Calendar

02July2022

“Night of the Ravens” – World premiere of new opera by Zygmunt Krauze

The Royal Theatre in the Old Orangery in the Royal Łazienki Museum in Warsaw
Opera

NIGHT OF THE RAVENS / ZYGMUNT KRAUZE. WORLD PREMIERE – INAUGURATION OF THE 5TH FESTIVAL OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA – POLISH MUSIC

2 July 2022, Saturday
Time 19:00
The Royal Theatre in the Old Orangery in the Royal Łazienki Museum in Warsaw

Work commissioned by the Polish Royal Opera.

Dziady – Widma – a stage cantata by Stanisław Moniuszko to the words of the second part of the famous drama by Adam Mickiewicz- was the very first premiere prepared by the Polish Royal Opera. After five years of functioning of the institution, a new performance was created, based on the same text by Mickiewicz, yet interpreted in a completely different way – both in terms of staging and music.

Night of the Ravens is an opera written on commission by one of the most outstanding contemporary Polish composers – Zygmunt Krauze. The libretto was prepared by Małgorzata Sikorska-Miszczuk on the basis of Adam Mickiewicz’s Ballades and Romances and Dziady. The author puts the well-known texts in an entirely new context – she seamlessly integrates the themes and fragments of various works, thus building a coherent image of the world enchanted in the poetry of the Polish bard. The characters of the ballads come to the call of the Guślarz and the commoners celebrating Dziady. “Sinful souls obsessed with love” reveal their stories but they find no relief, while the living, overwhelmed by emotion, face Death. The atmosphere of mystery and horror is enhanced by the recurring motifs of the tango – a dance in which passion is intertwined with tragedy, and excitement with disappointment.

MUSIC DIRECTION DAWID RUNTZ
DIRECTOR WALDEMAR RAŹNIAK
SET AND LIGHTING DESIGN KATARZYNA BORKOWSKA
CHOREOGRAPHY SARA KOZŁOWSKA
CHORUS MASTER JAKUB SZAFRAŃSKI
ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR KAROL SZWECH
ASSISTANT DIRECTORS SŁAWOMIR JURCZAK, AGNIESZKA KOZŁOWSKA
STAGE MANAGERS AGNIESZKA ORLIKOWSKA, TATIANA HEMPEL-GIERLACH

CAST

KARA MAŁGORZATA TROJANOWSKA
DEATH/MERCHANT MARTA BOBERSKA
LADY ALEKSANDRA KLIMCZAK
MOTHER DOROTA LACHOWICZ
KRYSIA ANDŻELIKA WIŚNIEWSKA
MISS RAVEN MAŁGORZATA BARTKOWSKA
JASIEK SYLWESTER SMULCZYŃSKI
SORCERER WITOLD ŻOŁĄDKIEWICZ
MASTER ROBERT SZPRĘGIEL
MISTER RAVEN PAWEŁ MICHALCZUK

THE CHORUS OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA

THE ORCHESTRA OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA

CONDUCTOR DAWID RUNTZ

 


Duration: approx. 1h
The seats in the auditorium are not numbered.
PLEASE NOTE: the entrance to the Royal Theatre in Łazienki Park is located in Agrykola street.
One hour before the performance as well as for an hour after it is finished, the audience can use the electric cart running between the Royal Theater and the Łazienki Gate at the corner of Myśliwiecka / Agrykola streets.

Performed from music materials and under the courtesy of PWM EDITION.


The media patron of the 5th Festival of the Polish Royal Opera is

The partner of the 5th Festival of the Polish Royal Opera is