XXVIII PAŽAISLIS MUSIC FESTIVAL | CLOSING CONCERT

Lithuanian  premiere!
KAROL SZYMANOWSKI – OPERA „KING ROGER“ (concert  performance)

Featuring:
LITHUANIAN STATE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Artistic director and principal conductor Gintaras Rinkevičius
KAUNAS STATE CHOIR
Artistic director and principal conductor Robertas Šervenikas
ĄŽUOLIUKAS BOYS AND YOUTH CHOIR
Director Vytautas Miškinis

Soloists:
King Roger – BRETT POLEGATO (baritone, Canada/Italy)
Roxana – LAUREN FAGAN (soprano, Australia)
Shepherd – EDGARAS MONTVIDAS (tenor)
Edrisi – MINDAUGAS JANKAUSKAS (tenor)
Archbishop – TADAS GIRININKAS (bass)
Deaconess  – EGLĖ WYSS (mezzo-soprano)

Conductor GINTARAS RINKEVIČIUS

Programme:
KAROL SZYMANOWSKI – OPERA KING ROGER (concert performance)

At the final concert of the XXVIII Pažaislis Music Festival, listeners will be transported to the mystical world of medieval Sicily by the Lithuanian premiere of King Roger, the opera by Polish composer Karol Szymanowski.

Many connoisseurs consider this opera to be a huge discovery, and one that is seriously underrated: “This is an extraordinary opera. The very idea of the libretto, conceived by the composer and masterfully embodied by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, was extraordinary. Medieval Sicily, which is where the opera was set, combines the ascetic atmosphere of early Christianity with the colourful and mysterious world of Byzantine culture.”

The work is characterised by great dramatic force and rich orchestral and vocal colour, where Gregorian chant melodies, medieval mysticism and poetic oriental sensuality intertwine. With its impressive, dense and subtle orchestration, The Guardian called King Roger “the perfect opera for those who’ve never experienced one in the flesh.”