"Japan has always imported high-level opera productions from Italy, Vienna or Paris and I thought its about time we create one here," Ozawa told AFP.
"It is really the first time in Japan," he said with pride, a beer in his hand, in the hallowed halls of Tokyo's Bunka Kaikan.
Dressed in a yukata, a casual kimono, Ozawa, the music director of the Vienna State Opera, has reason to relax. He has just finished the fourth and final performance of Richard Strauss' "Elektra," the first production of the Tokyo Opera Nomori.
The company's name literally means "the Tokyo forest opera," as it is based in the huge historic park of Ueno. The name came from Tokyo's populist governor, Shintaro Ishihara, as the metropolitan government sponsors the opera project born four years ago.
The inaugural season, which ran from March 13 to 22, was dedicated to Richard Strauss, with performances of "Elektra" but also lieder and orchestral works by the German composer.
Ozawa, who is the company's artistic director, put together a dazzling collection of stars for "Elektra," which was co-produced by Florence's Maggio Musicale.
In Tokyo, the American soprano Deborah Polaski, reputed to be "the greatest Elektra of the post-war period", interpreted the title role of Agamemnon's daughter for the 138th time.
The Greek mezzo-soprano Agnes Baltsa performed as the conniving mother Clytemnestra, the American soprano Christine Goerke played daughter Chrysothemis and the German baritone Franz Grundheber was the banished brother Orestes.
The Canadian Robert Carsen directed an "Elektra" which is "conceptual" but accessible, with the minimalist stage mostly dark reflecting Elektra's tortured soul, a set-up which will be brought to Florence in 2008.
"It's a beautiful and moving project because it was born here," said Carsen's assistant, the Frenchman Jean-Michel Criqui, hailing the extreme professionalism and enthusiasm of the Japanese.
For Seiji Ozawa, the Tokyo Opera Nomori is "a dream become reality."
"We're lucky in Tokyo that great opera companies like the Vienna State Opera and the Metropolitan Opera come here to perform," he said.
"My goal with Tokyo Opera Nomori is to create a company comprised of Japanese musicians, together with world-class singers, where the productions would originate in Japan," Ozawa said.
"Then these productions would be exported to other countries and festivals, instead of Japan always importing productions from elsewhere."
For now, the Tokyo Opera Nomori will have only one major production each year, but Ozawa "hopes someday we can expand the season".
The schedule is set until 2008. Next year, the Nomori will have Verdi on its repertoire, putting on "Otello" in collaboration with the Vienna State Opera, and The Requiem.
In 2007, the Nomori will turn to Wagner. Ozawa will direct "Tannhauser," a co-production with the Paris Opera and the Vienna State Opera. The following year the Nomori will perform Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin."
Ozawa, who remains energetic even though he turns 70 this year, has been a prophet of sorts in Japan where he has been at the forefront of the national passion for Western classical music.
Ozawa has had a long international career, spending nearly three decades at the Boston Symphony Orchestra before moving to Vienna in 2002, but he remains deeply attached to Japan.
In 1984, he founded the Saito Kinen orchestra in tribute to his mentor and professor Hideo Saito.
And each summer since 1992, he has brought together the best Japanese musicians and leading Western names to Matsumoto in the Japanese Alps for the Saito Kinen festival, the first international classical music festival in Japan.
After the adventure of launching the Tokyo Opera Nomori, Ozawa, who was born in China during the Japanese occupation, will in October direct "The Barber of Seville" in Shanghai.
"I love working in China," Ozawa said. "That's where I was born, you know."
March 2007
Klytaemnestra: Agnes Baltsa
Elektra: Nadine Secunde
Chrysothemis: Inga Nielsen
Aegisth: Arild Helleland
Orest: Harry Peeters
Overseer: Julia Sougklakou
Serving women: Maria Vlahopoulou, Maria Mitsopoulou, Eleni Liona
Athens State Orchestra
Conductor: Johan Arnell
Athens, Megaron
April 2007
May 2007
Elektra
Inszenierung: Harry Kupfer
Bühnenbild: Hans Schavernoch
Kostüme: Reinhard Heinrich
Musikalische Studienleitung: Gerhard Schlüsslmayr
Musikalische Leitung: Peter Schneider
nach einer Inszenierung von: Harry Kupfer
Bühnenbild: Hans Schavernoch
Kostüme: Reinhard Heinrich
Chorleitung: Ernst Dunshirn
Klytämnestra: Agnes Baltsa
Elektra: Deborah Polaski
Chrysothemis: Melanie Diener
Aegisth: Michael Roider
Orest: Egils Silinš
Pfleger des Orest: Goran Simic
Vertraute: Waltraud Winsauer
Schleppträgerin: Nadia Krasteva
junger Diener: Benedikt Kobel
alter Diener: Johannes Wiedecke
Aufseherin: Margareta Hintermeier
1. Magd: Zoryana Kushpler
2. Magd: Juliette Mars
3. Magd: Michaela Selinger
4. Magd: Ǻsa Elmgren
5. Magd: Caroline Wenborne
October 2007
Klytämnestra 
Agnes Baltsa
Chrysothemis Silvana Dussmann
November 2007
- 24, 28, Elektra (R. Strauss), Staatsoper Budapest
December 2007
- 1, Elektra (R. Strauss), Staatsoper Budapest
2007. november 24., szombat Operaház 19:00 német nyelven Premier - bérlet
Elektra
Egyfelvonásos tragédia
ZeneszerzőRichard Strauss
SzövegíróHugo Hofmannstahl
Magyar nyelvű feliratokMesterházi Máté
RendezőKovalik Balázs
DíszlettervezőAntal Csaba
JelmeztervezőBenedek Mari
KarigazgatóSzabó Sipos Máté
KarmesterKovács János
KlytemneistraAgnes Baltsa
ElektraNadine Secunde
ChrysothemisBátori Éva
AegistosGulyás Dénes
OrestesPerencz Béla
Orestes nevelőjeCser Krisztián
Klytemneistra bizalmasaBalogh Tímea
UszályhordozónőPolyák Valéria
Fiatal szolgaMegyesi Zoltán
Öreg szolgaSzegedi Csaba
A felügyelőnőKukely Júlia
1. szolgálóBalatoni Éva
2. szolgálóÉrsek Dóra
3. szolgálóMester Viktória
4. szolgálóFodor Beatrix
5. szolgálóWierdl Eszter
January 2008
February 2008
February 2008
- 24, 26, 29, Elektra (R. Strauss), Florence
March 2008
ELEKTRA
Information Plan
2007/2008 Season Opera
Tragedy in one act by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
music by Richard Strauss
conductor SEIJI OZAWA
director ROBERT CARSEN
singers and musicians
Klytämnestra
AGNES BALTSA
Elektra
SUSAN BULLOCK
Chrysothemis
CHRISTINE GOERKE
Ägisth
TBA
Orest
MATTHIAS GOERNE
production New production in association with Tokyo Opera Nomori
place Teatro Comunale
road Corso Italia, 16
city Florence (FI)
phone 899.666.805 - 055 2779350
www.maggiofiorentino.com
shows
24-02-2008, h 20.30
26-02-2008, h 20.30
29-02-2008, h 20.30
02-03-2008, h 15.30
05-03-2008, h 20.30
TEATRO DEL MAGGIO MUSICALE FIORENTINO - Fondazione
July 2008
Musikalische Leitung Johannes Debus
Inszenierung, Bühne, Kostüme, Licht Herbert Wernicke
Chöre Andrés Máspero
Klytämnestra Agnes Baltsa
Elektra Gabriele Schnaut
Chrysothemis Melanie Diener 30. Jan., 2. Feb. 2008
Eva-Maria Westbroek 25. Juli 2008
Aegisth Reiner Goldberg
Orest Gerd Grochowski
Der Pfleger des Orest Steven Humes
Die Vertraute Anita Berry
Ein junger Diener Kenneth Roberson
Die Aufseherin Irmgard Vilsmaier 30. Jan., 2. Feb. 2008
Yvonne Wiedstruck 25. Juli 2008
Zweite Magd Helena Jungwirth
Dritte Magd Daniela Sindram
Vierte Magd Lana Kos
Fünfte Magd Aga Mikolaj
Das Bayerische Staatsorchester
Der Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper
