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 (Japanese: 午後の曳航, romanized: Gogo no eiko). Composed between 1986 and 1989, it was Henze's ninth opera, his third that he wrote for the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

Das verratene Meer
Opera by Hans Werner Henze
The composer in 1960
TranslationThe Betrayed Sea
LibrettistHans-Ulrich Treichel
Based onThe Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea
by Yukio Mishima
Premiere
5 May 1990 (1990-05-05)
Deutsche Oper Berlin

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]

The opera was revised by the composer. The second version, called the Japanese version, was presented in a concert performance on June 19, 2004 at the Suntory Hall of Tokyo. It was also the national premiere of this opera, it was conducted by Kazuyoshi Akiyama.[2][3] This version, revised by conductor Gerd Albrecht, was then presented at the Salzburg Festival of 2006 in a concert version. For the first time, the opera was performed in Japanese language and with an all-Japanese cast. It was dedicated to the 80th birthday of the composer.[4]

The Viennese version, presented in December 2020 at the Vienna State Opera, is based on the Japanese version but includes several parts of the original version, mainly orchestra interludes. It stems from conductor Simone Young.[5]

Roles
Roles, voice types, premiere cast
Role Voice type Premiere cast, 5 May 1990[6]
Conductor: Markus Stenz
Fusako Kuroda, a 33-year old widow soprano Stephanie Sundine/Beverly Morgan[lower-alpha 1]
Noboru, her son aged 13, number 3 in the gang tenor Clemens 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

  • Scene 1 – Fusako's house
  • Scene 2 – An abandoned warehouse
  • Scene 3 – A park on a hill above the sea
  • Scene 4 – Fusako's house
  • Scene 5 – The warehouse
  • Scene 6 – The park
  • Scene 7 – On the pier in the harbour
  • Scene 8 – The warehouse

Part II: Winter

  • Scene 9 – The park
  • Scene 10 – The warehouse
  • Scene 11 – Fusako's house
  • Scene 12 – The warehouse
  • Scene 13 – Fusako's boutique
  • Scene 14 – The warehouse

Recordings

References
  1. Ms. Sundine acted while Ms. Morgan sang off-stage, due to Ms. Sundine's illness at the time of the premiere.[7]
  1. John Rockwell (1984-04-30). "Henze's Setting of Mishima's Sailor". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  2. Schott: Das verratene Meer, retrieved on 14 October 2023
  3. Wiener Staatsoper: EINFÜHRUNG „DAS VERRATENE MEER“, introduction to the opera, retrieved on 14 October 2023
  4. Der Standard: Abgründig wie das Meer: "Gogo no eiko", 20 July 2007
  5. bachwrack: Ein Wiener Psychothriller: Hans Werner Henzes Das verratene Meer an der Staatsoper, 15 Dezember 2020
  6. Casaglia, Gherardo (2005)."Das verratene Meer, 5 May 1990". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
  7. Clements, Andrew (2002). "Verratene Meer, Das (Treacherous Oceans)". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.O006821. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription required)
  8. Stephen Eddins. Review: Gogo no Eiko (revised 2006 version) at AllMusic
  9. "Henze: Das Verratene Meer", Presto Music
  10. Clive Paget (22 August 2022). "Announcing the 2022 Limelight Recordings of the Year". Limelight.
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