''Genji monogatari'' (''The Tale of Genji'') is an

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

by the

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

ese

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

Minoru Miki Minoru Miki (, 16 March 19308 December 2011) was a Japanese composer and Artistic director. He was known for promoting Japanese, Chinese and Korean traditional instruments as well as some of their performers. In his catalogue these tradition ...

, with the

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

Colin Graham Colin Graham OBE (22 September 1931 in Hove, England – 6 April 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri) was a stage director of opera, theatre, and television. Graham was educated at Northaw School (Hertfordshire), Stowe School and RADA. Early in his ...

, based on the eponymous early 11th-century masterpiece of classical Japanese literature by

Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, Japanese poetry#Age of Nyobo or court ladies, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Court in Kyoto, Imperial court in the Heian period. She was best known as the author of ''The Tale of Genji'', widely considered t ...

. The opera was composed in 1999 and premiered in June 2000 at

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis Opera Theatre of Saint Louis (OTSL) is an American summer opera festival held in St. Louis, Missouri. Typically four operas, all sung in English, are presented each season, which runs from late May to late June. Performances are accompanied by the ...

(OTSL) in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, with Graham directing the production. Cast members from the OTSL production participated in the Japanese premiere of the opera on 20 September 2001. The story of the opera is principally derived from the first three books of the novel.Kikuyo Komesu, "'Tale of Genji' goes to the opera". ''The Japan Times'', 14 September 2001.
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Roles

* Old Emperor * Fujitsubo * Prince Genji * Lady Rokujo * To-no-Chujo * Kokiden * Aoi * Suzaku * Koremitsu * Shonagon * Old recluse of Akashi * The lady of Akashi

References

External links

Opera Theatre of Saint Louis page on ''The Tale of Genji''

{{The Tale of Genji Operas English-language operas Operas by Miki Minoru 2000 operas Works based on The Tale of Genji Operas based on novels