Krzysztof Penderecki at Marian Eile exhibition at National Opera: photo - PAP/Tomasz Gzell
The production is one of the highlights of the celebrations of the composer’s 80th birthday, which falls on 23 November, and has generated a great deal of interest, if only because Penderecki has prepared a completely revised version of the score for his jubilee year.
The performance, directed by Keith Warner, Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Opera, and conducted by Lionel Friend, is a co-production with the Royal Danish Opera, where the new version of The Devils of Loudun was premiered last February.
Premiered in Hamburg in 1969, Penderecki’s opera is based on John Whiting’s dramatization of Aldous Huxley’s novel.
Its story centres on the events in the French town of Loudun at the beginning of the 17th century. Its main protagonist, Father Grandier, is accused of the demonical possession of the Ursuline nuns and indicted for conspiracy with Satan.
The Devils of Loudun is one of Penderecki’s four operas. He later wrote Die schwarze Maske, after Gerhart Hauptmann (1984-86) and Ubu-Rex , after Alfred Jarry (1990-91). Outlining his plans at a recent press conference, he said he would like to compose an opera based on Racine’s Phedre as well as an opera for children.
Exhibitions
The Warsaw premiere of The Devils of Loudun coincides with two exhibitions at the National Opera.
One features photographs documenting a visit of Salvadore Dali at Penderecki’s home in Krakow, in fact a visit which has never taken place.
In the mid-1970, Krzysztof Penderecki and his wife Elżbieta visited Dali at his studio in Spain.
Their friend, Marian Eile, a well-known journalist and artist, later suggested that Dali should come to Kraków with a return visit.
As this never came about, Eile decided to stage a happening. A Kraków actor posed as Dali and the black-and-while photos documenting his time spent with the Penderecki family are now put on display.
Another exhibition is of Penderecki’s scores, most of which are in large format and are notable for the use of various colours (different for different instruments). (mk/pg)