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Site-specific opera with music by Wojciech Błażejczyk, Teonika Rożynek, Rafał Ryterski, Dobrawa Czoher, Roman Padlewski, directed by Krystian Lada
D’ARC according to the concept and directed by Krystian Lada is a contemporary opera written across three time planes and dreams, in which the heroines of this story meet: Joan – a photographer from Paris, daughter of Polish emigrants; Joanna – a Warsaw cellist and also an Uprising Combatant, and Giovanna – a French national heroine, the Maid of Orleans. What connects the characters of this story is their willingness to dedicate themselves to a vision greater than life.
Krystian Lada is a director who collaborates with the most important opera stages in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. This artist’s performances often take place in unconventional spaces, such as production halls, buildings of former hospitals, or city squares. Specially for the Warsaw Rising Museum, Krystian Lada creates a performance that encompasses the museum space, as well as the museum’s Freedom Park and nearby architecture, in which Warsaw’s Wola becomes a portal to the past and future.
The libretto for the opera is written by repeatedly awarded authors: Anka Herbut and Łukasz Barys. Their texts are based on motifs from diaries of artists who participated in the Warsaw Rising and the history of Joan of Arc. Leading Polish composers of the young generation – Dobrawa Czocher, Teonika Rożynek, Wojciech Błażejczyk, and Rafał Ryterski – create new works for chamber orchestra and soloists. In addition to world premieres of their compositions, the audience will also hear rarely performed works by Julius Eastman and artist-Uprising Combatant Roman Padlewski. Musical direction will be taken by conductor Lilianna Krych, and among the performers will appear the leading contemporary music ensemble Hashtag Ensemble.
During one evening, following the heroines of this story, viewers will visit Paris in 2024, Warsaw in 1944, and Rouen in 1429. Through the world that was, the world that is, and the one that only happens in dreams, we will be guided by cellist Dobrawa Czocher as Joanna, actress Agnieszka Grochowska in the role of Joan, soprano Gabriela Legun as Giovanna, and baritone Szymon Komasa as the Angel of History.
The performance organized for the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Rising is not only a tribute to our ancestors. It is also a journey through musical and theatrical conventions, within which the creators experiment with form, structure, and space.
Credits:
Libretto – Anka Herbut | Łukasz Barys
Music – Dobrawa Czocher | Teonika Rożynek | Wojciech Błażejczyk | Rafał Ryterski | Julius Eastman | Roman Padlewski
Music director, conductor – Lilianna Krych
Director, set designer, scenario author – Krystian Lada
Set design collaboration – Łukasz Misztal
Costumes – Natalia Kitamikado
Lighting – Aleksandr Prowaliński
Choreography collaboration – Wojciech Grudziński
Director’s assistant – Magdalena Milczarska
Production – Warsaw Rising Museum – Marta Kuźmiak (production manager) | Iwa Ostrowska | Beata Spodarek
Performing:
Joan – Agnieszka Grochowska
Joanna – Dobrawa Czocher
Giovanna – Gabriela Legun
Angels of History – Szymon Komasa | Dominik Bobryk | Michał Adam Góral | Wojciech Grudziński
Hashtag Ensemble: Wojciech Błażejczyk (electric guitar) | Aleksandra Demowska-Madejska (viola) | Adam Eljasiński (bass clarinet) | Paweł Janas (accordion) | Krzysztof Kozłowski (synthesizers) | Mateusz Loska (double bass) | Małgorzata Mikulska (bass flute) | Dominik Płociński (cello) | Olga Przybył (percussion) | Kamila Wąsik-Janiak (violin)
Match Match Ensemble: Małgorzata Bartkowska (alto) | Ewa Kijewska (alto) | Michał Kijewski (bass) | Andrzej Klepacki (tenor) | Paweł Kowalewski (tenor) | Marzena Lewandowska (alto) | Michał Malec (bass) | Konstancja Molewska (soprano) | Jakub Prasał (tenor) | Daria Sawczuk (soprano) | Adrianna Żołnierczuk-Malec (soprano)
Cellists: Nadia Bojadżijew | Dobrawa Czocher | Katarzyna Drzewiecka | Jadwiga Jaworska | Martyna Kępińska | Urszula Lalek | Joanna Marczyk | Tatiana Przybylska | Katarzyna Stasiewicz | Hanna Szczęsna
The performance features the following works:
Dobrawa Czocher, Joanna’s Story – Sonata in One Movement for Solo Cello
© Bosworth Music GmbH, Berlin
Julius Eastman, The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc (version for 10 cellos) and Prelude to The Holy Presence of Joan d’Arc arranged by Clarice Jensen. Performances take place with the permission of G.SCHIRMER INC. publishers.
Co-financed by funds from ZAW STOART
Museum Patron: PZU
Strategic Partner: PGE Group
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