KING ROGER

Karol Szymanovsky's Król Roger (King Roger)

Sat. Feb. 27, 8pm
Welte Hall, Central Conn. State University, New Britain

Sun. Feb. 28, 6pm
Evans Hall, Connecticut College, New London

Conductor - Adrian Sylveen Mackiewicz
Director - Jaroslaw Strzemien
Set Designer - Ken Mooney
Chorus Master - Pawel Jura
Technical Director - Peter Strand

King Roger - Maksim Ivanov
Roxanna - Jurate Svedaite
Shepard - Sean Fallen

Król Roger (King Roger) is a magnificent dramatic work, though not so well known outside of Szymanovski’s native Poland. Static in action but rich in tension, Król Roger takes a historical figure—Sicily’s highly learned and progressive ruler from 1130 to 1154—and throws him into a vortex of conflicting physical and spiritual urges. This work will be presented complete, albeit in a more intimate venue, tentatively the 350 seat Evans Hall. The financial commitment for this work will be considerably less than the other two, although it is intended to provide local opera-goers an opportunity to experience this beautiful work that Maestro Mackiewicz considers one of the greatest 20th Century operas.

Król Roger will premiere in New Britain on February 27 at CCSU's Welte Hall and will be repeated the next day in New London at Conn. College's Evans Hall on February 28.

All performances are co-presented with CLO's resident orchestra, the Connecticut Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra.

OPERA FACT

All the great operas touch on universal themes of human existence - love, hate, family, faith, the search for self.

Operas such as Verdi's Aida and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess explore issues of race, religion, and class that remain relevant today.