Murasaki’s Moon

COMPOSER: Michi Wiancko
LIBRETTIST: Deborah Brevoort

Commissioned by OnSite Opera, MetLive Arts, and American Lyric Theater

PRESS | MATERIALS

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Available for Production

ORCHESTRATION:

8 players
String quartet, percussion, taiko, flute, koto

CHORUS:

None

ROLES:

3 Singers
LADY MURASAKI (Mezzo Soprano)
GENJI (Tenor)
BUDDHIST PRIEST (Tenor)

DURATION:

55’
Opera in One Act

HISTORY:

World Premiere:
May 2019
The Metropolitan Museum of Art | New York, NY

 

Murasaki’s Moon is an operatic experience unmatched anywhere else in the city.
— Superconductor

An opera for audiences of all ages, Murasaki’s Moon is inspired by the life and work of Lady Murasaki, author of the world’s first novel, The Tale of Genji.

The sequestered life of a lady-in-waiting in the Imperial Court of 11th century Japan feels suffocating to the imaginative yet introspective Lady Murasaki. To escape the boundaries of the Emperor’s palace, she begins to write an epic tale of love and freedom. Murasaki’s life in the palace helps to shape the world of her novel, The Tale of Genji, which catapults her to fame, yet creates tension within the palace. Murasaki’s Moon tells the story of her struggle to find a balance between the relationships with those around her, the characters she creates, and the far-reaching impact of her writing.

 

Press

…scored for string quartet with percussion, koto, and Japanese flutes, Wiancko’s music blends Japanese and European instruments in ways that seem to evoke the inner thoughts of the characters.
— New York Classical Review
An enchanting and accessible introduction to this ancient work and its author, with an uplifting feminist slant.
— Classical Voice America
Murasaki’s Moon has much to say about our modern world…[the authors create a] deeply appealing and dramatically consistent musical world.
— Blog Critics Review
A feminist spin on The Tale of Genji’s author, Murasaki Shikibu.
— Wall Street Journal
Brevoort successfully captured the essence of The Tale of Genji (which spans 1100 pages and 54 chapters) in a libretto for a chamber opera with only three roles... Wiancko’s score struck a balance between the sounds of traditional Japanese music and those of Western opera. The Japanese ensemble of koto, flutes, percussion and taiko was almost a character in itself, embodying the court in all its grandeur…
— Seen & Heard International

Materials

Libretto

Piano Vocal Score

Orchestra Score

 
 

Perusal Materials and Recording Available Upon Request


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