Ikuma Dan: Prelude and Intermezzo from “Yūzuru (Twilight Heron)“ (1951/56)

Ikuma Dan [團伊玖磨] (1924~2001, Japan) 歌劇『夕鶴』より 前奏曲と間奏曲 Opera “Yūzuru (Twilight Heron)“ - Prelude and Intermezzo 00:00 Prelude 前奏曲 01:12 Intermezzo 間奏曲 Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra Hiroshi Wakasugi, conducting Recorded: May 18 & 19, 1970 at the Victor Studio “Yūzuru“ (夕鶴, Yūzuru) (Twilight Heron), is a Japanese opera in one act composed by Ikuma Dan after the play of the same name by Junji Kinoshita. Ikuma Dan initially wrote incidental music for Kinoshita’s play in 1949. Later, determined to transform the music into an opera, he approached Kinoshita who agreed to release the play under the condition that it was set to music word for word. Dan started composing the opera and finished the work a year later in 1951. The premiè