Organization

Conductor

Krzysztof Garstka

Stage director

Natalia Kozłowska

Set designer

Marianna Oklejak

Costume designer

Paulina Czernek-Banecka

Lighting designer

Video designer

Marek Zamojski

Singer

Countertenor

Jacek Szponarski

Acis

Soprano

Sylwia Stępień

Galatea

Dorota Szczepańska

Tenor

Aleksander Rewiński

First Damon

Sylwester Smulczyński

Bass

Mikołaj Bońkowski

Polyphemus

Paweł Michalczuk

Maria Złotek

Choir

Marta Schnura

Andrzej Klepacki

Mikołaj Zgódka

Samuel Ferreira

Łukasz Baltazar Kózka

Małgorzata Rudnicka

Joanna Talarkiewicz

Jakub Andrzej Grabowski

Paweł Kowalewski

Grzegorz Żołyniak

Others

The Chorus Of The Polish Royal Opera

Zespół Instrumentów Dawnych Polskiej Opery Królewskiej Capella Regia Polona

Polska Opera Królewska

Acis and Galatea

Warsaw

Poland

Muzeum Łazienki Królewskie

Teatr Królewski w Starej Oranżerii

Public

Approved

Acis and Galatea Händel

Stories from Ovid’s Metamorphoses became the inspiration for many Baroque works. That is hardly surprising, since the ancient Roman poem abounds in delightful stories full of symbolism, and the title motif of transformation gives the creators room for various interpretations. A perfect example is the mythical love story of the shepherd Acis and the nymph Galatea, which, reforged by John Gay (probably with the help of other poets) into an excellent libretto, became the basis for George Frideric Handel’s one-act opera. A new stage interpretation of this work glistening with baroque chiaroscuro was undertaken by Natalia Kozłowska.

The plot of the opera is seemingly simple. The young love each other, but their happiness is interrupted by the cruel attack of the Cyclops Polyphemus. Rejected by the nymph, the giant takes Acis’s life. However, Galatea transforms her lover into a stream with her magical powers, making him immortal. How beautifully does Handel’s music reflect the feelings tormenting the characters! On the one hand, we hear resounding love, happiness, and fulfillment, on the other – the thunders of disappointment and rage. The lively and joyful arias of the lovers crowned by the duet Happy we! contrast with the ominous chorus Wreched lovers, abounding in musical symbols – from galloping imitations to chords interrupted by rests. In the end, the enchanting sound of Galatea’s final aria, kept in a pastoral mood, brings solace and faith in the invincible power of love.

English

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble