NEW NATIONAL THEATRE, TOKYO 2020/2021 SEASON -OPERA-

New National Theatre, Tokyo (NNTT) announced the 2020/2021 Opera Season, third season under the Artistic Director ONO Kazushi, which features 46 performances of 10 works, with 4 New Productions including 1 World Premiere. 

? New Season Opens with a masterpiece of 20th Century –NNTT Premiere- A Midsummer Night’s Dream

NNTT's 2020/2021 Opera Season will open with Benjamin BRITTEN’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on the 4th of October. The opera is a fruitful union of two British geniuses, Shakespeare and Britten. It’s a faithful setting of Shakespeare’s delightful comedy, in which four lovers and six workmen are manipulated by the whims and mischief of the fairies, and Britten portrays each of the worlds with colourful and evocative music. We present this opera at the NNTT in the fantastical production by David McVICAR, originally seen at La Monnaie in Brussels, where the whole stage is transformed into a forest. Led by British conductor Martyn BRABBINS, the large cast is formed from experts in this repertoire.

? New Commissioned Work by FUJIKURA Dai –World Premiere- A Dream of Armageddon

In November, we present A Dream of Armageddon by FUJIKURA Dai, based on the short novel of the same title by British author H.G.WELLS. Often regarded as “the father of Science Fiction”, WELLS wrote several works that foresaw the future, and in A Dream of Armageddon, published in 1901, he eerily predicted the weapons of mass destruction in the First World War, the approach of fascism leading up to the Second World War, and even nuclear warfare. FUJIKURA explains that in his opera setting, “the drama, which is described through a conversation between strangers on a train…moves in and out of a dreamscape seamlessly through music”, and “the role of the chorus changes from a train of commuters into a bloodthirsty army.” This is FUJIKURA’s third opera, after Solaris and The Gold-Bug. A dynamic presence in the contemporary music world, he has received constant commissions from international orchestras and festivals including Chicago Symphony Orchestra and BBC Proms, and he is also known as the Artistic Director of the Born Creative Festival in Tokyo, a unique festival of new music aimed at both the young and old. A Dream of Armageddon will be directed by Lydia STEIER, whose production of MOZART’s Die Zauberflöte at the 2018 Salzburg Festival attracted international attention. Artistic Director ONO Kazushi counducts this world premiere.

? New Double Bill of Russian Operas –NNTT Premiere- Le Rossignol / Iolanta

The new double bill in April 2021 pairs Pyotr TCHAIKOVSKY’s Iolanta and Igor STRAVINSKY’s Le Rossignol. Iolanta was TCHAIKOVSKY’s last opera; it was his younger brother Modest who adapted the play by the Danish writer Henrik HERTZ into a libretto and presented it to his brother to set to music. Meanwhile, in STRAVINSKY’s Le Rossignol, based on a fairy tale by H.C. ANDERSEN, the sweet coloratura of the nightingale touches the heart amongst the troubles in the human world. The director is Yannis KOKKOS, who produced Iolanta for the NNTT Opera Studio last year with this double bill in mind.

? New Production of G.BIZET’s Most Beloved Opera Carmen

Àlex OLLÉ, who was greatly acclaimed for his stunning production of Turandot in the 2018/2019 season will stage a new production of Georges BIZET’s best-loved opera Carmen in July 2021. The opera set in his homeland Spain, a world of heated passion, is not to be missed. French mezzo Stéphanie D'OUSTRAC takes the title role, Don José is sung by rapidly rising tenor Migran AGADZHANYAN, and Escamillio by baritone Alexandre DUHAMEL, who has made a name for himself at Opera de Paris. ONO Kazushi takes up the baton.

? Much- Loved NNTT’s Repertoire with International Artists

NNTT repertoire productions also feature a strong lineup of conductors and singers.

Die Fledermaus (Production by Heinz ZEDNIK) will be conducted by Christopher FRANKLIN, an American maestro who has become internationally recognized after a successful career at the major houses in Italy. A specialist in operetta repertoire, he will entertain us together with two outstanding singer-actors in the main roles; Gabriel von Eisenstein is sung by baritone Daniel SCHMUTZHARD, who has appeared at Bayreuth and is a keen singer of German lieder, and the mysterious masked woman Rosalinde by Astrid KESSELER, equally at home in the roles such as the Marschallin and Sieglinde and operetta roles. We hope to transport you to the world of Viennese sophistication and a touch of ennui.

In Tosca (Production by Antonello MADAU-DIAZ), the title role will be sung by Chiara ISOTTON, internationally renowned for her Puccini roles, Cavaradossi by spinto tenor Francesco MELI, familiar with Japanese audiences, and Scarpia by Dario SOLARI, a darkly expressive baritone. Acclaimed in Verdi and Puccini, conductor Daniele CALLEGARI will lead the highly charged drama.

Le Nozze di Figaro (Production by Andreas HOMOKI) sees the house debut of Evelino PIDÒ, regular conductor at the Vienna State Opera. The cast features Japanese star singers, USUKI Ai as Susanna and WAKIZONO Aya as Cherubino, who together with distinguished singers from abroad are certain to create a lively and exciting ensemble.

In the production of Die Walküre (Production by Götz FRIEDRICH), our former Artistic Director IIMORI Taijiro, who will captivate us with his masterful interpretation of Wagner’s music returns to the pit. We have assembled an outstanding cast for this occasion, including Iréne THEORIN, Daniel KIRCH, Egils SILINS, and our own FUJIMURA Mihoko.

Two female artists are in the spotlight in Lucia di Lammermoor (Production by Jean-Louis GRINDA) conductor Speranza SCAPPUCCI and soprano Irina LUNGU in the title role. Widely praised SCAPPUCCI has conducted at several major houses including the Vienna State Opera, and is currently Music Director of Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège. They are joined by one of the most popular American bel canto tenor Lawrence BROWNLEE who sings the role of Edgardo and Italian Baritone Mattia OLIVIERI as his rival Enrico.

Don Carlo (Production by Marco Arturo MARELLI) will be conducted by Paolo CARIGNANI. Alongside the international cast that includes Michele PERTUSI, Luciano GANCI, Marina COSTAJACKSON, and Anna Maria CHIURI, Japanese baritone TAKADA Tomohiro makes a return in VERDI’s masterpiece, following his sonorous portrayal of the main role in NISHIMURA’s Asters in the 2018/2019 season.