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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

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

    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.

    The National Theatre sells tickets up to 6 months in advance - currently for February–July 2025.
    Sales always start on the 1st day of the month at 9am, except in January when pre-sales do not start until the 2nd day due to a public holiday.

    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)