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''The Window of Orpheus'' (, ''Orufeusu no Mado''), also known as ''Orpheus no Mado'' or ''Das Fenster von Orpheus'', is a Japanese
shōjo manga is an editorial category of Manga, Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent girls and young adult women. It is, along with Shōnen manga, manga (targeting adolescent boys), Seinen manga, manga (targeting young adult and adult men ...
and historical romance series written and illustrated by
Riyoko Ikeda is a Japanese manga artist and singer. She is included in the Year 24 Group by some critics, journalists, and academics, although her inclusion has been debated due to a focus more on epic stories than the internal psychology of those mangaka. ...
. The Manga was partially adapted into
Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway theatre, Broadway-style productions of musicals and stories adapted from films, nov ...
musical entitled ''The Window of Orpheus - Story of Isaak'', however this does not include the story in its entirety. The manga series was published by
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...
, first in weekly ''
Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
'' from 1975 to 1976, 'Encyclopedia'' 2005Interview, p.29. then in '' monthly Seventeen'' from 1977 to 1981. The series was collected in 18 bound volumes. It takes place in
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
and
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
with the backdrop stories of the
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and the
Russian Revolution The Russian Revolution was a period of Political revolution (Trotskyism), political and social revolution, social change in Russian Empire, Russia, starting in 1917. This period saw Russia Dissolution of the Russian Empire, abolish its mona ...
.


Theme

Riyoko Ikeda published her first long story ''
The Rose of Versailles also known as ''Lady Oscar'' and ''La Rose de Versailles'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Margaret'' from 1972 to 1973, while a revival ...
'' in 1973. The story had two main themes. One is the life of
Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...
, the Queen of France. And the other is the love and the life of
Oscar François de Jarjayes (25 December 1755 – 14 July 1789) is a fictional character created by Japanese manga artist Riyoko Ikeda. She is the protagonist of the 1972 manga series ''The Rose of Versailles'', and its various adaptations and spin-offs. Character histor ...
. These two themes were in resonance, and ''The Rose of Versailles'' got great popularity and success. On the other hand, ''The Window of Orpheus'' has the three themes. The one is the life and the love of another Oscar François, that is, Julius von Ahrensmeyer. The second is the story of music and the life of a musician (Isaak) which Ikeda truly wished to describe. And the third is the historical romance in the Russian Revolution. Ikeda wrote the French Revolution in ''the Rose of Versailles'', but she did not satisfy it. She wanted to describe the deeper human drama in the background of another revolution.


Origin and development

Riyoko Ikeda had learned piano from her very young days. She had loved music and wished to become a professional musician. But she got aware that she hadn't talent. She gave up, but the passion for music has vividly existed through her life. In October, 1973, after completed the long story ''
The Rose of Versailles also known as ''Lady Oscar'' and ''La Rose de Versailles'', is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Riyoko Ikeda. It was originally serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine ''Margaret'' from 1972 to 1973, while a revival ...
'' on the
Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
, she travelled to the Europe with her friend manga artists
Toshie Kihara is a Japanese manga artist and a member of the Year 24 Group. She made her professional debut in 1969 with the short story in '' Bessatsu Margaret''. She is best known for her manga series , serialized from 1977 to 1984 in '' LaLa'', which fo ...
and
Yōko Tadatsu Yoko may refer to: People and fictional characters * Yoko (name), a Japanese feminine given name; variants include Yōko and Yohko, including a list of people and Japanese fictional characters (for non-Japanese characters, see the Arts and ente ...
( JA) for about one month or one and half months. They reached and stayed at an old city of
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
by chance. 'Encyclopedia'' 2005Interview, p.26. There, Ikeda was inspired and visioned the stories of the music and romance which she could not fully express in ''The Rose of Versailles''. There were two obstacles in writing the first long story ''La Rose de Verailles''. One was the editors of ''
Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
'' who asked and forced her to make Oscar a strong, high pride female protagonist. The true protagonist, the true "Rose" was Marie Antoinette though. And the other was the fact that the readers of ''Margaret'' were early teens girls. What Ikeda wished to depict was the adult human love and life, but the media ''Margaret'' did not allow it. Julius is apparently a feminine and sensitive aspect of Oscar François. 'Encyclopedia'' 2005Interview, p.31. 'Encyclopedia'' 2005Interview, p.33. Ikeda did not want to weaken the themes of her manga arts. She calmly judged that ''Margaret'' was not proper media where she expressed and realized her true themes. She changed the media from ''Margaret'' to ''Seventeen''. Ikeda firmly decided she would never compromise in her creation of the work. Her decision gave birth the story ''The Window of Orpheus''.


Story

The story consists of four Parts. It encompassed over 30 years, from 1893 to 1924. Through this four parts story, there are three major characters: Julius von Ahrensmeyer, a daughter of the aristocratic house Ahrensmeyer of the Kingdom of Bayern, Alexei Mikhailov (alias Klaus Sommerschmitt), a son of the Marquis House of the
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
, and Isaak Gotthelf Weisheit, a prodigious pianist born in the common people. keda 1995''Orufeusu no Mado'', 9 volumes.
Isaak-fan
Retrieved 27 August 2019


Prologue

In the Autumn of 1903, 'Encyclopedia'' 2005Nenpyō (chronology), pp. 114-117. a boy comes to the Saint Sebastian music school as a transfer student in
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
, Kingdom of Bavaria">Bayern Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total land area of Germany, and with over 13.08 million ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. His name is Isaak. Hearing of a certain legend, he goes up the tower and stands in front of the old window with curiosity. He looks down through the window, and sees a person walking by. It looks like a girl at a glance, but that person is another transfer student, called Julius. The next day, Julius hears of the legend from Isaak. Saint Sebastian is an all boys school, but Julius is a cross-dressed girl, not a boy. Thinking over the legend, Julius looks up the window. There is a person, and he sees Julius through the window. It is Klaus, an upper grade student. Here, three people, Isaak, Julius and Klaus (Alexei) are combined through the legend. The window is called the Window of Orpheus.


The Legend

There is a legend dating back about 400 years ago in the Catholic Saint Sebastian school. It says if a man stands in front of the Window of Orpheus, and if he first sees a figure of a female through this window, he will fall in love with that female. But it will bring pain, for the love will end up like the tragic
Greek myth Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories concern the ancien ...
of
Orpheus and Eurydice In Greek mythology, the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice () concerns the pitiful love of Orpheus of Thrace, located in northeastern Greece, for the beautiful Eurydice. Orpheus was the son of Oeagrus and the Muse Calliope. It may be a late addition ...
. Julius, Isaak, and Klaus are tied to the legend of the window. And there are other people who are tied to this legend as well. In the shadow of the legend of the window, the four parts long story opens.


Part 1 - The Secret of the House AhrensmeyerThese subtitles do not exist in the original manga. Editor of this article gave the proper subtitle to each part.

The stage of Part 1 is
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
in the Kingdom of Bayern,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, 1903 to 1905. Julius is a girl. Her mother Renate was a concubine of Julius' aristocratic father Ahrensmeyer. Renate was abandoned by him when she had Julius. For revenge against the Ahrensmeyers, Renate gave her daughter a male name Julius and raised her as a boy. After the death of Ahrensmeiyer's wife, Julius and her mother are accepted into the Ahrensmeyer house, and since there are no other male children, Julius becomes heir of the Ahrensmeyers. Julius learns piano from her earliest days, so she enters the Saint Sebastian school as a boy when she is 15. Julius spends her school life with friends Isaak, Klaus and other students. But the legend of the Window casts a shadow on her mind since she is a girl, and she starts feeling a kind of love toward Klaus, a manlike, yet mysterious student. There are conflicts between the rich and the poor, the noble and the common. The Ahrensmeyer is the old aristocratic house. The newly rising merchant house Kippenberg is a rich family, while the Ahrensmeyer's is declining. Moreover, strange and terrible events take place to the Ahrensmeyers in succession. There seems to be some secret with the Ahrensmeyers, something that may have ties to the
German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
and
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
.


Part 2 - The Road of Isaak as a Pianist

More of the secrets of the Ahrensmeyers are unraveled, but in the course of the search, Klaus, real name Alexei Mikhailov, suddenly disappears, having returned to his homeland, Russia. Julius, now having fallen in love with Klaus, follows him to Russia. Isaak remains alone in Regensburg, but is later invited to the Vienna Music Academy, and becomes a student there. Thus Part 2 begins. The stage of Part 2 is Vienna, the capital of
Austria Austria, formally the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine Federal states of Austria, states, of which the capital Vienna is the List of largest cities in Aust ...
, 1907 to 1920. The protagonist is Isaak Weisheit. 'Encyclopedia'' 2005Interview, p.31. Ikeda says that the original protagonist was Isaak. ''The Window of Orpheus'' was originally the story of Isaak. To add the story of the Russian Revolution, she introduced Klaus. And then, to connect Isaak and Klaus, she formed character Julius. In
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, Isaak meets various people. In the blessed environment, Isaak's talent begins to bloom. He befriends a mysterious student named Reinhard, and one day hears the strange music Reinhard plays. The piece turns out to have been composed by Reinhard, who is a musical prodigy. keda 1981Reinhard disguised as a girl child, since he is a son of the high rank house. He could not debut in his real identity. But his father valued his talent, so made him debuted under the different gender and girl name. However, it seems to be impossible to play this music on piano, with Reinhard even damaging his fingers in the attempt, but Isaak is determined to try. Isaak debuts as an outstanding new pianist, and Reinhard gives him advice and a warning: "You should know what is true art". Learning from Reinhard and
Wilhelm Backhaus Wilhelm Backhaus ('Bachaus' on some record labels) (26 March 1884 – 5 July 1969) was a German pianist and pedagogue. He was particularly well known for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin and Brahms. He was also much adm ...
, Isaak opens up a new frontier of musical art. He later performs with a Russian violinist named Anastasia, who turns out to be a member of a Russian revolutionary group. She gives Isaak a message from Alexei (Klaus) before they go their separate ways. Isaak later marries Roberta, an acquaintance of his from Regensburg, and is later called off to war. He returns from
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, but his fingers have been damaged, and he cannot play piano anymore. He later returns to Regensburg with his son Jubel, and when walking along an old, familiar street, Isaak meets a beautiful woman.


Part 3 - The Russian Revolution, Fate of Alexei

Part 3 is mainly set in
Sankt Peterburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
and
Moskva Moscow is the capital and largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents within the city limits, over 19.1 million residents in the urban area, and over ...
in
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, 1893 to 1917. The story begins about 10 years before the three main characters, Isaak, Julius and Klaus (Alexei) meet in
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in 1903. In the Spring of 1893, Alexei is accepted into the Marquis house Mikhailov after his mother's death. He meets his elder brother Dmitri, who is secretly a revolutionary, but also famous as a genius violinist. Alexei learns the spirit of brave men and a passion for music from Dmitri. But Marquis Dmitri Mikhailov is shot to death in an act of betrayal. Alexei and Alraune, the fiancée of Dmitri, flee from Russia, but after the several years of joyous school life, his homeland and comrades call Alexei back to Russia in 1905. At the
Sankt Peterburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...
station, he sees Julius has followed him, but he runs from her. Julius is searching for Alexei when she gets caught up in the riots and is shot. When she wakes up, she is in the gorgeous mansion of Marquis Yusupov, where she is declared his prisoner. Alexei and his revolutionary comrades are working for the new Russia. They establish the Soviet (the Committee), but the revolutionaries are divided into
Mensheviks The Mensheviks ('the Minority') were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with Vladimir Lenin's Bolshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903. Mensheviks held more moderate and reformist ...
and
Bolsheviks The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, were a radical Faction (political), faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split with the Mensheviks at the 2nd Congress of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party, ...
. Yusupov realises that
Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin ( – ) was a Russian mystic and faith healer. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II, the last Emperor of Russia, through whom he gained considerable influence in the final ye ...
is the enemy of
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
and the Royal House, and does not trust him at all. Yusupov encounters Alexei, but he does not kill or arrest him since Alexei saved his younger brother's life. Alexei is captured by other authorities, however, and sent to a jail in
Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...
, where he is to be sentenced to death. Marquis Yusupov sends a petition to the authorities, sparing Alexei's life. Anastasia is arrested in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
and sent to Russia where she is sentenced to a Siberian prison. Bolshevik revolutionaries try to rescue her, but their plan is foiled by Antonina's information. In the confusion, Julius is reunited with Alexei, but she briefly does not remember him due to a bout of amnesia. The
Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...
is now a melting pot of conspiracies and power struggles. Marquis Yusupov decides to assassinate Rasputin of behalf of the Tsar
Nikolai II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...
. Meanwhile, Julius and Alexei have rekindled their romance, and Julius has conceived Alexei's child. Now, Alexei and Yusupov face the fates that will bring them to ultimate destinies. In the cold water of the
Neva River The Neva ( , ; , ) is a river in northwestern Russia flowing from Lake Ladoga through the western part of Leningrad Oblast (historical region of Ingria) to the Neva Bay of the Gulf of Finland. Despite its modest length of , it is the fourth-l ...
, Alexei remembers the Window of Orpheus. He is suddenly riddled with bullets, collapsing with his final thoughts being of Julius. Marquis Yusupov finds him, and respectfully closes his eyes. He raises a pistol and says to himself: "I've made two mistakes in my life, but I never regret". His sister Vera Yusupova departs Russia for Regensburg with Julius, in order to keep the promise she made to her brother. Kerenski seizes power, but he soon escapes from the
Winter Palace The Winter Palace is a palace in Saint Petersburg that served as the official residence of the House of Romanov, previous emperors, from 1732 to 1917. The palace and its precincts now house the Hermitage Museum. The floor area is 233,345 square ...
, and the Bolsheviks win. Thus
Vladimir Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...
declares their victory of the Revolution in November 1917.


Part 4 - Regensburg, Farewell Julius

The main stage of Part 4 is again
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
,
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...
. In 1920, Julius walks to the Orpheus Window tower in Regensburg. There she sees an unknown man, later revealed to be Isaak. As he makes eye contact with Julius, Part 4 officially begins. Maria Barbara has been trying to nurse Julius back to health, but Julius still cannot remember anything. Isaak, who now works in the downtown tavern, and David try to help Maria in her attempts. Julius wants to recover her memories, but various trials all fail. One morning they read a newspaper article which says a certain unidentified woman insists she is a royal princess of Russia, the youngest daughter,
Anastasia Anastasia (from ) is a feminine given name of Greek and Slavic origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe. Origin The name Anastasia originated during the Early Christianity, early d ...
. Ultimately, Julius goes to Berlin to meet a woman in an attempt to recover her memories.


Epilogue

In
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, while Julius never meets the woman, she understands that the secret of her house is somehow related to the large fortune which the Russian Tsar deposited in the German Imperial bank in secret. Julius now knows the truth, and that is good enough for her.


Characters

The Latin spellings of the names of each character are based on the ''Encyclopedia'' 2005 (''Orufeusu no Mado Daijiten''), Character Section. (However, spellings of several names are not shown in this section).


Protagonists

; :Heir of the Ahrensmeyers. Though she is a woman, but her mother Renate raised her as a man. A student of the St. Sebastian music school. Shining, beautiful blonde hairs. Sensitive woman. She kills a quack doctor Jahn by paper knife. But it gives her mental damage and makes her amnesia. Julius falls in love with Klaus (Alexei). She knows someone try to kill the related people of the Ahrensmeyers. Who is and what reasons. There are secrets in the Ahrensmeyers. Julius hears the story from her sister Annelotte. Then, Julius leaves the Ahrensmeyer mansion and goes to Russia to follow Alexei. ; alias :Born as a second son of the Marquis house of
Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
. Her mother was but a concubine of the former Marquis. He liked and longed for his elder brother Dmitri. Marquis Dimitri was a true genius violinist and a revolutionary activist. But He was betrayed and executed. Alexei and Alraune, the fiancée of Dmitri, fled from Russia to
Bayern Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total land area of Germany, and with over 13.08 million ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
, and he entered the music school under the pseudonym Klaus.There he meets with Julius. But he has the mission to do in Russia. It is his fate. Love to Julius or devotion to the future of his homeland Russia. ; :Son of a violinist of a low class tavern. Thanks to his talent, he can enter the Saint Sebastian music school. Isaak loves Julius. But Julius sees him as a friend. Isaak and his sister are fallen into poverty by the malicious pressure of Moritz. Isaak works in a tavern, where she meets Roberta. After the death of Friederike, he gets invitation to
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. He gets success as a pianist there, and experiences love with Amalie and Clara, and the marriage with Roberta. But everything is lost in the World of War. Isaak returns to
Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...
.


Main characters

; :Elder sister of Julius and Annelotte. Simple and sincere woman. After the death of their father, she is a de facto mistress of the Ahrensmeyers. Maria has been embracing the secret love for Mr. Wirklich, a music teacher, but he has a loved woman whom he met through the window of Orpheus long years ago, but unknown even her real name. Maria is about to be killed. But she survives and maintains the house. ; :Elder sister of Julius. Egoistic and conspiracy woman. She has the secret and seems to know the secret of the Aharensmeyers. She talks Julius the secret of their house, but is poisoned by Julius for what she has done. ; :Senior student of the music school and a good friend and adviser of Julius and Isaak. David opposes the marriage of Isaak. He says you will lose everything if you marry Roberta. Later David helps Maria to heal Julius's heavy amnesia. His model is real
David Bowie David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer, songwriter and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Bowie was acclaimed by critics and musicians, pa ...
. ; :She is a younger sister of Isaak. She loves her brother Isaak. Because she is a step daughter of the parents of Isaak. Isaak knows this fact after her death. ; :Youngest son of the Kippenberg house. He loves Friederike, but she rejects him. Moritz deprives livelihood means of Isaak and Friederike by the money power of the house Kippenberg to make her follow him and love him. Later, he gets aware that what he did was the worst. Several years later, when Moritz and Maria Barbara visit at Vienna for business purpose, Moritz meets Malwida who very looks like late Friederike. He loves her, though he has a wife and child in Regensburg. ; :Daughter of the aristocratic house Brenner. A piano disciple of Isaak. Mild and brave woman. Katharina adores and loves Isaak. She tries to help Isaak and Friederike. Though she is a high class woman, she becomes a professional nurse. ; :Genius pianist. He composed a strange music when he dressed as a girl, played piano, and was called an infant genius. Isaak learns what is the true art from Reinhard. But he is shot to death by his younger step brother Wolfgang, a little boy, though Wolfie has adored Reinhard, but since Reinhard was in adultery with Wolfie's mother. The spin-off ''Collage'' is the story of Wolfgang and their descendants. ; :She is a poor, low class girl who works in tavern. Roberta loves Isaak in secret. Roberta is raped by a man who buys her from her alcoholic father. Later Roberta works in Vienna as a prostitute. Isaak marries her. The marriage of learned musician and former prostitute woman results in class difference tragedy. Isaak loses everything. However, Roberta leaves his child behind. ; :A German woman. Alraune is a fiancée of Marquis Dmitri. After execution of Dmitri, she flees from Russia with Alexei, a younger brother of Dmitri. And she trains Alexei as a revolutionary. They return to Russia. But their revolutionary group is divided into two sects. Alexei joins in the Bolsheviks, but Alraune doesn't. ; :A Russian woman. ; :Calm and clearheaded career officer. Commander of the Imperial Guard Regiment. Nicknamed "Blade of Ice". True loyal subject of the Romanov. But he is also a warmhearted, sincere man. He captures Julius, but secretly loves her. Yusupov tries to maintain the Empire. He plans the military coup d'état with General Kornilov. But they are defeated. Historical Prince Yusupov who assassinated Rasputin is one of his model. ; :Younger sister of Leonid.


Minor characters


Part 1

; :Mother of Julius. She planned the revenge against the Ahrensmeyers. She raised Julius as a boy. She is about to be killed by fire. Is it an arson by anyone. In the far past, she told a lie that her name was "
Kriemhild Gudrun ( ; ) or Kriemhild ( ; ) is the wife of Sigurd, Sigurd/Siegfried and a major figure in Germanic heroic legend and literature. She is believed to have her origins in Ildico, last wife of Attila the Hun, and two queens of the Merovingia ...
" to a man whom she met in the window of Orpheus. ; :Maid of the Ahrensmeyers. Gertrud was an abandoned child. She is a freckle girl. She loves and adores a cross-dressed Julius. But she happens to know Julius is a girl. Gertrud is killed by dogs set by someone. ; :Servant and cabman of the Ahrensmeyers. Jakob adores Annelotte. He has been working for Annelotte as a devoted follower. He is a shadowy man, who has the last key of the secret. ; :Unidentified man. He works as a fake doctor, and helps Renate. But his target is the large fortune of the Ahrensmeyers. He has relation with the secret. Jahn is killed by Julius by accident. ; :Excellent teacher of the Music school. Isaak learns many things from him. But Julius gets aware that Wirklich is about to kill her several times. Why. Has he any relations with the Ahrensmeyers' secret. In fact, Hermann has wanted to take vengeance upon the Ahrensmeyers, wishing to kill all the related persons. He has the serious and terrible reason. He dies with Renate by falling from the window of Orpheus. People think they are in shameful relation of adultery and commit suicide together. But the truth is different. ; :School Principal of the Saint Sebastian school. A kind, old man. He talks everything which he knows to Julius before he commits a suicide. By his confession, Julius knows he was a real father of Countess Behringer. ; :Fiancée of Moritz. Married with him. Frau von Kippenberg. ; :Name is unknown. He has been searching the secrets of the Ahrensmeyers. When Jahn is killed, he appears. 20 years later, when Jahn's relics is discovered, he again appears. He suggests various things. He knows the murder affair in which the family of Count Behringer was all killed. The Count was suspected as a Russian spy, and the father of Julius and the imperial soldiers went to arrest them. But there was resistance, and they killed Count Behringer and all the people in the house. But this is not true.


Part 2

; :Daughter of Professor Schönberg, who is a teacher of Isaak in the Vienna Music Academy. Beautiful but ambitious woman. Isaak once tries to love her and is disappointed. Amalie learns from Katharina how to live strong as a woman. ; :Eldest sister of Malwida and Clara. She has kept unmarried because she loves low class servant Anton. Anton says he hopes her marriage from his status as a servant. Anton but cannot forget her and he kidnaps a little son of Ingrid. ''The Gaiden'' is the story of Anton and this kidnapped boy Kith. ; :Elder sister of Clara. Piano disciple of Isaak. She met a man in the Window of Orpheus. She falls love in. But this love brings her pain. ; :Youngest sister among three daughters of the house. Very clever girl and good piano disciple of Isaak. She has trouble in foot. She has talent of music. She respects Isaak and has love to him. Isaak thinks she is possibly a music successor of him. ; :Famous pianist. He gives Isaak very kind advice several times. He also raises the son of Isaak as a musician. The model is a real pianist
Wilhelm Backhaus Wilhelm Backhaus ('Bachaus' on some record labels) (26 March 1884 – 5 July 1969) was a German pianist and pedagogue. He was particularly well known for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin and Brahms. He was also much adm ...
.


Part 3

; :Half-brother to Alexei. ; ; :Captain Rostovsky. A loyal follower of Marquis Yusupov. ; ; ; :Head of Russian Music academy. Count Strakhov is a husband of Anastasia. Assassinated by Mikhail Karnakov. ; ; ; ; ; ;


= Historical characters

= ; :Russian mystic monk who exerts influence in the court. In Ikeda's story, man of insatiable desire for power. The model is historical
Grigori Rasputin Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin ( – ) was a Russian Mysticism, mystic and faith healer. He is best known for having befriended the imperial family of Nicholas II of Russia, Nicholas II, the last Emperor of all the Russias, Emperor of Russia, th ...
. ; and :
Tsar Tsar (; also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar''; ; ; sr-Cyrl-Latn, цар, car) is a title historically used by Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word '' caesar'', which was intended to mean ''emperor'' in the Euro ...
(Emperor) and
Tsarina Tsarina or tsaritsa (also spelled ''csarina'' or ''csaricsa'', ''tzarina'' or ''tzaritza'', or ''czarina'' or ''czaricza''; ; ; ) is the title of a female Autocracy, autocratic ruler (monarch) of Bulgaria, Serbia, and Russia, or the title of a t ...
(Empress) of the Russian Empire. Tsarina Alexandra deeply believes in Rasputin who heals her son Crown Prince Alexei. Nikolai II is the last Emperor of Russia. Marquis Yusupov submits a cabinet to Imperial sanction in order to help the Empire. But Tsar Nikolai doesn't give in. It brings the end of the Romanov Russia. Their models are historical
Nikolai II Nicholas II (Nikolai Alexandrovich Romanov; 186817 July 1918) or Nikolai II was the last reigning Emperor of Russia, Congress Poland, King of Congress Poland, and Grand Duke of Finland from 1 November 1894 until Abdication of Nicholas II, hi ...
and
Alexandra Alexandra () is a female given name of Greek origin. It is the first attested form of its variants, including Alexander (, ). Etymology, Etymologically, the name is a compound of the Greek verb (; meaning 'to defend') and (; genitive, GEN , ; ...
. ; :Leader of the
Socialist Revolutionary Party The Socialist Revolutionary Party (SR; ,, ) was a major socialist political party in the late Russian Empire, during both phases of the Russian Revolution, and in early Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Soviet Russia. The party memb ...
. Enemy of Marquis Yusupov. He wins Yusupov and grasps the power, but is defeated by the Bolsheviks. The model is historical
Alexander Kerensky Alexander Fyodorovich Kerensky ( – 11 June 1970) was a Russian lawyer and revolutionary who led the Russian Provisional Government and the short-lived Russian Republic for three months from late July to early November 1917 ( N.S.). After th ...
.


Structure of story

The Window of Orpheus has a bit complicated structure. The story consists of the four Parts. But from the contents of each part, it can be said that there are three independent stories. These stories are apparently assigned to each Part. * Story 1: The Story of the Secret of the House Ahrensmeyer (Part 1, Part 4) * Story 2: The Story of Isaak and the Music (Part1, Part 2, Part 4) * Story 3: The Story of the Russian Revolution (Part 3) Part 1 contains the prologue of the Story 2, and it contains the interlogue of the Story 3. And Part 4 contains both the epilogue of the Story 1 and the Story 2. And the Story 2 isn't finished here in the original plan. 'Encyclopedia'' 2005Interview, p.34. At the first vision of the author, it was the story of a pianist and the music. That is, the Story 2 - Isaak and the Music was "''the Window of Orpheus''". The Story of Isaak and the Story of Russian Revolution have no relation. Alexei was created to introduce the Russian Revolution. And Julius was formed to connect these situations. In the plan of the author, the story was scheduled to continue after the death of Alexei and Julius. The son of Isaak, Jubel, would be a great pianist, and Isaak himself would be a grand master Composer in Vienna. But Ikeda could not write these stories, and therefore ''The Window of Orpheus'' is her "Life Work".


Reception

''The Window of Orpheus'' is one of the representative Japanese ''
shōjo manga is an editorial category of Manga, Japanese comics targeting an audience of adolescent girls and young adult women. It is, along with Shōnen manga, manga (targeting adolescent boys), Seinen manga, manga (targeting young adult and adult men ...
'' in 1970s. Another Ikeda's work ''The Rose of Versailles'' has had higher reputation and popularity. But according to one editor, ''Orpheus'' has a higher completeness than ''Versailles'' in the view point of the artistic achievement as manga story, including its picture quality. The 1970s is the epoch for Japanese ''shōjo manga'' from the various view points in cultural and social phenomena. The fruits of the
Year 24 Group The is a grouping of female manga artists who heavily influenced ''shōjo'' manga (Japanese girls' comics) beginning in the 1970s. While ''shōjo'' manga of the 1950s and 1960s largely consisted of simple stories marketed towards elementary ...
were ripened in this period, and the Japanese manga and subcultural industries themselves had largely developed and diversified in this epoch. Frederick Schodt introduced the Japanese manga culture in the 1970s in his book. In the section "Flowers and Dreams", there are about 20 these images selected and shown. One of them is the scene from ''the Window of Orpheus''. The image presented is the last scene of Marquis Yusupov.


Publication of Margaret comics

The manga series was published in 18 bound volumes in Margaret comics series of
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...
. : "Mg" indicates stories are published in weekly ''
Margaret Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
''. "Sv" indicate stories are published in monthly '' Seventeen''.


General publication

There are various versions of Japanese manga books of ''The Window of Orpheus''. In Japanese, five real paper book series and one E-book series are known.Daijisen on-line
. In the table for Japanese, "conveni-book" means low-quality paperback books usually sold in convenience stores, aka, "conveni-comic".
The manga series is also published in the languages other than
Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...
.References for all the entries in these tables are shown in the tables as the external links.


Japanese language


Other languages


References


Sources


Primary sources

* (ja) keda 1981Ikeda, Riyoko ''Orufeusu no Mado'', Magaret comics (manga
tankōbon A is a standard publishing format for books in Japan, alongside other formats such as ''shinsho'' (17x11 cm paperback books) and ''bunkobon''. Used as a loanword in English, the term specifically refers to a printed collection of a manga that w ...
), 18 volumes, 1976 to 1981,
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...
* (ja) keda 1995 Ikeda, Riyoko ''Orufeusu no Mado'', 9 volumes (
bunkobon In Japan, are small-format paperback books, designed to be affordable and space-saving. The great majority of ''bunkobon'' are A6 (105×148mm or 4.1"×5.8") in size. They are sometimes illustrated and like other Japanese paperbacks usually ...
version, in Japanese), 1995,
Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...


Secondary sources

* (ja) 'Encyclopedia'' 2005''Orufeusu no Mado Daijiten - Sonderausgabe zum 30-jährigen Jubiläum'', 2005, Shueisha * (ja) 'Sekai'' 2012''Ikeda Riyoko no Sekai - ASAHI Original 389'', 2012, Asahishinbun Shuppan, * (ja) onagi 2011 Konagai, Nobumasa ''Watashi no Shōjo manga Shi'', 2011, Nishida Shoten * (ja) [Daijisen on-line
''Digital Daijisen''
(), on-line Japanese dictionary, 2020, Shougakukan * (ja) [''Takarazuka pamphlet'']
Takarazuka Revue The is a Japanese all-female musical theatre troupe based in Takarazuka, Hyōgo, Takarazuka, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan. Women play all roles in lavish, Broadway theatre, Broadway-style productions of musicals and stories adapted from films, nov ...
pamphlet: ''Orufeusu no Mado'' - Issak-hen, * (en) hodt 1983Schodt, Frederick L. ''Manga! Manga! The World of Japanese Comics'', 1983, 2012, Kodansha USA,


Website

* (ja
Isaak fan
Personal website (fansite) * (ja) mazon-jpamazon.co.jp - on-line book store


External links


Orpheus no Mado 30th Anniversary Encyclopedia Book

Orufeusu no Mado Daijiten
amazon.com


Riyoko Ikeda's The Window of Orpheus in Regensburg
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Window of Orpheus 1975 manga Cross-dressing in anime and manga Historical anime and manga Comics set in the 19th century Comics set in the 20th century Books about the Russian Revolution Drama anime and manga Romance anime and manga Riyoko Ikeda Shōjo manga Josei manga Shueisha manga