Das verratene Meer

Das verratene Meer (The Betrayed Sea) is an opera in two parts and 14 scenes, with music by Hans Werner Henze to a German libretto by Hans-Ulrich Treichel, after Yukio Mishima's novel The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea. Composed between 1986 and 1989, it was Henze's 9th opera, his third that he wrote for the Deutsche Oper in Berlin.

Contents

Performance history

It was first performed at the Deutsche Oper, Berlin on 5 May 1990, when it was conducted by Markus Stenz and produced by Götz Friedrich. The US premiere was at San Francisco Opera on 8 November 1991.[1]

Roles

Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 5 May 1990
(Conductor: Markus Stenz)
Fusako Kuroda, a 33-year old widow soprano Stephanie Sundine/Beverly Morgan

(Ms. Sundine acted while Ms. Morgan sang, due to Ms. Sundine's illness at the time of the premiere)

Noboru, her son aged 13, number 3 in the gang tenor Clemente Bieber
Ryuji Tsukazaki, merchant navy officer baritone Andreas Schmidt
Ship's mate bass-baritone
Gang member number 1 baritone Martin Gantner
Gang member number 2 countertenor
Gang member number 4 baritone
Gang member number 5 bass-baritone

Synopsis

Part I: Summer

Part II: Winter

References

External links