LONDON ¨C An opera exploring the life of Japanese ukiyo-e traditional woodblock print artist Katsushika Hokusai will premiere in Scotland next February.
Titled ¡°The Great Wave,¡± the opera is the latest work by London-based composer Dai Fujikura and is a joint production with Scotland¡¯s Scottish Opera.
Fujikura said in an interview that he hopes audiences will ¡°draw courage from Hokusai¡¯s way of life and spirit.¡±
He described the artist from the late Edo Period (1603-1867) as ¡°a very positive person who kept going no matter what happened.¡±
Fujikura said he sought to convey ¡°the courage to keep working positively even in old age¡± by depicting Hokusai, who continued to create energetically until his last days on the belief that artworks improve as the artist grows older.
The composer said portraying a real person was a challenge, as his previous works had been based on novels. He worked on the project with librettist Harry Ross, a longtime friend, following their previous collaboration on the 2020 opera ¡°A Dream of Armageddon.¡±
The new opera portrays Hokusai¡¯s eventful life through his relationship with his daughter, Oi, and is written to be enjoyable even for those unfamiliar with him.
Fujikura began composing music at a young age and moved to Britain alone when he was 15. His diverse portfolio includes a composition for the 2019 Japanese film ¡°Mitsubachi to Enrai¡± (¡°Honeybees and Distant Thunder¡°).
He is particularly interested in writing operas, saying, ¡°One can fully express emotional turmoil through music.¡± He already has ideas for his next work.
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