King Roger
演出简介
Karol Szymanowski's opera "Król Roger" (King Roger) will have its Spanish premiere at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
The model for the main character, King Roger of Sicily, is Pentheus, King of Thebes, who prohibited the cult of Dionysus and was torn to pieces by his mother and sisters on Mount Cithaeron. A mysterious shepherd arrives in Sicily, puts Queen Roxana and the entire court under his spell. He ultimately reveals that he is Dionysus, the god of wine, fertility and hedonism. King Roger, however, resists his attraction and the work concludes with his rousing hymn to Apollo and the Sun, the classical symbols of reason, as opposed to the ecstasy pursued by Dionysus and his followers. The first "Byzantine" act takes place in Palermo Cathedral; in the second "Oriental" act, the action shifts to India and the Near East; and the third "Greco‐Roman" act has an ancient Greek temple in the background. The music reflects these different settings by evoking a religious atmosphere, exotic oriental dances, idealism and passion.
The opera by the Polish composer was premiered in 1926 in Warsaw. Set in 12th century Sicily, it combines features of Greek classicism — the cult of the god Dionysus — with Nietzsche's philosophy, and explores the coexistence of the Byzantine, Arab, Greek and European cultures. It is considered one of the great operas of the 20th century.
The music has the richness and texture of Szymanowski's contemporaries Strauss and Scriabin, occasionally interwoven with the intensity of Debussy.
Musical director: Josep Pons
Stage Director: David Pountney
Set Design: Raimund Bauer
Costume design: Marie‐Jeanne Lecca
Light Design: Fabrice Kebour
Choreography: Beate Vollack
Coproduction: Gran Teatre del Liceu / Festival de Bregenz
Cast in November 2009:
Roger: Scott Hendricks (2, 5, 8,10, 13, 16) and Leszek Skrla (7, 11)
Roxana: Anne Schwanewilms (2, 5, 8, 10, 13, 16) and Monika Mych (7, 11)
Pastor: Will Hartmann (2, 5, 8, 10, 13, 16) and Pawel Tolstoy (7, 11)
In some areas of the Gran Teatre del Liceu it is possible to be seated with a partially obstructed view of the stage. The Gran Teatre del Liceu recommends Zone 2 for the finest and completely unobstructed view of the performance.
