Kuroda - Reviews
Review by Gordon Bull, published in “Words and Music” January, 2010 issue.
To celebrate 150 years of Anglo-Japanese Trade, Sachiko Higuchi wrote a story based on Japanese myth and Ian Lynn set it to an exciting and thrilling accompaniment of small chorus and selective orchestra embodying a handful of strings, flute family, various koto and small percussion. I think the surprise of surprises was the effective infiltration of the soprano saxophone at one point. The meeting of East and West was very much apparent throughout in the way the music was so successfully woven together from the word go. Superbly handled and conducted by Jonathan Butcher of Surrey Opera with distinct aplomb necessary for a work of such intricacy and yet the overall effect was of great simplicity. Although the beautifully decorated programme was indeed most helpful, in fact by employing a delightful Narrator (Haruka Kuroda) the audience was well able to follow the story which was told in English through song. A small choir comprising four ladies and an equal number of gentlemen was totally sufficient not only in projecting the words, but also creating beautiful composite harmonious sounds, often singing in unison with excellent blend of vocal colour. The string orchestra was on the ball with this complex work and one had the feeling that much rehearsal had gone into it until one learned that they had only had time for one complete session. The story tells of KURODA (Christian Billet) who is instructed by his mother Fujino (Annie Wensak) to hurry up and get married, to beget a son, and uphold the family honour. For this his godfather Tanaka(Steven Waller) , who happens to be the Lord Chancellor, gets him a job as an assistant to a moneylender( and by this means to meet Shino(Leila Suleyman) a hostage. The couple fall in love and hey presto a rescue takes place and all live happily ever after. Japanese dancers entertain and tastes of Japanese bells, flutes, koto string glissandi, resonant and other small drums all contribute to the exquisite atmosphere enhanced by the effective and melodious voices of the two principal characters who sang with confident clarity and the flattened vowels so prevalent in today’s musical sphere. Surprisingly there are at times several allusions to current stage musicals of the Phantom and Miserables variety but in absolutely no way can a comparison be made. The music as a whole is quite unique although the timbres of Kuroda and Shino are particularly redolent of Christine and Valjean in those aforementioned works. This was a superb show which in one act in bright costume lasted somewhere around one hour and a quarter. All credit to writer Sachiko, Composer Ian Lynn (at the piano) and perhaps above all to maestro Butcher for a resounding success. Green tea and sushi completed a very successful premiere.Gordon Bull This review was published in “Words and Music” January, 2010 issue.
