‘King Roger’ rules at Chicago Opera Theater

In 1924, Polish composer Karol Szymanowski completed what many consider to be his magnum opus. Ninety-eight years later, “King Roger,” a compact opera sprawling with big ideas, made its local debut last week with two performances  produced by the Chicago Opera Theater. 

Szymanowski was born in 1882, the same year as Stravinsky and Kodály, in what is now Tymoshivka in Ukraine. He escaped fighting in the Tsar’s army during World War I because of a lame knee and instead spent the war composing. Before the war, he visited Sicily twice and studied its culture. “King Roger” is nominally about the 12th century Sicilian king of that name.

Yet “King Roger” only uses this real life historical figure as a jumping off point. The opera is unusual in that it has little action. The titular figure meets a heretical shepherd that a mob wants arrested and put to death. Roger decides to hear what the man has to say, resulting in the King taking a new direction in his life.

“King Roger” (“Król Roger” in Polish), which debuted at the Harris Theater on Nov. 18, explores the clash of dualities: Christianity versus paganism, wisdom versus love, reason versus emotion, intellect versus instinct. Ultimately, the opera is about transformation. One fascinating aspect of the work is that precisely what Roger grapples with and exactly what he ultimately decides is left sufficiently vague that the opera has untold numbers of interpretations, drawing audience members into the story in order to find their own conclusions. It is a psychological journey for Roger that viewers must interpret on their own.

The three-act opera is short, about 85 minutes. The acts, known in order as “Byzantine,” “Arabian” and “Ancient,” each has its own special flavor. and experts refer to Each act has musical elements indicative of these eras or places; for example, church music with open fifths begins the opera in “Byzantine.”  Because the opera is for the most part written in Szymanowski’s own style, however, it contains a kind of modern expressionism written in highly chromatic lines sometimes with sharp dissonance. 

What sets Szymanowski apart from others is his immense skill with coloristic effects and outstanding flair for creating exotic, otherworldly music. It is here that Chicago Opera Theater’s production really soared. The sound from the pit was enrapturing. COT music director Lidiya Yankovskaya presided over the orchestra with authority, carefully drawing out the vast detail and intricate rhythmic elements of this intellectual drama, where the composer’s nuanced treatment of each emotional journey is complete with both jangles and joy. The 70-member orchestra created powerful and evocative sound that made the evening memorable.

The libretto was originally written by the composer’s distant cousin Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz, but was also credited to Szymanowski as well, since he made significant changes to Act III. The text is bursting with symbolism and is beautifully poetic, containing lines such as “(I come) from the smile of southern stars,” “In an unknown heart, love blooms at night like a flower” or “Hiding his empty heart in tattered rags of dreams.” This is an opera long on poetry rather than plot.

Mariusz Godlewski, a Polish singer well acquainted with the task of taking on Roger, sang the title role with confidence and flair. He was on the stage for the entirety of the opera, and had to express a wide range of ideas while for the most part navigating music which blends recitative with arioso settings. He offered a star turn, holding our attention throughout.

Another Polish singer, Iwona Sobotka, matched Godlewski’s intensity and provided a shimmering Queen Roxana. She persuasively championed the idea of love and brought seductive power to her Act II song inspired by the Shepherd. 

Contrasting this is the king’s Islamic advisor Edrisi, who represents wisdom and reason. David Cangelosi was a calm, cool courtier who understood politics but not necessarily emotion. It is Edrisi who wonders why the King is worried about meeting the Shepherd, when the King has all the power. Edrisi did not understand that the King was open to change and that perhaps it was this possible change that caused Roger to fear his encounter. Cangelosi offered stylish, ingratiating singing designed to help the King stay anchored.

Tyrone Chambers II was a fascinating Shepherd, one who showed no qualms about upending the King’s comfortable, traditional and conservative life. He sang with conviction.

COT also assembled an enormous chorus for this production, 120-or-so  singers from the Lira Ensemble (according to the program, the only professional Polish language musical organization in the U.S.), the Apollo Chorus, and Uniting Voices Chicago.

Musically, it was magnificent. Visually, it was much weaker. The stage was mostly taken up by the chorus. Singers were seated across the entire back of the stage on bleacher-like seats akin to those in a high school auditorium., leaving little of the stage for action.

Szymanowski provided detailed instructions for the settings of each of the three acts. The first act takes place in a cathedral in Palermo, the second at the King’s palace and the third in ancient ruins. Only the scantest details of these settings (which seem directly inspired more by the music than the plot) find their way onto the stage. Some elements had to be eliminated; notably, a dance scene meant to feature a large number of frenzied people did not make the cut. Yet this opera, with its vague yet intriguing story, lends itself to many interpretations. Stage director Dylan Evans will have surely inspired some audience members, even if he didn’t inspire me.

To see this production of “King Roger” is to understand why it is not more frequently performed. For such a short work, it requires huge orchestral and choral forces. And to deck out the stage in the manner Szymanowski requires, a company needs a huge venue and a pot of money to recreate such things as an elaborate cathedral. COT provided far more than a concert rendition, and this production — clearly and honestly advertised as semi-staged — offered first-timers to the opera a sturdy and reasonable visual approach and a mighty and memorable musical one. It is no surprise that last Friday night the Harris Theater was almost completely full of appreciative opera fans, all delighted to see something never before performed in Chicago.