"Quietness, Love and Death ~A Creative Stage Performance Fusing Noh and Opera~" Enjoy the fusion of stories realized across genres at Kanagawa Art Hall
"Quietness, Love and Death ~A Creative Stage Production Fusing Noh and Opera~" Performance Overview
[Date and Time] Saturday, August 7, 2021, 3:00 PM - 5:00 PM (Live Streaming)
[Streaming URL] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykdgnhWYbTY (Archived stream)
[Cast]
Part 1
Kamakura Noh Stage Foundation
Kanta Nakamori (Shite), Toru Tomisaka (Kokata), Kazuyuki Fukuo (Waki)
Shintaro Sugi (Noh flute), Yotaro Uzawa (Kotsuzumi drum), Hirotada Kamei (Otsuzumi drum), Akira Sawada (Taiko drum)
Kanze Yoshimasa (Jigashira - local administrator)
Part 2
Singers belonging to the Japan Opera Association
Ryoko Sunagawa (Soprano: Shizuka), Yumiko Mukono (Master Soprano: Iso no Zenji), Ryoichi Nakai (Tenor: Yoshitsune),
Kenji Moriguchi (Br. Yoritomo), Akemi Yamada (20-string koto)
Akiko Sakurai (Satsuma Biwa), Kaho Fujisha (Kotsuzumi), Yuko Tanaka (Conductor)
Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra (Public Interest Incorporated Foundation)
Regarding tickets that have already been sold
For refunds of purchased tickets, please contact the contractor for this project.
The Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra, a public interest incorporated foundation, will contact you individually.
[Planned method of holding the event]
The event will be held with a ticketed audience at the Kanagawa Prefectural Citizens' Hall Main Hall (3-1 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama).
[Revised method of holding the event]
We will be live-streaming the event for free on the day of the event. Please note that the streaming schedule may change.
Please check this page for the latest streaming information.
The Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is planning to hold the Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival nationwide, in collaboration with the national government, local governments, and cultural organizations, to showcase the power of Japanese culture and arts both domestically and internationally, in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Kanagawa Prefecture is also a key implementing body for the Tokyo 2020 NIPPON Festival, and as a co-sponsored program, on August 7th, the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra will present a performance that will allow audiences to enjoy the charm of a comprehensive art form that fuses the classical Japanese performing art of "Noh" with the Western performing art of "Opera."
Set in Kamakura, a charming ancient city and one of Kanagawa Prefecture's leading tourist areas, the story based on the legend of Minamoto no Yoshitsune will be performed in two parts.
Part one is a condensed version of the Noh play "Funabenkei," and part two is a condensed version of the opera "Shizuka and Yoshitsune."
The biggest highlight is how the "time" of the Noh play in the first half and the opera in the second half are connected.
The first half of the performance will depict the parting of Shizuka Gozen and Yoshitsune in a Noh play, and then it will transition into the opera "Shizuka and Yoshitsune."
Noh and opera, two completely different genres, come together on one stage, with the protagonist weaving a story...it's no exaggeration to say that this is the very essence of why this performance is described as a "fusion."
"Noh is a pure art form that dislikes mixing with other genres, making it a noble world where collaborations with other genres are difficult. This time, I have collaborated with Noh actor Kanta Nakamori in the past, and after careful discussions to ensure that the fusion parts would not violate any taboos in Noh, it has come to fruition."
Toru Sakakibara, the music director of the Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra and producer of this project, says:
"Funabenkei" is a story created about 500 years ago, based on the Tale of the Heike and the Azuma Kagami.
"Shizuka and Yoshitsune" is a Japanese opera that was produced and performed in 1993 as the opening performance of the Kamakura Arts Center, through the collaboration of Rei Nakanishi, a lyricist whom Japan is proud of, and Minoru Miki, a composer who is recognized not only in Japan but also around the world as a representative of Asia.
These two stories truly "connect" in this performance, and I want to convey to everyone, as much as possible, just how precious and valuable this connection is, including the highlights.
Please join us.
First, we must talk about the story behind the creation of the Japanese opera "Shizuka and Yoshitsune."
Even those who aren't particularly fond of history are likely familiar with the tragic love story of Shizuka Gozen if they are Japanese. In 1993, Nakanishi decided to create the opera "Shizuka and Yoshitsune" as a stage production to bring this story to life, as a commissioned work for the opening of the Kamakura Arts Center, the setting of this tragic love story. At the time, Nakanishi said, "My intention was to give life to the characters, to give them voice and movement, to make it snow and ring the bells, and to imagine a world that is so real it could be mistaken for reality." And for the composition, which is essential in literally breathing life into the work, Nakanishi nominated Minoru Miki, with whom he had teamed up the previous year on the major opera "Wakahime," which was based on ancient Japan, and whose talent as a composer he had admired.
Based on his belief that Japanese history and culture itself possess international relevance and have value that can be appreciated overseas, Mr. Miki has publicly declared the creation of operas set in Japan as his "life's work" and has continued to lead Japanese opera. True to his "life's work," Mr. Miki spent 37 years tracing back over a thousand years of Japanese history, exploring the spirit of each era and completing a magnificent nine-part opera series on Japanese history that brilliantly expresses a unique beauty.
Among them, "Shunkinsho," the debut work from the Japan Opera Association, and "Ada" and "Joruri," created in collaboration with a renowned British director, which introduced and established Japanese opera to the world, are frequently performed as a trilogy set in the early modern period and continue to be loved and highly acclaimed around the world.
Furthermore, the subsequent commission from overseas, "Ai-en" (愛怨), which is popular in English-speaking countries and performed at the New National Theatre, achieved the remarkable feat of being the first time in the 110-year history of Japanese opera that a work by a foreign composer was performed in Japanese at the Heidelberg Opera House in Germany.
Furthermore, in 1964, Mr. Miki participated in the formation of the Japanese traditional instrument ensemble "Nihon Ongaku Shudan" (Japan Music Ensemble), composed many pieces for Japanese traditional instruments, and is a leading figure in reviving the appeal of so-called ethnic instruments in contemporary Japanese music.
His focus on traditional Japanese musical instruments extended beyond composition to include the development of the 20-string koto, which evolved from 13 strings to 20 strings (later to 21 strings) to create a koto with expressive capabilities suitable for contemporary music.
This development was truly groundbreaking, bringing a new direction to the history of Japanese traditional music and revolutionizing the techniques of playing traditional Japanese instruments.
Miki's works are not limited to Western sounds; they skillfully incorporate Japanese sounds from the koto and various other traditional Japanese instruments, establishing a unique style that is highly regarded both domestically and internationally.
What do you think of the opera "Shizuka and Yoshitsune," created by these two giants? It's a work of such immense value that just imagining it sends shivers down your spine.
And finally, after a full 26 years since its premiere in 1993, this masterpiece was brought back to life in 2019 by the general director, Aiko Kori. Ms. Kori, who played the role of Iso no Zenji in the original production, brilliantly made this beloved masterpiece a reality two years ago.
The three characters of Yoshitsune, Iso no Zenji, and Yoritomo in the main performance in August are reprising roles from two years ago.
Ryoichi Nakai as Minamoto no Yoshitsune, Kenji Moriguchi as Minamoto no Yoritomo
The lead role of Shizuka will be played by Kyoko Sunagawa, a prima donna of the Japan Opera Association and one of Japan's leading soprano singers. Her dramatic dance and singing portrayal of a shirabyoshi (female dancer) and a woman who longs for her loved one is a must-see.
Akemi Yamada, who plays the 20-string koto, has also been performing since the premiere. Her koto playing blends beautifully with and integrates with the Western instruments, creating a uniquely Japanese worldview.
Shizuka (role): Soprano Ryoko Sunagawa
As Mr. Nakanishi mentioned earlier, the love story of Shizuka and Yoshitsune has been transformed into a work that is ultimately tragic yet incredibly delicate and full of life, through beautifully refined Japanese language and music.
This is a creative stage production that weaves together two stories themed around "love and death" from two different individuals into a single performance.
In the first half, "Funa Benkei," Yoshitsune and his beloved concubine Shizuka Gozen embark on a romantic escape to get away from his estranged brother, Minamoto no Yoritomo. This journey is extremely difficult, and they are ultimately unable to overcome the challenges, facing the crisis of separation at Daimotsuura. A powerful yet fleeting farewell dance expresses the love and sorrow of the two who must part ways. This dance connects to the second half, and this is where the highlight lies. I wonder what kind of staging will be used to make that connection.
I mentioned at the beginning that this connection, or rather, this "fusion," is the greatest appeal of this performance. If I were to reveal all of its appeal here, it would spoil half the fun, so let me just give you a hint.
What connects the two worlds is the shirabyōshi (female dancer) that Shizuka inherited from her mother, Zen Master Iso, and which also became the catalyst for her falling in love with Yoshitsune. This serves as Shizuka's identity in the other world.
From the farewell dance at the end of the first half to the second half, the dance of Shizuka Hachimangu Shrine, I hope you will fully enjoy it.
Furthermore, the inclusion of a biwa player who sings and plays the accompaniment, effectively bridging the gaps between scenes and accompanying the condensed versions—acting as a kind of "storyteller"—is another appealing aspect of this performance, making it enjoyable for everyone.
Even in a highlight performance held in a large hall, measures are taken to ensure that the audience can easily understand the show, such as displaying the performers on a sub-screen and supplementing the story with subtitles to make the protagonist's changing emotions clearer.
Twenty-string koto: Akemi Yamada; Small hand drum: Kaho Fujisha
And finally, lighting. It's a crucial element that gives time and light to the stage, allowing for a more emotionally rich expression of the space and characters.
"The lighting, which has been fully installed, will not be the classical, solemn Noh of the first act, but rather a modern and witty design that is in line with this drama. In particular, the second act will depict the beauty of Shizuka as she ascends to heaven amidst falling snow, after achieving her goal with Yoshitsune, from the wintery Yoshino Mountains to the spring-like Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine," said Sakakibara, quoted above.
This stage production transcends genre, country, and era, centering on the themes of "love and death," which are the most universal and eternal for humanity, and especially for those of us living today.
Especially in times like these, why not take a trip and nourish your soul with something wonderful?
Regarding "Shizuka, Love and Death ~A Creative Stage Performance Fusing Noh and Opera~" (scheduled to be held on August 7, 2021), which was announced to the press on Tuesday, June 1, 2021, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections in the prefecture and to hold the event in a safer and more secure environment, it will be held without an audience and will be live-streamed (free of charge).
