On the 23rd and 24th of this month, the Tokyo performance of "THE END," an opera featuring Hatsune Miku and composed by musician Keiichiro Shibuya, will be held at Bunkamura Orchard Hall in Shibuya, Tokyo. It premiered at the Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media (YCAM) in December of last year and garnered a lot of attention.

The work does not feature any singers or orchestras to perform the music, but instead progresses solely through video, sound, and Hatsune Miku's singing voice. Videos are projected onto a giant screen using a projector with over 10,000 lumens. For sound, 5.1ch surround sound systems consisting of over 50 speakers are installed on the first and second floors, creating 10.2ch surround sound. This is an opera that is entirely digitally controlled.

"When you listen to the completely controlled, incredible sound, it feels more real than live sound = acoustic. For modern people, the 'live sound' of classical music has a low volume. In order to distract people, sound quality is of course important, but the 'volume' is also important. We artificially created complex sound waves with an amount of instruments that exceeds that of an orchestra. I think it will be a completely different experience," explains Shibuya.

The hall is a mecca for classical music, where a New Year's Eve concert is held at the end of the year. At first glance, the performance may seem overly avant-garde, but it is said to thoroughly follow classical style. "It has all the elements of classical opera, including melody, chords, and a tragic story. I carefully set out recitatives (sung sections as if speaking) and arias (chants). It's more interesting when the lyrics and lines are clearly distinguishable, and using a classical framework makes it easier to immerse yourself in the story. For the aria, I mixed 16th-century European music with K-pop and electro, pursuing cutting-edge modern popular music. Classical opera was already quite popular. Puccini and Verdi's operas have audiences humming along as they leave the opera. Also, there's one thing Miku can't do: she can't sing while laughing. This means that she already has sadness in her heart. I thought it was a good match because it inevitably becomes a classic operatic tragedy. I also feel a sense of transience thanks to technology."

Hatsune Miku changes clothes during the intermissions between the recitatives and arias. The costumes were designed by Louis Vuitton's artistic director, Marc Jacobs, and his studio. It was Shibuya who came up with the idea for this collaboration.

"Louis Vuitton is a brand that draws art and fashion together, allowing them to interpenetrate, as seen in their collaborative works with Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama. And Marc is at the cultural heart of contemporary America. Like Andy Warhol at the time, people pay attention to the things he likes. He actually drew a style portrait of Miku, and the Damier (checkered) pattern clothing really suits her. I felt a sense of synchronicity."

Other top names in the fashion world are also involved, with Katsuya Kamo handling Shibuya's hair and makeup, who appears onstage. The Tokyo production reportedly features more costume variations than the premiere. An overture and coda have also been added, and the storyline has been slightly altered.

"I had some unfinished business in Yamaguchi and am now tying it up in Tokyo. This time it's the complete version. We've scheduled a performance at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris in November, and we plan to perform this version."

Hatsune Miku has had an impact not only on music but also on a variety of other fields, including sociology, subculture and art. Finally, when asked his thoughts on her, he said, "To me, Hatsune Miku is a new instrument. If Mozart were alive today, he would definitely be using it."


【Event Information】
"THE END"
Venue: Bunkamura Orchard Hall
Address: 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Dates: May 23rd, performance starts at 7pm, May 24th, performances at 3pm and 7pm *3 performances in total
Price: Platinum seats 10,000 yen, S seats 7,500 yen, A seats 5,000 yen, B seats 3,000 yen (available at Bunkamura, CN Playguide, Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket, e+)