Olavinlinna Castle 8 July 2021 - King Roger | GoComGo.com

King Roger

Olavinlinna Castle, Savonlinna, Finland
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Select date and time
Thursday 8 July 2021
7 PM
Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Savonlinna, Finland
Starts at: 19:00
Acts: 3
Intervals: 1
Duration:
Sung in: Polish
Titles in: Finnish,English

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

You can only select the category, and not the exact seats.
If you order 2 or 3 tickets: your seats will be next to each other.
If you order 4 or more tickets: your seats will be next to each other, or, if this is not possible, we will provide a combination of groups of seats (at least in pairs, for example 2+2 or 2+3).

Festival

Savonlinna Opera Festival 2021

Following the Finnish government’s ruling regarding events in summer 2020, this year’s Savonlinna Opera Festival has been postponed until 2021 to help control the coronavirus epidemic. The programme scheduled for 2020 will be performed in Olavinlinna next year instead. Any tickets already bought or reserved will automatically be valid for summer 2021 performances.

Overview

The imposing 1920s opera by Polish Karol Szymanovski is experiencing a renaissance around the world. This is the first time it will be seen on a Finnish opera stage.

Set in the multicultural 12th century Sicily, this mystery play pulls the audience in with intoxicatingly poetic music. At the same time, it’s an almost spiritual experience – the story of a king, his wife, and a young shepherd who lays out visions of temptations and sensuality in front of the conservative court.

What prevails in the end is the eternal conflict between the body and the soul, between rationality and instincts.

This intensive love triangle features artists of the new generation. Soprano Helena Juntunen will shine as Roxana, Swedish baritone Fredrik Zetterström sings the role of King Roger, and tenor Gerald Schneider appears as the Shepherd. Schneider’s charismatic stage presence has been likened to that of a popstar.

History
Premiere of this production: 19 June 1926, Grand Theatre, Warsaw

King Roger (Polish: Król Roger) is an opera in three acts by Karol Szymanowski to a Polish libretto by the composer himself and Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, the composer's cousin. The score was finished in 1924. The opera received its world premiere on 19 June 1926 at the Grand Theatre, Warsaw, with the cast including the composer's sister, the soprano Stanisława Korwin-Szymanowska, as Roxana.

Synopsis

Place: Sicily
Time: 12th century
The story concerns the enlightenment of the Christian King Roger II by a young shepherd who represents pagan ideals.

Act 1
Often known as the "Byzantine" act

The Shepherd is introduced to King Roger and his court during mass at the Palermo Cathedral. Despite calls by the Archbishop as well as the crowd for his punishment as a heretic, Roxana, Roger's wife, convinces the King not to kill him. She implores him to pass a fair judgment on the Shepherd. Roger orders the young man to appear at the palace that night, where he will explain himself and submit to the King's judgement.

Act 2
The "Oriental" act, representing India and the Middle East

As instructed, the Shepherd appears at the palace gates. Roxana sings a seductive song which is clearly a response to the visitor, causing Roger to grow increasingly agitated. As the Shepherd is led in, he describes his faith in detail and soon almost the entire court joins him in an ecstatic dance. Roger attempts to chain him, but the Shepherd easily breaks free, and leaves the palace with almost all of those assembled following him. At first the King and his Arab advisor, Edrisi are left alone, but soon it is decided that Roger will join the Shepherd.

Act 3
The "Greco-Roman" act

In an ancient Greek theater, King Roger and Edrisi rejoin Roxana, who informs her husband that only the Shepherd can free him of his fear and jealousy. A fire is lit, and the Shepherd's followers commence another dance, while the Shepherd is transformed into Dionysus. As the dance ends and the participants leave the stage, Roger is left transformed by the experience, and sings a joyous hymn at the arrival of the morning sun.

Venue Info

Olavinlinna Castle - Savonlinna
Location   Olavinkatu 27

During it’s history the Olavinlinna Castle has been the state border fortress for both Swedes and Russians. The construction work for Saint Olaf’s Castle started in 1475, when a Danish born knight Erik Akselinpoika Tott decided to build a great fortress to protect the strategically important Savo region. The castle was to ward off Russian’s attacks coming from the east and thus ensure that the Savo region will stay under the Swedish Crown. Olavinlinna Castle’s history is a mixture of swords clashing in the middle ages, cannons rumbleing and every day chores inside the castle’s walls.

In 1975 after great renovation works the Olavinlinna Castle re-opened it’s renovated spaces and nowadays Olavinlinna Castle is open for public all year around. The castle’s museom showcases materials that were either found from the castle or are somehow related to it’s history. The orthodox museum has icons and other religous articles both from Finland and Russia. Public events and guided tours to the castle are held in many languages, in summer and in winter. Castle’s multiple spaces are rentable and host many different kinds of events and celebrations. Olavinlinna Castle with it’s over 100 000 visitors a year is the main tourist attraction in Savonlinna.

The first Opera Festival was held in summer 1912. Attending a political meeting in Olavinlinna Castle in 1907, the Finnish soprano Aino Ackté, already famous at opera houses the world over and an ardent patriot, immediately spotted the potential of the medieval castle built in 1475 as the venue for an opera festival. The romantic castle set amid lake scenery of ‘supernatural beauty’ could not, in her opinion, fail to impress all who beheld it and was thus the perfect stage for the Finnish music just bursting into flower. Nowadays the auditorium is covered and has 2264 seats.

Important Info
Type: Opera
City: Savonlinna, Finland
Starts at: 19:00
Acts: 3
Intervals: 1
Duration:
Sung in: Polish
Titles in: Finnish,English
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