The Polish world premiere of the opera “Aspern” by Salvatore Sciarrino – one of the most outstanding contemporary composers – will take place on September 16 on the stage of STUDIO teatrgalerii. The work analyzes complicated human relations and their subsequent consequences. The opera, performed by musicians of Hashtag Ensemble and invited guests, will be directed by Pia Partum. The leading roles will be performed by Monika Niemczyk, Tomasz Nosinski and Halina Rasiakówna. The event is part of the accompanying program of the 66th International Festival of Contemporary Music “Warszawska Jesień”.
The libretto was inspired by Henry James’s short story “The Aspern Papers”. “Aspern” is a work about manipulation, ruthlessness in pursuit of a desired goal, and the search for love and vulnerability. Sciarrino tells in it of a cruel game between people and the bitter price they are willing to pay for their dreams.
Salvatore Sciarrino is one of my favorite composers. I reach for his opera time and again. We have already staged “Luci mie traditrici” and “Superfluminę” in Poland. “Aspern” is the next work. Unique. Alongside the singer, three actors perform in it. In one work, theater and opera are combined. For me as a director, this is a fascinating challenge. The music, full of silence, almost inaudible rustles so typical of Sciarrino, overlaps with texts spoken simultaneously and at the same time sung – says Pia Partum, the director.
The libretto is extremely poetic. It is a free impression, whose only distant basis is Henry James’s short story. The texts are tattered, the plot likewise, the singer’s voice interwoven with the spoken text – often deliberately drowned out by the orchestra. I think Sciarrino’s aim was to convey the atmosphere of the short story through its musical and spoken form. “Aspern” is a kind of collection of tattered flashes, which – here and there – illuminate fragments of a mysterious story. As the composer himself writes, it is “merely echoes of echoes” – a series of mirrors in which a distant memory is reflected. I am trying to convey this in my work – adds the director.
The Singspiel written for soprano, a 6-member instrumental ensemble and 3 actors is an original combination of opera and dramatic theater, singing and speech. Refined instrumental parts create a musical fabric in which silence, rustles, whispers and ethereal breaths intertwine with traditional songs of Venetian gondoliers.
Alongside the musicians of the Warsaw cooperative Hashtag Ensemble: Ani Karpowicz, Dominik Płociński and Aleksandra Demowska-Madejska, the Polish premiere of the work will be performed by: Joanna Freszel, Gośka Ipshording, Hubert Zemler and Małgorzata Hlawsa. The musical direction of the undertaking is the responsibility of conductor Lilianna Krych.
“Aspern” is one of Sciarrino’s first operas. You can see how the language of sound notation develops in it, which the composer uses throughout his entire work. However, elements typical of him, such as combining avant-garde instrumental and vocal techniques with inspiration from great literature and early music, or the enormous role of silence, are already clearly present here. Apart of flutes in all varieties beloved by Sciarrino, an important role is played by the viola and a harpsichord treated in a contemporary manner. Sciarrino is one of the few twentieth-century composers whose music cannot be confused with any other and which makes us hold our breath and listen carefully – says Lilianna Krych, the conductor.
The organizer of the event is the Warsaw Theatrical Society. The event’s patron is ORLEN. The event’s partners are: STUDIO teatrgaleria, 66th International Festival of Contemporary Music “Warszawska Jesień”, Dwójka – Program 2 of Polish Radio, Hashtag Lab Contemporary Music Space, Modern Opera Society and STOART.
The Polish premiere of “Aspern” was co-financed with funds from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state-purpose fund, as part of the “Music” program, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.