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| Invitation
to the 2004/2005 Opera Season |
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| The 2004/2005 season is my second season as Artistic Director of
this magnificent opera house, the New National Theatre, Tokyo. The
2003/2004 season opened a new chapter for the NNTT. The strong message
the theatre sent throughout the world made me realize that the NNTT
is a competitive and creative opera house. I will continue to do my
best to establish the NNTT as one of the world's leading opera houses.
I believe that the upcoming season will again bring first-class artists
to the NNTT from Japan and the rest of the world and I am sure they
will give unique and wonderful performances. Let us set out on a new
journey to explore the history of opera together with the NNTT. The
theme for the 2004/2005 season is the "Fate of Women." In the upcoming
season, we will focus on women offering irresistible charm, concentrating
on their dreams, dedication, self-sacrifice, hopes, decisions and
love. |
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| [Cavalleria Rusticana /I Pagliacci] |
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| The 2004/2005 season will open with the operas by Pietro Mascagni
and Ruggiero Leoncavallo. Here, we will meet two women, Santuzza and Nedda,
both of whom are betrayed by their hopes. These works express the world
of emotions, the tradition of Italian opera. With Grischa Asagaroff as stage
director, Luigi Perego as set and costume designer and Ban Tetsuro as conductor,
the two productions will be filled with true Italian spirit and emotion
and promise to be unforgettable events. |
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| The second new production in the season is a masterpiece by
Richard Strauss, and the opera is set in ancient Greece. Elektra
was chosen for the reason that it is, needless to say, a musically challenging
work and, above all, it is a story of the strong love of a daughter who
firmly vows never to betray the virtues of her father. She has a cast-iron
determination to spare no effort in order to protect her father. Ever since
the opera's first performance in 1909, the title role has been the gateway
to success for all talented singers. The conductor, Ulf Schirmer, is deeply
versed in Straussian music and is sure to present a superb, new interpretation. |
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| Lulu is the third new production. One of the works
that represents 20th-century opera, Lulu portrays the mysteries
of feminine charm. The men in this world seem to be caught in a cobweb woven
by a "naive woman." David Pountney, a world-class stage director, and the
conductor Stefan Anton Reck, will present Lulu's charm through their persuasive
artistic expression. I am very grateful that Sato Shinobu has met my long
wish for her to sing the title role. The role of Lulu will no doubt show
us a new side of her artistic talent. |
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| [Osan, from "Shinju Ten no Amijima"] |
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| The upcoming season will present the world premiere of the
opera by Kubo Mayako, a Japanese composer. I have been strongly drawn to
her works for some time now, and among them, this new work especially stimulated
my interest. This opera offers exactly the story that I have been seeking
in contemporary opera, with elements that will not fail to move people today.
Two women and a man live in the flow of intertwined, inescapable fates. |
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| Now I would like to look away from the many dramas we have
experienced in the works presented earlier to two women who get involved
in a humorous whirlwind of utter confusion. Così Fan Tutte (Women
Are Like That) is part of the Mozart cycle, which started with Le Nozze
di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). Directed by Kornelia Repschlaeger,
noted among the young stage directors for her ambitious staging that is
characterized by profound storytelling, and conducted by Dan Ettinger, Così
Fan Tutte will be a special and colorful production with Davide Pizzigoni
as set and costume designer. |
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| Is there any other operatic character with a love so strong
that could move the audience more than Leonore? Her deep, everlasting love
for her husband Florestan opens the door of the prison, releases him from
suppression and cuts off the chains of captivity. We will witness the incomparable
love of Leonore through the director Marco Arturo Marelli's unique method
of expression. The conductor Michael Boder, who excels in the interpretation
of Beethoven's music, will lead the orchestra as the perfect partner to
the stage director. |
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| Giacomo Puccini seems to have understood the tragedy of a
Japanese woman split between two different cultures more deeply than anyone
else, although he never once visited Japan. This is not a simple story of
romance. The Italian composer depicts with a critical eye the behavior of
a foreigner who, due to his ignorance, slights the feelings of the people
he is living among. On the other hand, maestro Puccini, who stands unrivaled
in portraying women of the highest virtue, talks about this dearest woman,
Cio-Cio-San, with special feeling. She does not make a compromise in her
love although she realizes her own misunderstanding. I firmly believe that
this story of Cio-Cio-San can be eloquently told only by the brilliant Japanese
stage directors. I am very pleased that Kuriyama Tamiya readily accepted
my offer and that he will be working with the conductor Renato Palumbo to
produce this opera. |
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| In addition to the new productions described above, in the
2004/2005 season we will offer revivals of La Bohème, La
Traviata, Macbeth and Le Nozze di Figaro. Also, in
the upcoming season, the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Tokyo Symphony
Orchestra will create music that can only be heard at this opera house.
Enthusiastic efforts by the singers of the New National Theatre Chorus will
also be one of the features that make us harbor great expectations for the
new season. Likewise, singers invited not only from Japan but also from
around the world are looking forward to performing at the NNTT again or
making their debut here. They will marshal their respective artistic talents
to move us and help us realize our dreams.
The curtain
is rising on the challenging 2004/2005 season.
I look forward to seeing you here at the theatre.
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Thomas Novohradsky
Artistic Director for the Opera Division
New National Theatre, Tokyo
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For details of the lineup and other information, please click here.
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