles of Umeômaru and Sukune Tarô in the drama "Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami". 9th day of the 10th lunar month of 1808 [7]: his second master Ichikawa Danzô IV died. 1st day of the 1st lunar month of 1809 [8]: a fire broke out in the district of Nihonbashi Sanai-chô and destroyed both the Ichimuraza and the Nakamuraza. As a consequence, Aragorô joined the troupe of actors, who performed in the 2nd lunar month of 1809 within the precincts of the Ichigaya Hachiman Shrine. Most likely, it was Aragorô's last performance on stage because his name did not appear anymore in Edo theater playbills. 13th day of the 11th lunar month of 1813 [4]: Aragorô died in Edo. Comments: Ichikawa Aragorô I was an actor, who was trained as an onnagata in Kamigata but spent most of his career in Edo. He was slowly but surely gaining fame in Edo when he suddenly decided in 1798 to give up female roles to switch to male roles. His rank in the actors ranking dropped in the 1st lunar month of 1799 but he was back to the jô-jô-(shiro)kichi level in the 1st lunar month of 1800 and stayed at this level up to the end of his career. He was equally at home in sewamono and jidaimono dramas. His forte were roles in the wagoto style. [1] His yagô and his haimyô were Miyoshiya and Shigan during his Ichikawa years. [2] His yagô and his haimyô were Yoshiya and Seifu during his Sanogawa years. [3] His yagô and his haimyô were Tennôjiya and Richô during his Nakamura years. Not recorded in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten", only in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran". [4] The 13th day of the 11th lunar month of the 10th year of the Bunka era was the 4th of January 1814 in the western calendar. [5] It was recorded in Nojima Jusaburô's book "Kabuki Jinmei Jiten" that his first stage name was Nakamura Naokichi. Not recorded in the latest edition (2012) of "Kabuki Haiyû Meiseki Benran". [6] The 15th day of the 7th lunar month of the 6th year of the An'ei era was the 17th of August 1777 in the western calendar. [7] The 9th day of the 10th lunar month of the 5th year of the Bunka era was the 26th of November 1808 in the western calendar. [8] The 1st day of the 1st lunar lunar month of the 6th year of the Bunka era was the 14th of February 1809 in the western calendar. |
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Ichikawa Aragorô I playing the role of the shirozake seller Shinbê in the drama "Sukeroku Sakura no Futae Obi", which was staged in the 3rd lunar month of 1807 at the Nakamuraza (print made by Utagawa Toyokuni I) Print made by Tôshûsai Sharaku in 1794 Print made by Utagawa Toyokuni in 1798 The Sanogawa Ichimatsu line of actors The Ichikawa Aragorô line of actors |
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