2025.6.19-21 Misato Mochizuki “Otemba – Daring Women” (World Premiere)
The world premiere of musical theatre piece, Otemba – Daring Women, composed by Misato Mochizuki, libretto by Janine Brogt, and direction by Jan van den Berg will be held at the Holland Festival on 19-21 June.
I play Cornelia van Nijenrode, a woman with Japanese and Dutch parents. I came to Amsterdam in late May for rehearsals.
I commute to our rehearsal venue, the Dutch National Opera every day, looking at the Magere Bridge, which is said to have been depicted in Van Gogh’s paintings.
Team lunch. Next to me is the conductor, Kanako Abe.
This music theatre is based on the 17th century painting by Jacob Corman entitled “Pieter Cnoll, Cornelia van Nijenrode, their Daughters and Two Enslaved Servants” on display at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
“Ryoko Aoki (Cornelia), with a Noh mask-like face and within the contours of her Japanese Noh recitation, manages to convey an impressive range of emotions in the lowest range of her voice, from sadness and homesickness to frustration and vengefulness. Or is that imagined? In Noh theater, after all, the audience’s imagination plays a significant role. When Aoki switches to English at the end, her Cornelia seems to thaw. She becomes vulnerable, even sweet” NRC by Loni Verweij
Blown away by ancient Noh technique in Otemba – Daring Women during Holland Festival
“This time, it’s the belief that Japanese Noh theater is a dead tradition, the epitome of an insular society that has turned its back on the world… The Japanese-Dutch-Indonesian opera starring Ryoko Aoki. Ryoko Aoki is a singer in the Noh tradition, and that alone is unique. Noh is Japanese theatre performed by men. This woman is special for more than just that. Aided somewhat by her costume, she appears on stage at the Muziekgebouw in Amsterdam as a furious giantess, her voice slicing the audience’s scalps like a death ray. She literally pushes you back into your seat…Great performers always appear larger on stage than they actually are. This is especially true for Ryoko Aoki. The most kind, fragile girl she revealed herself to be during the opening reception fit the goddess of vengeance she portrayed on stage at least four times over. The fact that Japanese Noh theatre has nurtured and developed the technique for achieving such magic for centuries commands deep respect.” Cultuurpers by Wijbrand Schaap
© DigiDaan
Otemba – Daring Women
19, 20, 21 June 2025
Muziekgebouw – Grote zaal, Amsterdam
music : Misato Mochizuki
libretto : Janine Brogt
dramaturgy : Janine Brogt
artistic direction : Jan van den Berg
direction : Jan van den Berg
light design : Gé Wegman
video : Jasper Kayser
costumes : Lisa Konno
vocals : Ryoko Aoki (Cornelia van Nijenrode), Bernadeta Astari (Kirana Diah), Michael Wilmering (Conservator)
conductor : Kanako Abe
ensemble : New European Ensemble
The world premiere of “Otemba – Daring Women” received a standing ovation from the full house, and we had a successful opening night.
Professor Leonard Blussé, a researcher of Cornelia, the character I played, was also pleased.
With the composer, Misato Mochizuki and the conductor, Kanako Abe. This time, I played Cornelia van Nijenrode, a Japanese-Dutch mixed race woman who lived in Hirado in the 17th century. I started off singing in a Noh-like style, but at the end I emerged as a modern woman and performed an opera-like singing in English. It was very difficult, but from what I read in the reviews, it was very well received, so I feel that the intentions of the composer, librettist, and director were spot on and I could break new ground.
The three-day performance of “Otemba – Daring Women”has ended successfully! This project began in 2018 when director and producer Jan van den Berg came to see me perform as an audience with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and became interested in me. It’s been a seven-year project, and I have so much respect for Jan for making it happen.