King Roger

Karol Szymanowski
Operas Hagith (1922) King Roger (1926)

King Roger opera in 3 acts

King Roger II of Sicily from Liber ad honorem Augusti, 1196 illustration

King Roger (Król Roger, op. 46) is a Polish opera in 3 acts, with music by Karol Szymanowski and the libretto by the composer himself and Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, the composer's cousin. The opera received its world premiere on 19 June 1926 in Warsaw, Poland, with the cast including the composer's sister, the soprano Stanisława Korwin-Szymanowska, as Roxana.

The opera originated from Szymanowski's enthusiasm for Mediterranean culture as a melting pot of different peoples and religions. He spent much time travelling in that area in 1911 and in 1914, and shared his love of the region with Iwaszkiewicz. In the summer of 1918 at Odessa, Ukraine, Szymanowski and Iwaszkiewicz conceived the project, and composed the opera over the period of 1918 to 1924. Szymanowski's lost novel Efebos dealt with mystical themes similar to those that inspired this work.^[1]

Jim Samson has placed King Roger in a musico-psychological analysis of Szymanowski's compositional struggles.^[2] Alistair Wightman has briefly discussed Szymanowski's stylised treatment of Arabic musical idioms in the score.^[3] Stephen Downes has analysed in detail the themes of "duality" and "transformation" expressed in the music of the opera.^[4]

Performance history

Since its 1926 premiere, stagings of King Roger have been relatively rare. Two productions followed closely, the first in Duisburg, Germany in 1928 and the second in 1932 in Prague. The first post Second World War presentation was in Palermo in 1949 (in the presence of the librettist), after which some years passed before the opera was seen again.

In 1975, the New Opera Company in London produced the work which was conducted by Charles Mackerras, while the opera was first seen in the US in 1981 in a concert version given by the St. Louis Symphony in St. Louis, conducted by Leonard Slatkin. That same year it was presented at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, conducted by Stanisław Wisłocki.

Since the late 1980s and into the present century, King Roger seems to have enjoyed something of a revival with about thirteen productions in many different locations. In 1988, the Long Beach Opera in California, known for its innovative approach to the repertoire, had Murray Sidlin as conductor and James Johnson as King Roger, Nancy Shade as Roxana, and Jonathan Mack as Edrisi.^[5] Palermo presented King Roger again in 1992. Four concert versions were given by the end of the 1990s: the first by Orchestre National de France in Paris, conducted by Charles Dutoit in 1996 and at the London Proms by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra under Simon Rattle in 1998, while the third and fourth performances were presented in Montreal and subsequently, on October 17th 1999, at Carnegie Hall for the New York Premiere with Charles Dutoit and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

In the 21st century, King Roger was given by the Polish National Opera in 2000. In 2002, Charles Dutoit conducted the Japanese Premiere of the work in a concert version with the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, as well as in Prague with the Czeck Philharmonic in 2007. The Mariinsky Opera Company brought the work to the Edinburgh Festival in 2008 under Valery Gergiev and directed by Mariusz Trelinski^[6]

It was presented in Palermo in 2005 and also by the Wrocław Opera in 2007. A subsequent US performance was at the Bard SummerScape Festival in 2008.^[7][8]

Both the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and the Opéra National de Paris in Paris, conducted by Kazushi Ono presented it in 2009. In 2011, King Roger appeared at the Staatstheater Mainz. A new production of the opera was staged in Polish at The Santa Fe Opera on 21 July 2012 with Mariusz Kwiecien in the title role. ^{[9] [10]} In 2013, King Roger was presented at the 17th Festival Amazonas de Ópera in Manaus, Brazil with Marcin Bronikowski in the title role and, in June 2014, a new production is to be staged at the Wuppertal Opera House in Germany.^[11] Two performances took place in Boston in March 2015 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Charles Dutoit, and future ones will take place at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, in May 2015.

Roles

Synopsis

Place: Sicily

Time: 12th Century

The story concerns the enlightenment of the Christian King Roger II by a young shepherd who represents pagan ideals.

Act 1

Often known as the "Byzantine" Act

The Shepherd is introduced to King Roger and his court during mass at the Palermo Cathedral. Despite calls for his punishment as a heretic by the Archbishop, Roxana, Roger's wife, convinces the King not to kill him. Roger orders the young man to appear at the palace that night, where he will explain himself and submit to the King's judgement.

Act 2

The "Oriental" Act, representing India and the Middle East

As instructed, the Shepherd appears at the palace gates. Roxana sings a seductive song which is clearly a response to the visitor, causing Roger to grow increasingly agitated. As the Shepherd is led in, he describes his faith in detail and soon almost the entire court joins him in an ecstatic dance. Roger attempts to chain him, but the Shepherd easily breaks free, and leaves the palace with almost all of those assembled following him. At first the King and his Arab advisor, Edrisi are left alone, but soon it is decided that Roger will join the Shepherd.

Act 3

The "Greco-Roman" Act

In an ancient Greek theater, King Roger and Edrisi rejoin Roxana, who informs her husband that only the Shepherd can free him of his fear and jealousy. A fire is lit, and the Shepherd's followers commence another dance, while the Shepherd is transformed into Dionysus. As the dance ends and the participants leave the stage, Roger is left transformed by the experience, and sings a joyous hymn at the arrival of the morning sun.

Recordings

References

Notes

Sources

• Earl of Harewood (Ed.), "King Roger", Kobbé's Complete Opera Book. Putnam: London and New York, 1954, pp. 1594–98
• Holden, Amanda (Ed.), "Karol Szymanowski", The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
• Anetta Floirat, Le Roi Roger de Karol Szymanowski – chef-d’œuvre de diversité unifiée [Karol Szymanowski’s King Roger – masterpiece of unified diversity], Ph.D. diss., music history, Paris-Sorbonne, 2011

External links

• Libretto (in Polish)
• Libretto (English translation)
• Kultiversum German-language page on King Roger
• Classical Composers.org page on Stanisław Michal Wisłocki
• Rob Barnett, CD review of Accord ACD 131, MusicWeb International, 4 May 2004
• Myers, Eric, King Roger, Time Out, New York, 22–30 July 2008. Review of the Bard College production
• King Roger Op. 46 - Karol Szymanowski, Culture.pl
• King Roger Op.46 and the Clash of the Gods