Yoko and Kandata

“The Spider’s Thread” is a humorous opera for young people that I composed in 2010—loosely based on the short story by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.

It’s not just the criminal Kandata who tries to escape from hell by clinging to Buddha’s spider’s thread. His wife Yoko also seizes this opportunity and climbs with him toward paradise. But the thread snaps—and both plummet back into hell. There, of all people, familiar faces await them with a heartfelt, “Welcome back!” Because in the end, everyone agrees: No one can stand paradise for long—we’d rather live in hell!

The distinguished soprano Miho Kinoshita sings Yoko’s song “Not Yet 16” for the first time in Japan. In addition, you can look forward to a wide variety of solos and duets. Miho Kinoshita has been performing on the stage of the Berlin State Opera for over 35 years and knows the opera repertoire intimately. These decades of stage experience shape her interpretation and lend the songs a special expressiveness and vitality.