Time 19:00
The Royal Theatre in the Old Orangery in the Royal Łazienki Museum in Warsaw
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The first drafts of the opera Imeneo were created as early as 1738. Haendel gave the final shape to the composition two years later, shortly before its world premiere scheduled for the 22nd of November, 1740. The story of love, honor, courage, and disappointment is told with music that is full of tension and color. On the one hand, Haendel introduces a wealth of rhetorical and musical phrases characteristic of mature Baroque; on the other hand, the composer utilizes his own individual musical language that perfectly combines elements of Italian and French styles. A trained ear will certainly notice the emotional fragments, soon after rearranged for Messiah or the mastery of the orchestral technique developed in the famous 12 Concerti grossi op. 6.
The title character, having saved Rosmene from pirates, asks her to marry him. However, she – in love with Tirinto – hesitates, arousing anxiety and jealousy both in her former lover and in the mysterious savior. The intervention of supernatural forces helps the woman make the final decision, and the call of duty wins over passion. Perhaps it is worth looking at this simple libretto as an analogy to the composer’s professional career. At the turn of the 1930s and 1940s, just like Rosmene, he had to choose whether to follow his heart or his mind. In view of the change in the taste of the audience, which impacted the financial situation of his opera project, the composer was soon to abandon his beloved genre to devote himself to a new creative passion – the English oratorio. Thus, Imeneo marked the inauguration of Haendel’s last opera season. It is possible that the emotions accompanying this change are hidden in the sound of majestic recitatives and arias.
STAGING CONCEPT Andrzej Klimczak
SET DESIGN OVERSIGHT Marlena Skoneczko
VIDEO PROJECTIONS Marek Zamojski
CHORUS MASTER KAROL KNAPIŃSKI
STAGE MANAGER WANDA KARPIŃSKA
CAST
Imeneo Robert Gierlach
Tirinto Jan Jakub Monowid
Rosmene Olga Pasiecznik
Clomiri Marta Boberska
Argenio WOJTEK GIERLACH
THE CHORUS OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA
THE PERIOD INSTRUMENTS ENSEMBLE OF THE POLISH ROYAL OPERA CAPELLA REGIA POLONA
CONDUCTOR KRZYSZTOF GARSTKA
Duration: 2 h 20 mins (with one intermission).
