2025.3.28 Toshio Hosokawa “Futari Shizuka – The Maiden From The Sea” Orquesta De València, Alexander Liebreich
I came to Valencia, Spain. On March 28th, I will be performing with Orquesta de València conducted by Alexander Liebreich in the opera “Futari Shizuka – The Maiden from The Sea”, composed by Toshio Hosokawa.
Valencia is famous for its Las Fallas festival, and I was able to see some remnants of the festival.
With Alexander Liebreich and Toshio Hosokawa.
On March 4th, we received the wonderful news that Toshio Hosokawa had received the Frontiers of Knowledge Award from the BBVA Foundation in Spain. Coincidentally, Toshio Hosokawa is the resident composer of Orquesta de València this season, and “Futari Shizuka – The Maiden from The Sea” was to be performed as part of that. Toshio was also scheduled to be in Valencia this time, and it turned out to be a big concert right after the award ceremony, so it attracted a lot of attention in Spain.
This time, conductor Alexander Liebreich, a long-time friend of Toshio and me, invited us to a concert of Orquesta de València, of which he is music director.
Palau de la Musica de Valencia is a wonderful concert hall.
Orquesta de València
28 March 19:30- ＠Palau de la Musica de Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Toshio Hosokawa “Meditation”
Tōru Takemitsu “Archipelago S.”
Toshio Hosokawa “Futari Shizuka – The Maiden from The Sea” (opera in a semi-staged version)
Ryoko Aoki (Noh voice)
Christina Daletska (Soprano)
Orquesta de València
Alexander Liebreich (Conductor)
Andreas Morell（Direction）
Adán Hernández Salazar（Lighting & Scenography）
“A high level of performance was achieved by all those present, achieving an undeniable success with the audience, with a repertoire largely unknown to Valencian music lovers.” ABC by Joaquín Guzmán
“The Maiden from the Sea focused on the essence of the nou theatre that so often inspires Hosokawa’s stage works, in which a spectre from beyond tells us about his life, connecting different historical periods and geographical contexts to show the inherent tragedy of the human being: what Borges called the “universal history of infamy.”
This infamy is made explicit in two characters who have suffered the ravages of violence, in an aggravated way, due to their status as women. Thus, both the spirit of Shizuka Gozen (sung in the nou voice by Ryoko Aoki) and the young present-day refugee Helen (played by soprano Christina Daletska), whose body and soul Shizuka will possess, communicate to us the pain of a broken motherhood, the anguish of war, the stalking of death, and the dispossession of Helen’s personal and cultural identity who, emigrating north, will see the traces of her past erased by the snow.” Scherzo by Paco Yáñez
“Both roles were embodied by Ukrainian mezzo Christina Daletska and Noh singing specialist Ryoko Aoki, who is also a pioneer in the combination of Japanese theatrical tradition and contemporary Western music. Both performances were intense and harmonious, and despite representing different worlds, their singing was not so different, even blending, as has been said, into a fusion.” Bachtrack by Daniel Martínez Babiloni
“A reflection that is reinforced by the appearance of Shizu (a Noh voice) who functions as a kind of ghostly Japanese doppelganger. The text is full of evocations underlined by the, to Western ears, exotic effect of the Noh voice, which suggests a dimension between the real and the mystical, resulting in a hypnotic and absorbing experience… Ryoko Aoki was the mystical and exotic Noh voice with excellent results.” Ópera Actual by Pablo Meléndez-Haddad
“The attentive and fragrant Orquesta de València performance under Liebreich’s masterful direction was complemented by the outstanding and well-tuned performances of both soloists, guided by Andreas Morel’s serene stage direction against a set designed by Adán Hernández Salazar. As expected, Hosokawa seemed truly satisfied with the presentation of his opera in Spain. It was a complete and unanimous success.” Levante by Justo Romero
“Once again, given its success with the public, we’re surprised this type of music isn’t programmed more frequently. The Palau de la Música has been brave, and unlike other auditoriums, with its exceptional and highly original concert, it will leave an indelible mark on many of those who attended and will mark a milestone in its history and orchestra.” Ritmo by Joan Gómez Alemany
We received rapturous applause from the packed audience!
After the performance, with all involved.
© Live Music Valencia / Palau de la Música
My friend, the composer José María Sánchez-Verdú, who also has composed pieces for me, wrote the program notes for this concert and came all the way from Madrid to attend it.
During my stay, I attended a presentation at Palau de la Música, where the mayor of Valencia proposed the València Music City 2025-30. It was a wonderful proposal to promote Valencia as a city of music, and the music budget will be significantly increased.
Many media outlets were also in attendance, and we took photos with Mayor Maria José Catalá, which were also featured in the local media.
In addition, conductor Alexander Liebreich introduced us to Catedral de Valencia’s organist Pablo Márquez Caraballo, and to the organist and music director of Chiesa di San Nicola di Bari e San Pietro Martire, also known as the “Sistine Chapel of Valencia,” Atsuko Takano. The two of them gave us a special tour of their respective churches. Although my stay in Valencia was short, it was a valuable experience.