crypt_

The Japanese composer Yuri Umemoto encounters three ghostly nobles. They put his supposed desires to the test and confront him with what really matters to him: his faith, his music, his culture, and his father.

Between European opera, Japanese ghost stories, anime, and artificial intelligence, crypt_ weaves the tale of “Hoichi the Earless” into a musical theater piece about creation, ambition, and identity. Inspired by the work of philosopher Yuk Hui, Umemoto explores the phenomenon of the multiverse—a coexistence of parallel worlds. These worlds are set in motion, collide, merge, and raise questions about origin, cultural heritage, and representation. The thematic complexity of the work is reflected in Umemoto's compositional style: genre and style boundaries are transcended, giving rise to a highly virtuosic spectrum of sounds and voices, brought to life through Okai Kanji's animated illustrations.

crypt_ is a fictionalized tale about a young composer—an alter ego of Umemoto himself—who is drawn into a crypt beneath an old European church. The voices of four European noble spirits rise from the crypt, and at night the protagonist follows these voices down into the underground. There he begins to sing and comes into contact with Europe's past. Time and space begin to dissolve, and a multiverse emerges. The spirits turn out to be virtual illusions created by artificial intelligence—reconstructions of existing data. Through the singing between the protagonist, the spirits, and their virtual mirror images, a reflection on death, vanity, and the banality of existence unfolds.

Composition, text: Yuri Umemoto

Libretto: Gareth Mattey

Stage direction: Ivar Furre Aam

Musical direction: Christian Eggen

Scenography consultant: Jakob Oredsson

Costume design: Ingrid Torvund

Dramaturgy: Takuya Maehara

Anime Design: Kanji Okai

Soprano: Peyee Chen

Countertenor: Sean Bell

Tenor: Mathias Monrad Møller

Baritone: Halvor Festervoll Melien

Co-production by Münchener Biennale and Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, Oslo Sinfonietta, Black Box teater Oslo and KLANG Festival Kopenhagen.

Composition and libretto commissioned by the City of Munich for the Münchener Biennale.