The world premiere of Somtow Sucharitkul's Dan No Ura staged at the Thailand Cultural Centre on Aug 11 was the Thai composer's greatest operatic triumph to date. The opera deals with the Japanese sea battle of 1185, the final conflict in a war which effectively ended the power of the Taira samurai clan, close relatives of the imperial family of the time. They were defeated by the Genji, led by Minamoto no Yoshitsune, whose half-brother became the first Shogun, and power was effectively transferred to the Shoguns.
Main photo and below Scenes from Dan No Ura, a new opera directed by Somtow Sucharitkul with a largely Thai cast.
The opera is written for a large orchestra and for multiple soloists, each of whom has significant roles. It is not self-consciously Japanese in style, though there are Japanese touches, such as the extensive use of flute music and wooden blocks, both so characteristic of Kabuki and Noh drama. The opera is, however, completely suffused with a Japanese aesthetic, including both the spare elegance of the sets (by designer Dean Shibuya) and the gorgeous costumes (by Nattawan Santiphab).
Dan No Ura is film-like and episodic in construction, consisting of a single two-hour act of 15 scenes. The eclectic, romantic musical style is uniquely Somtow's, with a rhythmically complex and demanding score for both singers and orchestra, which is nevertheless easily accessible to the audience, with passages of the most intense romantic lyricism.
When the curtain goes up at the start, we see a gauze onto which are projected Japanese kanji characters, constantly shifting in shape, dissolving, reappearing. Gradually, through the gauze, we discern the fine chorus (chorus master: Tanayut Jansirivorkul) chanting in Japanese the opening words of the classic Tale Of Heike — lines which emphasise "the impermanence of all things… The Mighty fall at last, They are as dust before the wind".
The opera is profoundly moving, musically and dramatically. It deals with universal and familiar themes of loyalty, duty, treachery, power, family and love. At the centre of the drama are the imperial family and the warring generals. The powerful and defiant matriarch, grandmother of the emperor, who is prepared to sacrifice everything for the sake of her family, is imperiously sung by the Mexican mezzo Grace Echauri. She personifies an unbending sense of duty, as her voice soars gloriously above even the loudest orchestral passages. Nancy Yuen as her daughter, mother of the current emperor, a six-year-old boy, engagingly expresses a mother's love for her child. The part of the infant emperor, a major role, is taken with authority by nine-year-old Rit Parnichkun, who captures both the character's innocence and, at the same time, his acceptance of his fate. The boy was astonishing, acting with a maturity well beyond his years.
The emperor is helped to understand his destiny by two ghosts. The first is the spirit of his beloved cousin and playmate, Lord Atsumori, sung with ethereal beauty by the counter tenor Jak Cholvijarn. Atsumori tells the emperor not to be afraid — "It is only death". The other ghost is the goddess of the Sun, ancestor of the divinely descended imperial line — "Great-great grandmother", as the emperor addresses her. The American Stacey Tappan tackles her extraordinary coloratura set-piece with amazing virtuosity, hitting stratospheric heights, including a top F, with nonchalant ease.
The impressive Australian bass Damian Whiteley captures the complexity of Yoshitsune's character, the conflicted general who realises "the impermanence of all things" and that success in battle will only lead to further internal strife. Kyu Won Han is intensely moving in the role of the Tairan samurai Lord Kumagae, racked with remorse at having killed Atsumori, in some heart-breakingly beautiful music. Indeed, there are strong performances from all the singers: Joseph Hu sings with ringing clarity as one of the emperor's uncles; Saran Senavinin, a local favourite, gives his best performance to date as another uncle; and Thai singers Kittin Suchato, Krittathad Pisuttiwong, Siroj Sakudomkachorn, Yotsawan Meethongkum and Siwakorn Kittivorakul are all impressive as other warrior-generals. Another Bangkok favourite, Nadlada Thamtanakom, now singing professionally in Belgium, is delightfully and movingly expressive as the emperor's nurse, and joins Yuen and Echauri in a trio of exquisite beauty.
Somtow directed this spectacular production himself, with highly effective lighting by Ryan Attig. Thailand's international star conductor Trisdee Na Patalung brilliantly negotiates the orchestra and singers through the tricky score: Somtow could not possibly have found a better interpreter of his music. This Japanese-inflected triumph is something Thailand can be rightly proud of.
Michael Proudfoot is a British writer on opera and a former head of the School of Humanities at the University of Reading in England.
