Król Roger

It has taken a long while for Karol Szymonowski's 1926 opera to win international recognition, but this excellent production of Król Roger at London's Royal Opera House suggests that the time has finally come. The libretto—serving up a parable of the struggle between emotion and intellect inspired by Euripides's The Bacchae—is set in the 12th century and centers on a handsome young Shepherd accused of heresy at the court of King Roger of Sicily for espousing what amounts to hedonistic beliefs. The Shepherd's words arouse Queen Roxana, who goes off with him, after which Roger follows the pair to the East, where the Shepherd is revealed as the god Dionysius, whose bacchant followers Roxana has joined. Szymonowski clothes this strange tale with music that is extraordinary for its surging rhythms and voluptuous scoring, played to the hilt by the house orchestra under the baton of Antonio Pappano. The vocalism and acting of Mariusz Kwiecien (Roger), Georgia Jarman (Queen Roxana), and Saimir Pirgu (the Shepherd) are also utterly committed. This 2015 production is equally remarkable for Kasper Holten's staging, which is dominated by the statue of a gigantic human head (designed by Steffen Aarfing), which rotates in Act 2 to reveal three levels—an observatory, a library, and a room with a group of writhing dancers—that correspond to Freud's superego, ego, and id. The costumes suggest an eclectic mix of styles and periods, with the Shepherd's garb standing out in its bright, shimmering colors. Presented in DTS 5.1 and Dolby Digital stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include audio commentary by Holten and Pappano, an introduction to the opera, behind-the-scenes featurettes, and a cast gallery. A worthy competitor to the 2009 Bregenz Festival production (VL-1/11), this mounting of an intriguing, provocative modern opera is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)