World-class opera singer Mariusz Kwiecień dazzled audiences last year in Paris and Madrid with his execution of the title role in Karol Szymanowski's magnum opus King Roger, directed by Krzysztof Warlikowski. British director David Poutney also staged his own vision for the opera in Warsaw, officially inaugurating the cultural programme of the Polish EU Presidency on the 1st of July 2011. Written at the time of the composer's immense interest in the Antiquity, the Orient and the culture of the Mediterranean, and inspired by his 1911 journey to Sicily, it is regarded as one of the most modern operas of the beginning of the 20th century.
Karol Szymanowski completed the work in 1924. It was staged two years later by Adolf Popławski at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, with Emil Młynarski conducting. Through the 20th century King Roger was staged in opera houses worldwide, from Duisburg, Germany in 1928, Prague, Bohemia, in 1932, toTeatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy, in 1949. A stage version was presented during the 1961 Warsaw Autumn International Festival of Contemporary Music. In the United States in was shown at the Long Beach Opera in 1988 and at Bard College in 2008. The work is enjoying a revival, riding on a growing interest in Szymanowski's life and works not only in Europe, but in North and South America as well, and even Asia, thanks in major part to the support of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Warsaw and Polish Cultural Institutes around the world.
It has been described as a "philosophical opera" that draws upon both the Dionysian sense of sensual debauchery and the Apolline cult of beauty and light. Musically it stretches across the borderline between opera and musical drama, without belonging to any pure genre, comprising elements of oratory and performance that are very much inspired by the Orient The first act is set during a service at the Palermo Cathedral. King Roger, his wife Roxanne and advisor Edrisi learn that the Church is threatened by the founder of a new religion, a young and beautiful Shepherd. Summoned to the sanctuary, he is accused of offence to God. Despite the crowd's aggression, the royal couple are impressed by the gentleness and humility of the Shepherd, grant him life and summon him to the court. In the second act the King becomes troubled with Roxanne's growing fascination with the Shepherd and his concern is justified when the pair run off. The King sets off on a long journey to find them - when he does the Shepherd reveals his godly form and he is praised by the royal couple, who recognise his divine aspect.
Read the first reviews of Kwiecień's performance
Mariusz Kwiecień (born 1972) discovered the allure of King Roger several years ago when he was cast in Warlikowski's staging of the opera for performances in Paris and Madrid. He has since become its most enthusiastic proponents, urging programme directors across the world to include the work in their repertoire. Santa Fe Opera General Director Charles MacKay required little convincing and soon made a place for it on the summer programme, remarking upon its "rich, exotic score". Kwiecień made his mark on the opera world with his performances in Don Giovanni on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. Now that he has a solid position in the opera world, he's pushing for his own ideas, as he explained in an interview with Poland's Polityka Magazine. He has called King Roger "the best Polish opera ever written" and critics such as NYT's Anthony Tomassini anticipating an excellent rendition on the stage in Santa Fe he, when Kwiecień is joined by soloists Erin Morley (Roxanne) and William Burden (Shepherd), directed by Steven Wadsworth. Wadsworth plans to use the stained glass windows of the opera house to create a set of light, with the final scene stark and unnerving. In the future the opera will likely continue to grace the stage of the best halls of the world, including London's Covent Garden and New York's Met.
Yet King Roger is Szymanowski's second opera, after Hagith. Renowned Polish opera director Michał Znaniecki has chosen Hagith to celebrate two decades of his artistic career at one of the most important institutions for opera in South America - Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. Written between 1912-1913, the one-act work tells the story of a girl who sacrifice her virginity to restore power to the old King, who is gradually falling senile and decrepit. She falls in love with the king's young heir and when the king finds out he tries to enslave the girl, but drops dead after a momentary rise in power. The fanatical mob stones Hagith for her fault and the young king is left to dwell in his misery. It draws its influence from the German Expressionist spirit, with comparisons to Strauss' Salome, endowed, however, with a great degree of complexity with regard to harmony and emotion. The opera was written for the Vienna opera stage, but it was never successfully performed there. It was shown in Warsaw after World War II, but then disappeared from the repertoire until 1962, when it was staged by the Silesian National Opera.