 Minoru Miki Opera
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| JORURI an opera in three acts (1985) |
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By Minoru Miki
Original story and libretto by Colin Graham
Commissioned by the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
Written in English
Japanese version by Minoru Miki |
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| YOSUKE, a young puppet master |
BARITON |
| AWA-NO-SHOJO, a blind and celebrated narrator in the puppet theatre |
BASS |
| OTANE, his young wife |
SOPRANO |
| THE FIRST ASSISTANT |
TENOR |
| THE SECOND ASSISTANT |
BARITONE |
| THE THIRD ASSISTANT |
BASS-BARITONE |
THE VISITORS: (all to be sung by the same TENOR)
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TATSUNARI, the spirit of a corrupt magistrate, known as “the Dragon
Lord of Iga”
IWAFUJI, the spirit of Otane’s mother
The spirit of SHOJO, his other self |
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The Scene |
takes place in and around the house of Awa-no-Shojo which also
contains the puppet theatre. Near Osaka, Japan, at the end of
the seventeenth century. The last scene concerns a journey (michiyuki)
to the Mountain of Kumano and a waterfall nearby. |
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Instrumentation |
2-2-2-2, 2-1-2, 2 perc, strings, shakuhachi or solo flute, 21-string
koto or harp, thick-neck type shamisen (without shamisen, can
perform the opera) |
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ACT ONE |
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40min~51min |
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ACT TWO |
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44min~49min |
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ACT THREE |
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52min~60min |
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World Premiere |
The Opera Theatre of Saint Louis On May 30th, and June 1, 7, 12,
23, 1985 |
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Review: |
THE NEWYORKER July 1,1985
Minoru Miki’s “Joruri” libretto by Colin Graham world premiere
by the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
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