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I went to Germany with Nanako and several Yui-no-Kai members including Ms. Ochiai to see the final performance of Ai-En
German Premiere (8th performance of Heidelberg Theatre since 20th February). It already got very nice reviews from 20 more papers and full house audience for past 7 performances.
I have requested to do two lectures there. One is from Heidelberg University on second June concerning my "Nine opera series along 1600 years Japanese history":
and another one is from the Heidelberg Theatre on 4th June centering to "Ai-en".
I needed to prepare DVDs which include several scenes from each opera, and Japanese explanations for both total series and each opera in May in Tokyo. Before lectures Mr. Heinz-Dieter Reese, an important stuff of Japanese-German Cultural Institute in Koeln kindly prepared translated papers of my explanation to German. After three hours lecture at Heidelberg University we had beautiful dinner with professors of Musicology, Japanology and Sinology whose students took part for this lecture.
 On 3rd June, Ms. Jakucho Setouchi arived Heidelberg to see Ai-En together. She was so healthy and on the 4th morning we went to City Hall to sign on "Gold Book" and visited the Castle to which I had clear impression on the way of my first foreign tour. I came Germany in 1968 with male chorus "Tokyo Liedertafel" to sing my "Choral Poem - Awa" etc. at German Chorus Festival in Stuttgart. I did next lecture on 4th evening with Jakucho-san's short comment and Yang Jing's performance of "Secret piece Ai-En".
Finally we firstly met hot day in Germany on 5th June, the final performance of Ai-En German Premiere. Before my arriving Heidelberg the whether was rather cold, but on 1st June it beyond 20 degree and on 5th the temperature reached 30 degree. Inside of "Opernzert (tent)" which has no air conditioner was humid by full house audience. In this year old Heidelberg theatre is under three years reconstruction. By this reason they use "Opernzert" for all opera and concert temporary. The director (regie) decided to bring up big orchestra on usual stage and bring down singer's acting space to front of orchestra. This formation needed to cut lot of audience seats, but from most of audience seat can watch drama rather clearly. Naturally the orchestra sounds sometimes too loud and covered singing. However due to singing in Japanese with German subtitle, there is no problem for audience to understand story. Singer's Japanese were almost very clear. It was historically first case for full-length opera that foreign opera performance achieved Japanese singing without any Japanese singers (only one Japanese baritone in the chorus). In musical aspects each singers, chorus and orchestra achieved all elements of my score. The conductor is excellent. He seems to learn them correctly and precisely except too fast tempo at humorous or suggestive places like "Emperor's Dream".
For all Japanese who attended the final performance, only stage costume were very strange compare with the world premiere in New National Theatre, Japan. Almost all clothes were too far from China and Japan in eighth century. I supposed that this production was also suffered by budget cut same as other opera houses in the world.
On the other hand, Yang Jing who performed pipa as both substitute of Rhurei's play and soloist with orchestra was extremely excellent (She is the best pipa soloist in the world and only one person who played “Ai-En” at world premiere). I believe that by her nine minutes splendid performance of the "Secret Piece Ai-En", all audience has fully satisfied and allowed the critical situation of the opera economics.
Several persons who working European opera world told me that "Ai-en" is one of the most important opera like "Magic Flute" and "Traviata" which loved by many opera fans and can get full house audience through the season. Many thanks for resolute planning and great achievement of this opera to the intendant: Mr. Peter Spuhler and Opera director: Joscha Schaback, Conductor: Dietger Holm, Directress: Nelly Danker, all stuffs & casts, and all administration stuffs. I never forget Heidelberg theatre with my sincere heart.
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