Król Roger (King Roger)
An Introduction
by Dr. Peter Laki, Bard College
‟My God is beautiful, like me”—sings a mysterious, charismatic, and irresistibly erotic character in Polish composer Karol Szymanowski’s 1926 opera King Roger. Vital issues of religion, sexuality, and politics commingle in this still-underappreciated masterpiece, which boldly asks the question as to whether a head of state may allow himself to follow his own desires or must abide by the rigid rules on which his kingdom is founded. The dilemma is an ancient one: the libretto, originally written by the eminent Polish poet Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz but thoroughly reworked by the composer (they were cousins), was freely based on Euripides’ tragedy The Bacchae. Yet it hardly needs to be stressed that the dilemma is also a very modern one, perhaps even more timely today than it was in the 1920s.
Szymanowski (1882-1937) was a contemporary of Stravinsky and Schoenberg, but followed a personal path that couldn’t have been more different from theirs. He was most strongly marked by two composers who had died in the 1910’s: Claude Debussy (1862-1918) and Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915). To the Frenchman’s impressionism and the Russian’s mysticism he added a great love for the Middle East and an intense poetic passion all his own. A master orchestrator, he conveys his message by means of a lush instrumental texture; in the opera, the role of the orchestra is perhaps even more important than that of the singers.
Roger, the title character, was Roger II (1095-1154), King of Sicily, who played an important role in establishing the Mediterranean island as one of the major political powers in medieval Europe. Yet we learn very little about his actual feats from the opera, which revolves almost entirely around Roger’s inner turmoil. There are two more important characters besides the King: his wife Roksana and the mysterious Shepherd who sings the above-quoted line about God. (Szymanowski originally planned to call the opera The Shepherd.) The Shepherd appears in the realm as a messenger from an unknown world, with hedonistic ideas that threaten to undermine the Christian kingdom. Roksana immediately falls for the Shepherd’s message, but Roger initially resists. What will he decide in the end?
The opera is in three acts that, in terms of their musical style and artistic inspiration, may be characterized as the Byzantine, the Oriental, and the Ancient Greek act, respectively. All three cultures were palpably present in Sicily, and when Szymanowski travelled there as a young man, he was able to see traces of all three in Roger’s magnificent palace in the city of Palermo. Opera Circle’s performance of King Roger, thus, will take us on a trip to the far away and long ago, but at the same time remind us of the timelessness of the issues addressed. Most importantly: the music is incredibly beautiful, unlike anything else you’ve heard before. King Roger is sure to prove an unforgettable theatrical experience.
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