Showing me a sketch of the set of Mozart's opera "Don Giovanni," executive producer Keiko Manabe, who has led Suntory Hall's opera projects since 1989, explains the new production's concept.
"Suntory Hall looks as if it is in ruins. Isn't it interesting?" declares Manabe, who, in Berlin in 1983, helped involve renowned conductor Herbert von Karajan (1908-89) in the construction of Suntory Hall.
With advice from von Karajan, the hall utilizes a Berliner Philharmoniker-style "vineyard configuration," in which the seats surround the stage, to create the outstanding acoustics.