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World Premiere of Toshio Hosokawa's Futari Shizuka with Ensemble Intercontemporain

Nov. 01, 2017

World Premiere of Toshio Hosokawa's <em>Futari Shizuka</em> with Ensemble Intercontemporain

Futari Shizuka, a new one-act opera by Toshio Hosokawa, receives its world premiere on December 1 as part of the Paris Autumn Festival, with Matthias Pintscher conducting the Ensemble Intercontemporain. Soprano Kerstin Avemo stars alongside Noh singer and dancer Ryoko Aoki, with direction and libretto by Oriza Hirata, at the Paris Philharmonie.

For Hosokawa’s latest opera, Hirata has written a libretto based on the Noh play Futari Shizuka (The Two Shizukas). In this work, the departed spirit of Shizuka Gozen, or Lady Shizuka, possesses the body and soul of a young beautiful refugee girl who made it to the Mediterranean Sea, and sings of her sorrow for wars and hateful disputes. The opera was conceived as a companion to Hosokawa’s monodrama The Raven—the two works can be programmed alongside one another for a full evening program.


(Hosokawa's The Raven; Gotham Chamber Opera; Fredrika Brillembourg, narrator; Alessandra Ferri, dancer)

As part of the premiere performance, the program also includes a performance of Hosokawa’s Atem-Lied, for bass flute, as well as Toru Takemitsu’s Archipelago S.and And then I knew ‘twas Wind. Futari Shizuka receives a second performance on December 3 with Ensemble Intercontemporain at the Cologne Philharmonie.

For more information on Toshio Hosokawa, visit schott-music.com.

Toshio Hosokawa
Futari Shizuka (2017)
The Maiden from the Sea
an opera in one act
original text (Jap/Eng) by Oriza Hirata, based on the Noh play Futari Shizuka
for soprano, Noh singer/dancer and orchestra
1.1.2(1.bcl).1(cbsn)-2.1.1.1-3perc-pno(cel).hp-str(3.2.2.1.0)
45’

Atem-Lied (1997)
for solo bass-flute
8’

Toru Takemitsu
Archipelago S. (1993)
for 21 players
1(afl).1(obd’am).2.1-2.1.2.0-2perc-hp.cel-str(2.0.2.2.1)
14’

And then I knew ‘twas Wind (1992)
for flute, viola and harp
13’

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