Now that news got out of (through an interview with Kent Nagano) that
Ichiro Nodaira is composing an opera based on an idea of Takemitsu, to a
libretto by David Lynch collaborator Barry Gifford, I am getting more
details from the principals involved in the project. Here are some
unedited quotes from a message in English from the Japanese composer,
living in Paris:
"Yes. I will compose maybe from this autumn or winter an opera
with a texte of Barry Gifford on the idea of japanese composer Toru
Takemitsu. Because Kent commisioned him an opera probably for Lyon,
and Barry wrote an texte, but Takemitsu died before compose. And
now, Kent proposed me this texte de Barry, and I accepted to work
with this.
"The title `Madrugada' is Spanish. Ma dru ga da f. Spanish (amanecer)
dawn; (levantada) early rising de m. daybreak, very early; the time
before the dawn
"The following is a resume of Barry Gifford told about this texte.
MADRUGADA is the futuristic story of a teenage girl's rebellion
against her parents and the repressive society that terrorizes them
into submission. A Jeanne d'Arc-like fantasy, Takemitsu conceived
in a dream this notion of a world gone wrong only to be saved and
ultimately resurrected by forces of nature both unyielding represented
by cetaceans, the whales and brave he girl, Yumi, a tough but tender
Pied-Piper destined to lead all living creatures into an ever evolving
and vastly more enlightened era.
"This tale of generational, cultural and artistic conflict perfectly
expressed for Takemitsu the struggle of beauty versus all that he
perceived as ugly in terms of human behavior. As such, MADRUGADA
gives voice to Toru-san's aesthetic agenda, his formula for escape
from fear. It is with this purpose in mind that The Hermphrodite
admonishes us in the Coda to, `Remember! The memory of love is the
saving grace of the human race.'"
Semi-related PS: About five years ago, I got advance news of another
Asian-Western opera project, music to be written by a Chinese-Canadian
composer to a libretto by David Henry Hwang. I had a chance to read the
amazing text of "The Scarlett Princess" (Chinese legends combined with the
feel and symbolism of "Die Frau Ohne Schatten" and "Parsifal"), but the
opera itself just didn't materialize... I think. Any news to the contrary?
Janos Gereben/SF
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