Doctor of Arts, professor
Karzhaubajeva Sangul Kamalovna
Kazakh National academy of
Arts named after T.Zhurgenov, Kazakhstan
Aesthetics
of National Theatre of Kazakhs
History of every national culture is a process,
which has its own specific peculiarities, manifests in events and phenomenon’s,
reflects the world view, world perception, mental features of a nation. Every
nation has its own representation of national culture, music, poetry, tastes,
hearing and particular rhythm of mother tongue. In short, everything that
constitutes special originality and national identity. But how we can define
the form of expression and aesthetics of the national theatre? Probably, the answer
on that question we will find if we apply to deep world view sources, and as a
consequence, it is necessary to study deeply the plot dramaturgy, which is
based on myths, rites and eposes;
mastering of symbolic gestures and mimics, allegory of a word etc.
The whole Kazakh culture is full of ideas,
images and symbols, more or less connected with the rites, games, and eposes.
Specifically: a word, movement, plastic, music, improvisation, dance. This is
everything that composes the theatre and theatre in its modern understanding,
full of signs and symbols. Comprehending of these systems could discover and
give many things to the theater. However, for an accurate reading, of course,
well-developed theory is necessary, because, the system of symbols of traditional
society was so strong and diverse that comprehension of it could reveal the
nature of this art. In this connection, it is seems to be interesting to
consider the creation of sals and serys, bearers of oral poetry and music
traditions, from the position of theater. Thus we will rely on different kinds
of materials, without chronological frameworks restrictions. It is also
obvious, that the problem touches upon world theatre and requires comprehensive
research, linked with the high level of generalization. The art of
presentation, as acting, in every nation, in every time of the history,
corresponds with realms and traditions of the society in which it is exists,
connected with the evolution of society consciousness and has definite set of
means(artistic, technological etc.) which are inherit to this or that epoch. If
we can remember the development of the theatre since ancient times, it is clear
that being peculiar and original; it happened in every country in every
historical period by the same ways and had the same directions and genres, such
as: religious act, oral poetic tradition, national or fair theatres,
performances of so called “Theatre of One Actor”. Only on the last stage there
is the most complicated and multilayered art – art of the theatre in forms,
which is the common on every continents of the world. Thus, if in Europe
pre-theatrical, ethnographical elements are just preconditions, in Kazakh
culture they made a major chapter, which needs the most serious and careful
examination. Apparently, those processes, which took decades in Europe, in
Kazakh world lasted for centuries, but the moment of flowering came faster and
unexpectedly. Kazakh theatrical art appeared the same way as in any other
countries, and got through the same stages of development, but in its own way
and own time. Because criterias and categories which are valid «for the culture
of one country are impossible to mechanically transfer to phenomenon, observed
in history and culture of other nations» [Êîíðàä Í.È. Çàïàä è Âîñòîê. Ì.,
Íàóêà, 1972, Ñ. 24]. This statement of
Conrad confirms our hypothesis that theatrics of Kazakhs was born as it
should be, in accordance with general historical processes of development of
all Kazakh culture.
Perfection of support base of Kazakh traditional
culture, presented by all kinds of arts in developed form, being national
treasure certainly reflected on a specific uniqueness of Kazakh theatrics. This
uniqueness today needs some clarifications. For example, in European theater
such concepts as theatre building, stage platform, spectators are sustainable
and don’t cause any discrepancies. In our environment, originality of
historical conditions, centuries-old traditions, rhythm of life, habitat,
psychology and temperament of the nation created special atmosphere of theater
existence. In conditions of nomadic style of life emergence of the theater
(i.e. building, as architectural construction with regular company and staff)
was not just impossible, but not necessary. The idea of Spengler about deep
symbolic interrelation between culture, matter and space, in which and through
which it tries to realize is confirms by developed by nomadic style the
specific strategy and principle of life. This model was marked by universal
adherence to aesthetic and artistic perception of the world. Integrative
character of Kazakh culture allowed preserving the sources and its consequence
at the same time. The principle of imposition of one phenomenon over another,
created multi-tiered, multi-layered Kazakh culture, its polysemantics, and led
to syncretic character of performing Arts of sals and seris. Defining the main
feature of artistic activity, we will recall that they were people devoted
themselves to the Art, but unlike, for example, medieval European strolling
actors, the Art was not a livelihood for them, but was a way of life. They led
a bohemian lifestyle denying any suggestions on physical labor and as true
artists did not differentiate the life and Art, their performances in front of
the public and the life. They followed their mission always and everywhere,
fulfilling the functions of conductors to the universal laws of existence, they
were bearers of esthetic and spiritual values of traditional society. And there
raises the question: in this connection, what is the impact on psycho-emotional
sphere and also the contribution to this form of Art to the aesthetics of
nomadic culture?
Theater is the synthetic phenomenon, its
connections with the literature, music and choreographic art is undeniable, but
concerning the Kazakh culture, this synthesis is different to European: in
process of its long evolution and in nomadic society it has created original
methods and techniques of artistic image creation. Synthesis as one of the main
and deeply specific features of aesthetic traditions of Kazakh ethnos clearly
showed itself in indissoluble artistic integrity of sals and serys arts.
Applied by the steppe actors the means of expression system initially required
necessity of art synthesis: creation of such element in which all kinds of Arts
could interact harmoniously: poetic word, vocal and instrumental music,
pantomime or dance (everything that characterizes the Art of drama actor), and
outside its specific synthetic nature, their Art couldn’t exist, nor develop.
In the European theatre, it is possible to
separate verbal texture, musical accompaniment, choreography, vocal
performances and so on without any damage, from actual acting and actor’s work.
Addressing to the Art of sals and serys, we cannot consider these main
theatrical actions separately. In performance of bearers of traditional culture
since ancient times synthetic by its form types of arts are rooted: the word
sounds in indissoluble unity with the music, gestures, mimics and picturesque
magnificence of costumes. The expression of singing and playing on musical
instruments reach the highest level, as the level of expression of speech and
gestures. Synthesis in their creation received a character not the combining of
all types of arts, but organic fusion on which actually all the magic of
spectacle based. As to ancient heroes, who performed the image of tragic hero
besides the talent and mastery and beautiful, strong voice, they had to have a
physical beauty. Apparently, there was not the sacral but social magic, that
associates their status with ethical and social criteria of the society and
this caused their special position in the society. Embodying by themselves the
higher class of musical culture in the spiritual stratification of Kazakh
society sals and serys as demiurges-musicians provided by their activity the
most bright and peculiar moments of interconnection in the earth and sacral
spheres. There appeared the idea of universality of knowledge, spiritual wealth
and magical power of a talent. Such high status can be explained by «the
sources which were laid by their predecessors – shamans (bakhsy)» [1,252].
According to the ancient ideas of Turks, bakhsy were mediators, conductors
between cosmic and natural. Echoes of the fertile magic are traced in courtly
behavior and poetry of sals and serys. This social function can explain going
beyond the steppe moral code, taboo of many aspects of behavior, such as: sals
never entered the yurta alone. When they arrived into aul they, as a rule, fell
from a horse or hang on a tree and women and young girls run to them, picked
them up and carried into a guest room, took off their shoes and found some
gifts in there (for details see p.3).
Theatricality and virtuosity, «travel to other
worlds» (communication with the spirits and impersonation) which had continuity
relationships with the role of shaman-bakhsy as an acting subject is possible
to compare with the act of one actor. But shaman act doesn’t make any
difference between life and Art; it’s a part of their life. In the opinion of
an audience this matter on the one hand showed bakhsy as a God, on the other
hand they were out of the society, precipitated as renege and derelict. For
sals and serys the act was a way of life and their way of life was the acting.
This defined their boundary position not only between the life and Art, also
between «earth» and «unearth», between existence and nonexistence. Only from
these positions such rituals as «hanging on a tree» (death-resurrection),
unallowable gesture as putting «the hand on a side» became clear. Let’s
remember such well-known fact as arriving of a famous Kazakh composer-sery
Tattimbet on the wake of Abay’s greatest grandfather – Uskenbay, on horseback
under the open umbrella. Such free behavior only mediators-mediums could allow
who knew their world and Worlds of aliens [for details seep.2].
Many phenomenons of the culture are explained
by the different kinds of human society existence. It’s known that in canonical
sedentary culture phenomenon of communitas appears periodically and locally
during the rituals of changing of the structures in social hierarchy of the
society. Such ritual is possible in a society where social roles-masks can be
temporarily dropped. In Kazakh culture such phenomenons couldn’t exist, because
the position of “azamat” (freeman) took
in traditional society, in which every adult Kazakh is equal to another largely
defined by such natural characteristics as: mind, nature, age and strength.
Such hierarchy cannot be turned upside down for a while. In Kazakh culture such
rituals did not exist. That is why, maybe, communitas was introduced in
everyday life, which had a flip side – lifetime liminality, as social
role-mask. If in other cultures such position has a unique character (the court
jester), in Kazakh culture it became a fate for sals and serys.
If we can consider performance methods used by
steppe actors from the point of theater’s specificity, we can find that there
are some close to the theatre art features: it is a performance in active and
expressive manner, use of theatricality elements as means of artistic
embodiment of ideal hero image, depiction by words spoken in a singsong,
showing of state of mind, participation of spectators in the performance.
Presence of the basic element of theatrical art – transformation is obvious.
Elements of beyond the subjective character did not show all the relations
between the actor and spectators, and acquired the features defined only by
theatrical aesthetics (behavior features, clothes, boldness, excitement etc.),
despite that fact that criterias of existence were attached to the roots and
nourished the tree of universal laws of Kazakh culture. It presents that the
appearance of an actor on higher level, but not actor’s suffer within the
collision of a plot, helped to the birth of the basic principle of stage art of
sals and serys – aesthetics of grotesque (here appeared splendor and brightness
of theatrical costume, specific manner of behavior). Off course, from the point
of view of such features as movement of a hero on the stage space, their
performance is just a precursor of the theatre in its modern sense. However,
having the all set of theatrical features, this form of art no doubts is the
theater in the true sense of the word. All this combined as a phenomenon of an
ancient traditional culture, which on the one hand cannot be imagined out of
the collective way of social life. On the other hand this is the historical
epoch when in storytelling genre division strengthens and in connection with it
develops not genre differentiation as in Europe, but special social group of
creatively gifted persons – sals and serys, who were occupied only by artistic
work. Nomadic culture with its special organization and specificity,
synthesizing reality and imagination, highlighted the aesthetical essence. Here
we can conclude that social and aesthetical essence of theatrical performance
of steppe actors presented an artistic form of spiritual creation of a nation,
ideological expression of social practice, its myths, its morality, aesthetic
tastes and ideals. Perception of antiquity as an example formed the
archetypicity as a feature of Kazakh traditional culture. Emotional strain of
actor’s performance obviously helped to fix the archetype. Establishing the
live “actor-person” connection with spectators, sal certainly shows to the
spectators his own individual reflection, but not experience, tried to find a
way to his contemporaries.
Sals and serys as bearers of theatrical art
having the high potential impact on spectators, influenced social processes,
and served as models of behavior: their performance became the most important
live action, by which the union of all societies occurred. Having bright
imagery, act of sals and serys always went to a new level of artistic generalization.
Ancient Kazakh society with its developed sign system well-known to every
member of the society, who had gestures, mimics, words, hints for all
occasions, returned to theatric convention its highest meaning. Bearers of
these traditions proved by every performance the high efficiency some
conventions, which were well assimilated and skillfully used. These symbols
appeared not as an end in itself, but as a mean of Universal information
transformation. Therefore, here the influence on process was important, the
objective action itself. Here we can see the identity of creative activity of
bearers of Kazakh traditional culture – sals and serys. This purely national
theatre gives us incredible representation of intellectual level of the nation,
which took as a basis of their public entertainment the idea of union and unity
of the world. The structure of these activities was intended for initial
ability of phenomenons to contain opposite meanings. Such structure, based on
antagonism of Good and Evil, confidence in victory of Good through principles
of global compliances, restored the Harmony of the World. Perceiving repetitive
structure of the myth a person of traditional society received it not as
something that opposite to Life, but as a structure of Cosmic Reality. Every
time, rethinking basic human values, there was the cathartic cleansing.
One more thing. Investigation of theatrical art
as well as investigation of the culture of the nation itself, suggests
addressing to the typological parallels. Such approach can not only
convincingly justify stages of formation and development, to show cultural
relationships and influences, but bring unexpected results. After all, it is
obvious that the culture of any nation not always can be explained in isolation.
Its originality and uniqueness are more noticeable when they compared and
interacted with other cultures. For example, there are some obvious
etymological similarities in the names of national theatres in many nations,
which indicate on old and long cultural interaction (it is known that during
the Hellenism epoch, name of Greek street theatre «o maskaros», as the theatre
itself, spread on East and West from Macedonia, where it was very popular. In
Italy for many centuries play-actors were called «mashera», in Spain «mascara»
in Byzantium, Armenia, Turkey – «mashara», in Marocco – «masrah»). It is likely
that in Kazakh the word «mascara» appeared exactly at that time: in Kazakh
«mascara» means to become a laughing stock, it preserved initial meaning, has
satirical, comic tone). In this connection, we take the liberty to make the
assumption that the word «sahna», which means the stage, came into Kazakh
during the Hellenistic period and derived from the ancient Greek word «skene».
List of literature used:
1. Òóðñóíîâ Å. Âîçíèêíîâåíèå áàêñû, àêûíîâ, ñåðý è æûðàó. Àñòàíà, 1999.- ñ.252
2. Ãàìàðíèê Ì., Ìóõàìáåòîâà À. Ãåíåçèñ è ôóíêöèè ñàëîâ è
ñåðý â êàçàõñêîì îáùåñòâå. Ñá. ñò. ìàò. Ìåæä. êîíô.: Ýòíîêóëüòóðíûå òðàäèöèè â
ìóçûêå. - Àëìàòû, 2000. - Ñ. 87-98