The Window of Orpheus

Riyoko Ikeda published her first long story The Rose of Versailles in 1973. The story had two main themes. One is the life of Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France. And the other is the love and the life of Oscar François de Jarjayes. These two themes were in resonance, and The Rose of Versailles got great popularity and success. On the other hand, The Window of Orpheus has the three themes. The one is the life and the love of another Oscar François, that is, Julius von Ahrensmeyer. The second is the story of music and the life of a musician (Isaak) which Ikeda truly wished to describe. And the third is the historical romance in the Russian Revolution. Ikeda wrote the French Revolution in the Rose of Versailles, but she did not satisfy it. She wanted to describe the deeper human drama in the background of another revolution. == Origin and development ==

Riyoko Ikeda had learned piano from her very young days. She had loved music and wished to become a professional musician. But she got aware that she hadn't talent. She gave up, but the passion for music has vividly existed through her life. In October, 1973, after completed the long story The Rose of Versailles on the Margaret, she travelled to the Europe with her friend manga artists Toshie Kihara and Yōko Tadatsu (JA) for about one month or one and half months. They reached and stayed at an old city of Regensburg by chance. There, Ikeda was inspired and visioned the stories of the music and romance which she could not fully express in The Rose of Versailles. There were two obstacles in writing the first long story La Rose de Verailles. One was the editors of Margaret who asked and forced her to make Oscar a strong, high pride female protagonist. The true protagonist, the true "Rose" was Marie Antoinette though. And the other was that the readers of Margaret were early teens girls. What Ikeda wished to depict was the adult human love and life, but the media Margaret did not allow it. Ikeda did not want to weaken the themes of her manga arts. She calmly judged that Margaret was not proper media where she expressed and realized her true themes. She changed the media from Margaret to Seventeen. Ikeda firmly decided she would never compromise in her creation of the work. Her decision gave birth the story The Window of Orpheus. == Story ==

The story consists of four Parts. It encompassed over 30 years, from 1893 to 1924. Through this four parts story, there are three major characters: Julius von Ahrensmeyer, a daughter of the aristocratic house Ahrensmeyer of the Kingdom of Bayern, Alexei Mikhailov (alias Klaus Sommerschmitt), a son of the Marquis House of the Russian Empire, and Isaak Gotthelf Weisheit, a prodigious pianist born in the common people. Prologue . The tower does not have window In the Autumn of 1903, a boy comes to the Saint Sebastian music school as a transfer student in Regensburg, Bayern, Germany. His name is Isaak. Hearing of a certain legend, he goes up the tower and stands in front of the old window with curiosity. He looks down through the window, and sees a person walking by. It looks like a girl at a glance, but that person is another transfer student, called Julius. The next day, Julius hears of the legend from Isaak. Saint Sebastian is an all boys school, but Julius is a cross-dressed girl, not a boy. Thinking over the legend, Julius looks up the window. There is a person, and he sees Julius through the window. It is Klaus, an upper grade student. Here, three people, Isaak, Julius and Klaus (Alexei) are combined through the legend. The window is called the Window of Orpheus. The Legend There is a legend dating back about 400 years ago in the Catholic Saint Sebastian school. It says if a man stands in front of the Window of Orpheus, and if he first sees a figure of a female through this window, he will fall in love with that female. But it will bring pain, for the love will end up like the tragic Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Julius, Isaak, and Klaus are tied to the legend of the window. And there are other people who are tied to this legend as well. In the shadow of the legend of the window, the four parts long story opens. Part 1 - The Secret of the House Ahrensmeyer Source: The stage of Part 1 is Regensburg in the Kingdom of Bayern, Germany, 1903 to 1905. Julius is a girl. Her mother Renate was a concubine of Julius' aristocratic father Ahrensmeyer. Renate was abandoned by him when she had Julius. For revenge against the Ahrensmeyers, Renate gave her daughter a male name Julius and raised her as a boy. After the death of Ahrensmeiyer's wife, Julius and her mother are accepted into the Ahrensmeyer house, and since there are no other male children, Julius becomes heir of the Ahrensmeyers. Julius learns piano from her earliest days, so she enters the Saint Sebastian school as a boy when she is 15. Julius spends her school life with friends Isaak, Klaus and other students. But the legend of the Window casts a shadow on her mind since she is a girl, and she starts feeling a kind of love toward Klaus, a manlike, yet mysterious student. There are conflicts between the rich and the poor, the noble and the common. The Ahrensmeyer is the old aristocratic house. The newly rising merchant house Kippenberg is a rich family, while the Ahrensmeyer's is declining. Moreover, strange and terrible events take place to the Ahrensmeyers in succession. There seems to be some secret with the Ahrensmeyers, something that may have ties to the German Empire and Russian Empire. Part 2 - The Road of Isaak as a Pianist Source: In Vienna, Isaak meets various people. In the blessed environment, Isaak's talent begins to bloom. He befriends a mysterious student named Reinhard, and one day hears the strange music Reinhard plays. The piece turns out to have been composed by Reinhard, who is a musical prodigy. However, it seems to be impossible to play this music on piano, with Reinhard even damaging his fingers in the attempt, but Isaak is determined to try. Isaak debuts as an outstanding new pianist, and Reinhard gives him advice and a warning: "You should know what is true art". Learning from Reinhard and Wilhelm Backhaus, Isaak opens up a new frontier of musical art. He later performs with a Russian violinist named Anastasia, who turns out to be a member of a Russian revolutionary group. She gives Isaak a message from Alexei (Klaus) before they go their separate ways. Isaak later marries Roberta, an acquaintance of his from Regensburg, and is later called off to war. He returns from World War I, but his fingers have been damaged, and he cannot play piano anymore. He later returns to Regensburg with his son Jubel, and when walking along an old, familiar street, Isaak meets a beautiful woman. Part 3 - The Russian Revolution, Fate of Alexei Source: Part 4 - Regensburg, Farewell Julius Source: insists she is a royal princess of Russia, the youngest daughter, Anastasia. Ultimately, Julius goes to Berlin to meet a woman in an attempt to recover her memories. Epilogue In Berlin, while Julius never meets the woman, she understands that the secret of her house is somehow related to the large fortune which the Russian Tsar deposited in the German Imperial bank in secret. Julius now knows the truth, and that is good enough for her. == Characters ==

The Latin spellings of the names of each character are based on the Encyclopedia 2005 (Orufeusu no Mado Daijiten), Character Section. (However, spellings of several names are not shown in this section). Protagonists ; :Heir of the Ahrensmeyers. Though she is a woman, but her mother Renate raised her as a man. A student of the St. Sebastian music school. Shining, beautiful blonde hairs. Sensitive woman. She kills a quack doctor Jahn by paper knife. But it gives her mental damage and makes her amnesia. Julius falls in love with Klaus (Alexei). She knows someone try to kill the related people of the Ahrensmeyers. Who is and what reasons. There are secrets in the Ahrensmeyers. Julius hears the story from her sister Annelotte. Then, Julius leaves the Ahrensmeyer mansion and goes to Russia to follow Alexei. ; alias :Born as a second son of the Marquis house of Russia. Her mother was but a concubine of the former Marquis. He liked and longed for his elder brother Dmitri. Marquis Dimitri was a true genius violinist and a revolutionary activist. But He was betrayed and executed. Alexei and Alraune, the fiancée of Dmitri, fled from Russia to Bayern, Germany, and he entered the music school under the pseudonym Klaus.There he meets with Julius. But he has the mission to do in Russia. It is his fate. Love to Julius or devotion to the future of his homeland Russia. ; :Son of a violinist of a low class tavern. Thanks to his talent, he can enter the Saint Sebastian music school. Isaak loves Julius. But Julius sees him as a friend. Isaak and his sister are fallen into poverty by the malicious pressure of Moritz. Isaak works in a tavern, where she meets Roberta. After the death of Friederike, he gets invitation to Vienna. He gets success as a pianist there, and experiences love with Amalie and Clara, and the marriage with Roberta. But everything is lost in the World of War. Isaak returns to Regensburg. Main characters ; :Elder sister of Julius and Annelotte. Simple and sincere woman. After the death of their father, she is a de facto mistress of the Ahrensmeyers. Maria has been embracing the secret love for Mr. Wirklich, a music teacher, but he has a loved woman whom he met through the window of Orpheus long years ago, but unknown even her real name. Maria is about to be killed. But she survives and maintains the house. ; :Elder sister of Julius. Egoistic and conspiracy woman. She has the secret and seems to know the secret of the Aharensmeyers. She talks Julius the secret of their house, but is poisoned by Julius for what she has done. ; :Senior student of the music school and a good friend and adviser of Julius and Isaak. David opposes the marriage of Isaak. He says you will lose everything if you marry Roberta. Later David helps Maria to heal Julius's heavy amnesia. His model is real David Bowie. ; :She is a younger sister of Isaak. She loves her brother Isaak. Because she is a step daughter of the parents of Isaak. Isaak knows this fact after her death. ; :Youngest son of the Kippenberg house. He loves Friederike, but she rejects him. Moritz deprives livelihood means of Isaak and Friederike by the money power of the house Kippenberg to make her follow him and love him. Later, he gets aware that what he did was the worst. Several years later, when Moritz and Maria Barbara visit at Vienna for business purpose, Moritz meets Malwida who very looks like late Friederike. He loves her, though he has a wife and child in Regensburg. ; :Daughter of the aristocratic house Brenner. A piano disciple of Isaak. Mild and brave woman. Katharina adores and loves Isaak. She tries to help Isaak and Friederike. Though she is a high class woman, she becomes a professional nurse. ; :Genius pianist. He composed a strange music when he dressed as a girl, played piano, and was called an infant genius. Isaak learns what is the true art from Reinhard. But he is shot to death by his younger step brother Wolfgang, a little boy, though Wolfie has adored Reinhard, but since Reinhard was in adultery with Wolfie's mother. The spin-off Collage is the story of Wolfgang and their descendants. ; :She is a poor, low class girl who works in tavern. Roberta loves Isaak in secret. Roberta is raped by a man who buys her from her alcoholic father. Later Roberta works in Vienna as a prostitute. Isaak marries her. The marriage of learned musician and former prostitute woman results in class difference tragedy. Isaak loses everything. However, Roberta leaves his child behind. ; :A German woman. Alraune is a fiancée of Marquis Dmitri. After execution of Dmitri, she flees from Russia with Alexei, a younger brother of Dmitri. And she trains Alexei as a revolutionary. They return to Russia. But their revolutionary group is divided into two sects. Alexei joins in the Bolsheviks, but Alraune doesn't. ; :A Russian woman. ; :Calm and clearheaded career officer. Commander of the Imperial Guard Regiment. Nicknamed "Blade of Ice". True loyal subject of the Romanov. But he is also a warmhearted, sincere man. He captures Julius, but secretly loves her. Yusupov tries to maintain the Empire. He plans the military coup d'état with General Kornilov. But they are defeated. Historical Prince Yusupov who assassinated Rasputin is one of his model. ; :Younger sister of Leonid. Minor characters Part 1 ; :Mother of Julius. She planned the revenge against the Ahrensmeyers. She raised Julius as a boy. She is about to be killed by fire. Is it an arson by anyone. In the far past, she told a lie that her name was "Kriemhild" to a man whom she met in the window of Orpheus. ; :Maid of the Ahrensmeyers. Gertrud was an abandoned child. She is a freckle girl. She loves and adores a cross-dressed Julius. But she happens to know Julius is a girl. Gertrud is killed by dogs set by someone. ; :Servant and cabman of the Ahrensmeyers. Jakob adores Annelotte. He has been working for Annelotte as a devoted follower. He is a shadowy man, who has the last key of the secret. ; :Unidentified man. He works as a fake doctor, and helps Renate. But his target is the large fortune of the Ahrensmeyers. He has relation with the secret. Jahn is killed by Julius by accident. ; :Excellent teacher of the Music school. Isaak learns many things from him. But Julius gets aware that Wirklich is about to kill her several times. Why. Has he any relations with the Ahrensmeyers' secret. In fact, Hermann has wanted to take vengeance upon the Ahrensmeyers, wishing to kill all the related persons. He has the serious and terrible reason. He dies with Renate by falling from the window of Orpheus. People think they are in shameful relation of adultery and commit suicide together. But the truth is different. ; :School Principal of the Saint Sebastian school. A kind, old man. He talks everything which he knows to Julius before he commits a suicide. By his confession, Julius knows he was a real father of Countess Behringer. ; :Fiancée of Moritz. Married with him. Frau von Kippenberg. ; :Name is unknown. He has been searching the secrets of the Ahrensmeyers. When Jahn is killed, he appears. 20 years later, when Jahn's relics is discovered, he again appears. He suggests various things. He knows the murder affair in which the family of Count Behringer was all killed. The Count was suspected as a Russian spy, and the father of Julius and the imperial soldiers went to arrest them. But there was resistance, and they killed Count Behringer and all the people in the house. But this is not true. Part 2 ; :Daughter of Professor Schönberg, who is a teacher of Isaak in the Vienna Music Academy. Beautiful but ambitious woman. Isaak once tries to love her and is disappointed. Amalie learns from Katharina how to live strong as a woman. ; :Eldest sister of Malwida and Clara. She has kept unmarried because she loves low class servant Anton. Anton says he hopes her marriage from his status as a servant. Anton but cannot forget her and he kidnaps a little son of Ingrid. The Gaiden is the story of Anton and this kidnapped boy Kith. ; :Elder sister of Clara. Piano disciple of Isaak. She met a man in the Window of Orpheus. She falls love in. But this love brings her pain. ; :Youngest sister among three daughters of the house. Very clever girl and good piano disciple of Isaak. She has trouble in foot. She has talent of music. She respects Isaak and has love to him. Isaak thinks she is possibly a music successor of him. ; :Famous pianist. He gives Isaak very kind advice several times. He also raises the son of Isaak as a musician. The model is a real pianist Wilhelm Backhaus. Part 3 ; :Half-brother to Alexei. ; ; :Captain Rostovsky. A loyal follower of Prince Yusupov. ; ; ; :Head of Russian Music academy. Count Strakhov is a husband of Anastasia. Assassinated by Mikhail Karnakov. ; ; ; ; ; ; Historical characters ; :Russian mystic monk who exerts influence in the court. In Ikeda's story, man of insatiable desire for power. The model is historical Grigori Rasputin. ; and :Tsar (Emperor) and Tsarina (Empress) of the Russian Empire. Tsarina Alexandra deeply believes in Rasputin who heals her son Crown Prince Alexei. Nikolai II is the last Emperor of Russia. Prince Yusupov submits a cabinet to Imperial sanction in order to help the Empire. But Tsar Nikolai doesn't give in. It brings the end of the Romanov Russia. Their models are historical Nikolai II and Alexandra. ; :Leader of the Socialist Revolutionary Party. Enemy of Prince Yusupov. He wins Yusupov and grasps the power, but is defeated by the Bolsheviks. The model is historical Alexander Kerensky. == Structure of story ==

The Window of Orpheus has a bit complicated structure. The story consists of the four Parts. But from the contents of each part, it can be said that there are three independent stories. These stories are apparently assigned to each Part. • Story 1: The Story of the Secret of the House Ahrensmeyer (Part 1, Part 4) • Story 2: The Story of Isaak and the Music (Part1, Part 2, Part 4) • Story 3: The Story of the Russian Revolution (Part 3) Part 1 contains the prologue of the Story 2, and it contains the interlogue of the Story 3. And Part 4 contains both the epilogue of the Story 1 and the Story 2. And the Story 2 isn't finished here in the original plan. At the first vision of the author, it was the story of a pianist and the music. In the plan of the author, the story was scheduled to continue after the death of Alexei and Julius. The son of Isaak, Jubel, would be a great pianist, and Isaak himself would be a grand master Composer in Vienna. But Ikeda could not write these stories, and therefore The Window of Orpheus is her "Life Work". == Reception ==

The Window of Orpheus is one of the representative Japanese shōjo manga in 1970s. Another Ikeda's work The Rose of Versailles has had higher reputation and popularity. But according to one editor, Orpheus has a higher completeness than Versailles in the view point of the artistic achievement as manga story, including its picture quality. The 1970s is the epoch for Japanese shōjo manga from the various view points in cultural and social phenomena. The fruits of the Year 24 Group were ripened in this period, and the Japanese manga and subcultural industries themselves had largely developed and diversified in this epoch. Frederick Schodt introduced the Japanese manga culture in the 1970s in his book. In the section "Flowers and Dreams", there are about 20 these images selected and shown. One of them is the scene from the Window of Orpheus. The image presented is the last scene of Marquis Yusupov. == Publication of Margaret comics ==

The manga series was published in 18 bound volumes in Margaret comics series of Shueisha. : "Mg" indicates stories are published in weekly Margaret. "Sv" indicate stories are published in monthly Seventeen. == General publication ==

There are various versions of Japanese manga books of The Window of Orpheus. In Japanese, five real paper book series and one E-book series are known. The manga series is also published in the languages other than Japanese. Japanese language Other languages == References ==