Ayako Tanaka plays the world premiere of Mono Opera “GARASHA” by Esteban Benzecry | Noboru Yokoshima at the Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto, Japan (November 20, 2020)
モノオペラ「ガラシャ」
Mono Opera in 5 acts commissioned by the Japan Association for Music Education Program: https://www.japanmep.com/garasha
Duration: 1h 15
Music: Esteban Benzecry エステバン・ベンゼクリの音楽
Screenplay: Noboru Yokoshima
Stage Director: Matteo Mazzoni
Garasha: Ayako Tanaka – soprano coloratura https://www.ayakotanakaofficial.com/
Shōsai Ogasawara: Masu Takeshi
Noh performer: Soichiro Hayashi
Curtain creation: Shihoko Fukumoto
Art advisor: Hiroshi Sugimoto
Kimono dresser: Maki Yamasaki
Graphic art: Pablo Lembo
“Hosokawa Garasha” synopsis
The mono Opera “Garasha” by Esteban Benzecry with a book by Noboru Yokoshima has texts in Japanese and old monastic Spanish, the starting point is precisely the narration made by a Jesuit priest of the history of Tama Hosokawa who when he converted to Catholicism is baptized with the name of Garasha (Grace) Hosokawa. Married to Tadaoki Hosokawa at the age of 15, mother of six children, a betrayal of her father against his lord, Oda Nobunaga, whom she murders, automatically makes her the daughter of a traitor and therefore liable to separation. from her husband. He did not wish to end her bond and sent her with some of her servants to the mountains near what is now Kyoto where she remained hidden for two years. After that time she was later transferred to Osaka where a cell was her accommodation. A maid converted to Catholicism was the link with the word and faith. When her husband learned of these conversations, she, too, clarified her ideas with a friend of his who was also converted to the Christian faith. An anti-Catholic proclamation from Toyotomi, lord of the place, convinced Tama to finally convert to Christianity and her husband, aware of this, pointed out that her life was in danger and if she was found she should kill herself. Garasha talks to the local priests. They tell them that suicide is a mortal sin for Catholicism, which despite the fact that the danger had diminished, leaves a mark on her religious conviction for the future. Toyotomi’s death brought about a factional struggle for power, leaving the territory for the dominated divided in two. Togokawa was the leader of the eastern part, with whom Garasha’s husband was enlisted and Mitsunari in the West. The latter decides to invade the East, assault Osaka and attack the castle where Garasha resided. Her husband left her servants a clear order that if her enemies attempted to take her from her, they must kill her immediately. When this happened, Shosai Ogasarawa, retainer of the family, killed Garasha, who faced the moment with supreme serenity, after which all the occupants of the place took their own lives.
© Esteban Benzecry
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