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The Castle Opera in Szczecin Presents Karol Szymanowski's King Roger

Mar. 10, 2022

Opera Szczecin presents a new production of Karol Szymanowski’s opera King Roger (Król Roger) from March 19-May 15. The performances are conducted by Jerzy Wołosiuk and directed by Rafał Mausz who shares his thoughts on Szymanowski’s opera and the new production:


“Karol Szymanowski's King Roger is an extraordinary musical event.

Due to its artistic value, it is called one of the greatest masterpieces of the 20th Century. It is an opera, an oratorio and a mystery at the same time. Carried out by the most renowned conductors and directors, it delights on opera stages almost all over the world.

It is also a huge challenge, which we have taken up for the first time in the history of our theater for the occasion of celebrating the 65th anniversary of the Szczecin Opera House.

Our production features an international cast, and approximately 150 artists will take part in the performances. In addition to the soloists, the orchestra, ballet and the Choir of the Castle Opera, guest soloists, the Theater Vorpommern choir and the Szczecin Boys' Choir "Nightingales" will perform.

Szymanowski's score is described as an extraordinary, original work with poetic symbolism, shimmering with a wealth of ideas and stunning sounds.

We will try to explore the mind and soul of King Roger with must-see staging. That's why you can't miss it!

This story is a warning against placing man on an absolute pedestal, but also contains an existential perspective that it is he himself who stands at the beginning and at the end of the road; there is nothing else. King Roger opens thinge epoch of anthropocentrism, expresses our crisis and the feeling of a spiritual catastrophe.

King Roger is a phenomenon. Nothing before and nothing like this has been created. It is a phenomenon. It was created in the 1920s during a time of relative peace after World War I (...). During this decade, many innovative works were created…freedom to create without fear of the world brought results, and on the wave of this freedom of thought, work on the development of self-awareness, and improvement, Szymanowski's work was created. It is a metaphysical opera about change, about the deepest psychological power. It is also an intense mystical touch, working with the absolute, the mysterious story of man and his understanding of freedom, of building oneself anew. It is a story of breaking the old order and entering the new. Is it good? Are you the builder? Does absolute freedom exist? What happens to us, if everything is allowed, can we do everything?”


(King Roger/Karol Szymanowski/Royal Opera House, Covent Garden/
Sir Antonio Pappano, conductor)


To learn more about Karol Szymanowski, visit: universaledition.com.

Karol Szymanowski
King Roger (The Shepherd) (1918-1924)
Libretto by Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz and Karol Szymanowski 
Opera in 3 acts
3.3.4.3-4.3.3.1-6perc-2hp-cel-pno-org-str
120'

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