The premiere performance of King Roger, directed by Michał Znaniecki, will take place on November 13, 2015 at the stage of the Krakow Opera. Łukasz Borowicz is the production’s music director, while the set has been designed by Luigi Scoglio.
Mariusz Kwiecień, an outstanding Polish baritone who has taken world opera stages by storm, sings the opera's title role. He has already performed this part on the stages of Santa Fe Opera, Opera Bastille in Paris, and Teatro Real in Madrid. In May 2015, King Roger was premiered at the Royal Opera House in London.
“Mariusz Kwiecień was born for the part of King Roger. His vocal capabilities, aura, natural acting energy – everything serves the character created by Szymanowski and Iwaszkiewicz” - wrote Tomasz Cyz reviewing the London premiere for the “Ruch Muzyczny” magazine. Mariusz Kwiecień is a frequent guest at the Krakow Opera. The audience had the opportunity to admire the world acclaimed artist as Don Giovanni and Eugene Onegin (dir. by Michał Znaniecki), as well as Count Almaviva in The Marriage of Figaro (dir. by Laco Adamik).
In King Roger the audience will also see Mariusz Godlewski, one of the leading Polish baritones who often appears in the Krakow Opera. Other solo parts feature magnificent soloists: Katarzyna Oleś-Blacha and Iwona Socha (Roxana), Pavlo Tolstoy, Adam Zdunikowski (Shepherd), Vasyl Grokholskyi, Adam Sobierajski (Edrisi), Przemysław Firek, Jacek Ozimkowski (Archbishop), Marta Agnieszka Cząstka, Monika Korybalska (Deaconess).
The performance will subsequently be staged on 15, 17 and 18 November 2015.
Source: www.opera.krakow.pl
“King Roger is an unusual opera. Unusual was already the idea of the libretto that was born in the composer’s mind and executed with great mastery by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (…). Finally, unusual was the music that connects bold modernity with a par excellence operatic melodiousness of solo parts and the theatrical bravura of group scenes.”
Józef Kański
