"It's hard to believe that this 'Król Roger' had been neglected for so
long!" The prestigious "Opernwelt" was not alone in welcoming the belated
rediscovery of Polish composer Karol Szymanowski's (1882-1937) masterpiece
of 1926, which resonates with echoes of Late-Romanticism and
Expressionism, Richard Strauss and Richard Wagner. Presented at the
Festival Hall of the Bregenz Festival in a production by festival director
David Pountney, the musical rarity, a combination of opera, oratorio and
mystery play, tells the story of 12th-century Sicilian King Roger, who is
led astray by a mysterious shepherd who preaches a life of unrestrained
hedonism.
Director David Pountney delivers an uncommonly riveting production by
staging the clash of virtue and immorality in a simple, archaic, yet
wondrously luminous set reminiscent of an ancient Greek theater. The
coproduction with the Gran Teatre del Liceu of Barcelona is given musical
shape by the Wiener Symphoniker, who "rise above themselves" (Opernwelt)
under Sir Mark Elder. Scott Hendricks gives a powerful rendition of the
title hero. Will Hartmann and Olga Pasichnyk shine as the shepherd and
the king's wife.