From the Towers of the Moon
libretto by Michael John LaChiusa · premiered 1992
From the Towers of the Moon is an opera in one act by Robert Moran, with a libretto by Michael John LaChiusa. It is based on the classic Japanese tale Princess Kaguya, or The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, which tells of a princess from the Moon who comes to Earth. Moran knew the story as The Tale of the Shining Princess and had seen a film adaptation of the legend, Princess from the Moon, made by Kon Ichikawa in 1987. Moran's third opera, it was commissioned and premiered by the Minnesota Opera in 1992. Four excerpts, written for string quartet, were recorded as "Music from the Towers of the Moon" by the Balanescu Quartet.
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