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Opera (The State Theatre Košice) | Król Roger – photo: Joseph MarčinskýOpera (The State Theatre Košice) | Król Roger – photo: Joseph Marčinský
Opera
The State Theatre Košice

Król Roger (King Roger)

Karol Szymanowski

Festival hudebního divadla OPERA 2025

The Estates Theatre
Festival of Music Theatre Opera 2025

Choose date

    February 2025

    Tuesday 4. 2.
    19:00

    Tickets available

    Festival of Music Theatre Opera 2025

    Basic information

    Venue

    The Estates Theatre

    Ensemble

    The State Theatre Košice

    Approximate running time

    1 hour 20 minutes, no intermission

    Language

    In Polish, surtitles in Czech, English

    Premiere

    Premiere: November 23., 2022, in Košice

    Festival info at www.festival-opera.cz.

    Performance as part of the 16th Festival of Music Theatre Opera 2025

    About

     The opera, King Roger, is the supreme work of Karol Szymanowski, whose creation was finished between 1918–1924. The libretto was written by the composer in collaboration with his distant cousin Jaroslaw Iwaskiewicz, who later became a well-known Polish writer. After several visits to Italy and Sicily, Szymanowski was fascinated by their culture and history, as well as the unknown worlds that opened up to him in Mediterranean surroundings. The Bacchae by Euripides, Plato's Phaedrus and Symposium, as well as the works of Friedrich Nietzsche also became King Roger´s spiritual inspiration.

    The opera offers the story of the ruler Roger as a representative of a social system, a world of rationality, discipline and faith, disrupted by a mysterious Shepherd. With the arrival of a modern prophet, who preaches hedonism and self-indulgence and is followed by crowds, not only will the existing social order be shaken, but Roger´s personal transformation will also begin. Szymanowski himself referred to his work as a “mystery”– his themes are self-knowledge, sexuality, altered states of consciousness, but also religion and new forms of spirituality.

    This original synthesis of musical and spiritual-philosophical influences in King Roger is one of the reasons why this piece has become closer to the modern audience in recent years and is experiencing its renaissance on the biggest opera stages of the world. 

    Suitable for ages 15 and older


    Cast

    Roger II, King of Sicily – Michał Partyka
    Roxana, his wife – Gabriela Hrženjak
    Edrisi, an Arab scholar – Maksym Kutsenko
    Shepherd – Juraj Hollý
    Archbishop – Michal Onufer
    Deaconess – Myroslava Havryliuk
    Young boy – Oleksandr Tishchenko

    National Theatre Košice chorus and orchestra, children's choir under the direction of Igor Dohovič


    Creatives

    Conductor: Peter Valentovič
    Concept: Anton Korenči, Roland Khern Tóth, Stanislav Trnovský
    Stage Director: Anton Korenči
    Sets: Ondrej Zachar
    Costumes: Boris Hanečka
    Light Design: Róbert Farkaš
    Chorus Master: Peter Valentovič

    Photo and video gallery

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      Practical information

      Where to buy tickets

      The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance. We are currently selling tickets for performances of Drama, Ballet, Opera and Laterna magika taking place in December 2024 – May 2025.


      When purchasing online, you can get an e-ticket. You can pick up printed tickets in person at the box offices of the National Theatre.

      What to wear?

      By their appearance, attire and behaviour, the audience is obliged to adhere to the accustomed practice expected from them when attending a theatre performance.

      Parking at the Estates Theatre

      Unfortunately, there is no parking near The Estates Theater. You can use the guarded parking lot in the Kotva shopping center (Revoluční 1/655, Prague 1) and Paladium (Na Poříčí 1079 / 3a, Prague 1).

      Buffets at the Estates Theater

      No waiting. For your benefit, please pre-order your food and beverages at the bar to minimize waiting in the queue!

      Menu (PDF, 60 kB)