Catalog of Shōdan: Main Chants
Rongi
Poetic text with regular rhythm set in hiranori, the Rongi is typically composed of two parts: a sung dialogue between two actors, or between an actor, usually the shite, and the jiutai followed by a chant similar to an Ageuta, which starts in the higher range and gradually moves to the lower range. In Hashitomi's case, the first few pitches in the low range lead to the higher range.
Although positioned in the second act, Hashitomi’s Rongi is comparable to the one that commonly closes the first act when the shite alludes to or reveals his identity. When it closes the first act, the Rongi usually does not include a nohkan part. In the case of Hashitomi, the Rongi leads to the Kuse, so the nohkan player links the two by performing the mi roku no ge pattern.
Takasago includes two Rongi. The first, sung by the shite, shitezure, and jiutai, concludes the first act, as the shite and shitezure reveal their identities as the spirits of the two pine trees. For the majority of this section, the shite and shitezure deliver their lines while seated. However, when the jiutai refers to the shite’s embarkation for Sumiyoshi’s shore, the shite stands to perform kata that depict the sung text. The second Rongi in Takasago, sung by the shite and jiutai, closes the second act. It differs from the first in that the shite dances for nearly the entire shōdan.