Szymanowski’s magnum opus was seen by many as a box office risk, but ended up exceeding its budget.

Opera Australia’s production of Karol Szymanowski’s King Roger has proved an unexpected hit, exceeding its box office targets and selling over 14,000 tickets, with over 9,000 people seeing it in Sydney and 5,000 already signed up to catch the Melbourne run in May.

A few eyebrows were raised last year when the national opera company announced it was programming a co-production of the Polish composer’s magnum opus. King Roger (or Król Roger in Polish) may rate highly with opera aficionados, but it has never been presented in its original language in Australia before and has a reputation as an elusive work. Many people questioned whether it would sell and if the box office risk was one worth taking in these cash-strapped times.

OA’s King Roger. Photos © Keith Saunders

“I wasn’t worried that it would bomb, but I really wanted it to make its budget,” a delighted Lyndon Terracini told Limelight. “It always makes it easier for us to do repertoire that’s not particularly mainstream if we can make it work financially. And...