Based on a novel by Jun Ishikawa, this new opera is set in the Heian period (794-1185) and follows the life of an artist in that time. Yet it isn’t a play set in the classical time period akin to the Tale of Genji (an important Japanese literature produced in the Heian period); rather, this is a fantasy rendering of it, complete with links to the underworld.
The story follows the young protagonist, who was born into a family of poets. Yet rather than following the path of poetry, he picks up a bow and arrow and chooses to create his own life. Sung in Japanese, this domestic production is topped off with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra playing tunes composed by the award-winning Akira Nishimura and conducted by Kazushi Ono, the artistic director of the New National Theatre, Tokyo.
All performances with English and Japanese surtitles
Photo: Set Design