The melodrama Futari Shizuka (The Maiden from the Sea) has been shown several times in staged and semi-staged productions since its premiere in 2017. The title role has always been played by Noh singer and dancer Ryoko Aoki, for whom the part is tailor-made. Soprano Ilse Eerens can be heard in the role of Helen. In the one-act play, the spirit of Shizuka Gozen takes possession of the body and soul of a young refugee girl who sings of her pain over war and hatred on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Ryoko Aoki says about the new recording: "The opera Futari Shizuka - The Maiden from the Sea is one of the most important works in my musical life. Since its world premiere at the Philharmonie de Paris in 2017 with the Ensemble Intercontemporain conducted by Matthias Pintscher, I have performed it many times around the world. The script was written by playwright Oriza Hirata as a modern story based on the Noh play Futari Shizuka. Many of Hosokawa's works are inspired by Noh, but Noh chanting is used for the first time in "Futari Shizuka", and is the only work to date. I think this work, in which the Noh chanting resonates together with the soprano and orchestra, is a new piece of music that has never been heard before."
Toshio Hosokawa: Futari Shizuka (The Maiden from the Sea) / Ceremony
Naxos 8.574656
released 6/2025