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 ninth opera, his third that he wrote for the 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.
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. 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.
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.
Roles
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
2006: Gerd Albrecht conducting a Japanese cast (including Mari Midorkawa as Fusako Kuroda; Tsuyoshi Mihara as Ryuji Tsukazaki) and the RAI National Symphony Orchestra for the Salzburg Festival (live recording 26 August 2006) 2 CDs, Orfeo C794 092 I 2021: Simone Young conducting the Vienna State Opera and as Fusako Kuroda; Bo Skovhus as Ryuji Tsukazaki; 2 CDs, Capriccio C5460; named Opera Recording of the Year by the magazine Limelight.