Only the sound remains
Opera in two parts
- Music
-
Kaija Saariaho
- Libretto
-
Ezra Pound
Ernest Fenollosa
After Deux pièces du théâtre nô japonais, Tsunemasa, Hagoromo
In English
- Conductor
-
Ernest Martínez Izquierdo
- Director
-
Peter Sellars
- Spirit, Angel
-
Philippe Jaroussky
- Priest, Fisherman
-
Davone Tines
- Danseuse
-
Nora Kimball‑Mentzos
- Quatuor à cordes
-
Meta4
- Kantele
-
Eija Kankaanranta
- Flûte
-
Camilla Hoitenga
- Percussion
-
Heikki Parviainen
- Quatuor vocal
-
Theatre of Voices
Else Torp
Iris Oja
Paul Bentley-Angell
Jakob Bloch Jespersen
- Set design
-
Julie Mehretu
- Costume design
-
Robby Duiveman
- Lighting design
-
James F. Ingalls
- Sound
-
Christophe Lebreton
French and English surtitles
Commande et coproduction avec de Nationale Opera, Amsterdam, Canadian Opera Company, Toronto, teatro real, Madrid, finnish National Opera, Helsinki
about
The timbre of the lute or the voice, the movements of dance and those of the wind are so many intangible treasures, the loss of which can be unbearable.
Only the Sound Remains brings together two short operas, Always Strong and Feather Mantle, inspired by two plays from Japanese No theatre: Tsunemasa and Hagoromo. After a violent death in combat, the tormented Tsunemasa reappears at court: his spirit has been deprived of the happiness of playing the lute, an instrument from which his skill once drew enchanting sounds. In Feather Mantle, a fisherman appropriates a mantle which he finds hanging from a branch.
A young nymph asks him to give it back so that she can return to heaven. In exchange, she promises him the offering of a dance.
Gallery
