ONOE MATSUSUKE IV

Stage names:

Onoe Matsusuke IV In Japanese
Onoe Umegorô In Japanese
Ichimura Kitsugorô In Japanese
Matsumoto Kokanshi In Japanese

Other name:

Ichikawa Kokanshi In Japanese

Real name: Kurihara Umegorô

Guild: Otowaya

Line number: YODAIME (IV)

Poetry name: Baiga

Existence: 29th day of the 2nd lunar month of 1843 [1] ~ 5 September 1928

Connections:

Masters: Onoe Kikugorô V, Matsumoto Kinshô I

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 went back to Edo with his father.

1848: he became disciple of Matsumoto Kinshô I, received the name of Matsumoto Kokanshi and made his first stage appearance in the 3rd lunar month at the Kawarasakiza.

3rd day of the 11th lunar month of 1849 [2]: his master Matsumoto Kinshô I died.

1st lunar month of 1865: he became disciple of Ichimura Kakitsu IV and received the name of Ichimura Kitsugorô.

8th lunar month of 1868: great shûmei at the Ichimuraza; Ichimura Kakitsu IV and Ichimura Takematsu III respectively took the names of Onoe Kikugorô V and Ichimura Uzaemon XIV; Ichimura Kitsugorô took the name of Onoe Umegorô.

October 1878: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Shinshichi II's drama "Jitsugetsusei Kyôwa Seidan"; Umegorô played the role of Arakuma no Kurozô [casting].

March 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's masterpiece "Kumo ni Magou Ueno no Hatsuhana"; Umegorô played the role of Jôga [casting].

June 1881: Onoe Umegorô took 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 was staged to commemorate the 32nd anniversary (33rd memorial service) of late Onoe Kikugorô III; Matsusuke played the role of Usui Sadamitsu [casting].

November 1881: premiere at the Shintomiza of Kawatake Mokuami's zangirimono drama "Shima Chidori Tsuki no Shiranami"; Matsusuke played the roles of the rikisha Yashû Toku and Oteru's mother Sokkin Oichi [casting].

November 1883: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Zôho Tenjiku Tokubê", a revision of Tsuruya Nanboku IV's "Tenjiku Tokubê Ikoku Banashi"; Matsusuke played the roles of Yamana Tokigorô and Kojima Yoshirô [casting].

February 1885: Matsusuke took part in the opening ceremony of the Chitoseza [more details]. Premiere at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Suitengû Megumi no Fukagawa"; Matsusuke played the roles of sahainin Yohei and Ibaraki Denji [casting].

November 1885: premiere at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Shisen Ryô Koban no Ume-no-Ha"; Matsusuke played the roles of the udonya Rokubê and the Fujioka tedai Senji [more details].

March 1886: première at the Chitoseza of Kawatake Mokuami's drama "Mekura Nagaya Ume-ga-Kagatobi"; Matsusuke played the roles of Okane and Goroji [casting].

March 1890: premiere at the Kiriza of Takeshiba Kisui's drama "Kami no Megumi Wagô no Torikumi"; Matsusuke played the role of the tobi Rôgetsu-chô Kameemon [more details].

November 1891: the title "Oto ni Kiku Tenjiku Tokubê" was used for the first time, in Tôkyô at the Fukanoza; Matsusuke played the roles of Yoshioka Sôkan and Moku Sôkan [casting].

January 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Shiobara Tasuke Ichidaiki"; Matsusuke played the roles of the farmer Shiobara Kakuemon, Akidarugai Kyûhachi and Matatabi Okaku [casting].

July 1892: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Kaidan Botan Dôrô", adapted for Kabuki from a famous Rakugo story created by San'yûtei Enchô; Matsusuke played the role of Iijima Heizaemon [casting].

January 1898: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's dance-drama "Hagoromo"; Matsusuke played the role of the fisherman Mihoji [casting].

May 1898: premiere at the Kabukiza of Kawatake Shinshichi III's drama "Edo Sodachi Omatsuri Sashichi"; Matsusuke played the role of Koito's foster mother Otetsu [casting].

October 1902: premiere at the Kabukiza of Enokido Kenji's drama "Ninjô Banashi Bunshichi Mottoi"; Matsusuke played the role of Izumiya Seibê [casting].

18 February 1903: his master Onoe Kikugorô V died.

June 1904: premiere at the Kabukiza of the drama "Meiboku Kasane Monogatari"; Matsusuke played the role of Kingorô [casting].

November 1908: revival at the Kabukiza of the Kabuki Jûhachiban drama "Kagekiyo"; Matsusuke played 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 played the role of the blind masseur Jôga [casting].

September 1921: premiere at the Ichimuraza of Yamamoto Yûzô's drama "Sakazaki Dewa-no-Kami"; Matsusuke played the role of Konchiin Sûden [more details].

March 1923: premiere at the Imperial Theater of Osanai Kaoru's drama "Musuko"; Matsusuke played the role of the rôya [more details].

5 September 1928: Matsusuke died.

Comments:

Onoe Matsusuke IV was a talented supporting tachiyaku, excelling in fukeyaku or katakiyaku roles in sewamono dramas.

[1] The 29th day of the 2nd lunar month of the 14th year of the Tenpô era was the 29th of March 1843 in the western calendar.

[2] The 3rd day of the 11th lunar month of the 2nd year of the Kaei era was the 17th of December 1849 in the western calendar.

Onoe Matsusuke IV playing the role of Kômori Yasu in the drama "Yowa Nasake Ukina no Yokogushi" (print made by Natori Shunsen)

Prints & Illustrations

The Onoe Matsusuke line of actors

 
Search this site powered by FreeFind
  Site map | Disclaimer
Contact | Main | Top | Updates | Actors | Plays | Playwrights | Programs | Links | FAQ | Glossary | Chronology | Illustrations | Prints | Characters | Derivatives | Theaters | Coming soon | News