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'' ’u’'' (, beginning and ending with a glottal stop) is the first opera in the Klingon language, billed as "The first authentic Klingon opera on Earth". It was composed by Eef van Breen to a libretto by Kees Ligtelijn and Marc Okrand under the artistic direction of Floris Schönfeld. The story of ''’u’'' is based on the epic legend of "Kahless the Unforgettable", a messianic figure in the fictional Klingon history.The premiere of the opera in The Hague on 10 September 2010 was a success, and the opera has been revived since then. ==Background== The Klingon language was first conceived by actor James Doohan, who played Montgomery Scott ("Scotty") in the original ''Star Trek'' television series, for ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' (1979). He created some harsh-sounding words to be spoken by Klingon characters. The producers hired linguist Marc Okrand for the sequels to expand this into a full-fledged language with its own unique vocabulary, grammar, and idioms.〔Shiga, David. ("It ain't over till the fat Klingon sings" ). ''New Scientist'', 17 September 2010〕 Okrand designed the language to sound "alien", using a number of typologically uncommon features. As Klingon characters became more important in later ''Star Trek'' films and television series, Okrand continued to expand the language, and it has become a spoken language with a number of fluent speakers.〔(Klingon Language Institute ) official website〕 As depicted in ''Star Trek'', the Klingons are passionate opera lovers.〔("Klingon Opera Comes to the Netherlands" ). Gather Entertainment, 31 August 2010〕〔("First Klingon opera set to launch in the Netherlands" ). ''Dutch Daily News'', 6 September 2010〕 According to the official webpage for the opera, "Klingon opera uses the principle of musical combat. Beauty in Klingon music comes from the impact of two opposing forces."〔(Official website ) accessed 8 September 2010〕 '' ’u’'' is translated to English as "universe" or "universal".〔Jacobson, Aileen. ("An Otherworldly Opera That Speaks Klingon" ). ''The New York Times'', 7 November 2008, accessed 8 September 2010〕〔Okrand, Marc. ''The Klingon Dictionary'', New York: Pocket Books, 1992, ISBN 0-671-74559-X, p. 117〕The opera was workshopped beginning 2008 in Europe and at the Watermill Center for the Performing Arts in Water Mill, New York.〔Pellegrinelli, Lara. ("The Fat Alien Sings: A Klingon-Language Opera" ). NPR Music, 2 May 2009〕〔Michaels, Sean. ("First Klingon opera lifts off" ). ''The Guardian'', 13 September 2010〕 Artistic and stage director and "head researcher" of the '' ’u’'' project and the Klingon Terran Research Ensemble (KTRE), Floris Schönfeld, carefully researched all mentions and examples of Klingon opera in the various incarnations of ''Star Trek''〔''See'', e.g., (this performance ) and (this one ) of "The Klingon Anthem" from ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' and (this Klingon song ) from the ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode "Birthright, part 2".〕 in order to make the opera as "authentic" as possible in following the conventions of Klingon battle opera. He created an "ancient treatise" called the ''paq’jachchu’'', or "book of the perfect scream", as a "theory manuscript of Klingon music".〔 KTRE crafted "indigenous" Klingon musical instruments, including percussion, wind and strings, designed by Xavier van Wersch, to accompany the opera.〔Hart, Hugh. ("Klingon Opera Ramps Up for Earth-Bound Premiere" ). ''Wired'', 26 August 2010〕〔(Theatre programme ), Zeebelt Theatre, 10 September 2010 ((reverse side of programme )), accessed 6 June 2011〕Publicity for '' ’u’'' included lectures and performances by Schönfeld and KTRE at SF conventions and elsewhere. On 18 April 2010, Okrand, on behalf of the KTRE, broadcast a message from the CAMRAS radio telescope to the hypothetical co-ordinates of Qo’noS, the Klingon home planet, in the Arcturus solar system. The message, in the Klingon language, invited the Klingons to attend the opera, although the message presumably did not reach the planet in time for the performance, since Qo’noS is 36 light years from Earth.〔〔Berkowitz, Ben. ("Klingon opera prepares for interstellar debut" ). Reuters, 10 September 2010〕抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「’u’」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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