Kraków (Poland): "Love for Three Oranges" by S. Prokofiev
The Kraków Opera hosted the premiere of 'Love for Three Oranges' by Sergei Prokofiev for the first time in Poland.
Renowned artists were invited to realize the performance, including MichaÅ Znaniecki (direction and costumes) and Tomasz Tokarczyk (musical direction).
Could a better director have been chosen for the prologue of the work selected by Dziwaków? I think not. My first thought â the performance is bizarre and thatâs exactly how it should be!
The beautiful yet very challenging music of Prokofiev set the rhythm of the action, which was conducted at a dizzying pace and choreography, meaning everything we saw both on stage and off it. A comedic theater was successfully created with a light touch of irony, to which the audience was also included, allowing us to feel for a moment like participants in a ball organized for the prince and listen to the spatial singing of the well-prepared choir of the Kraków Opera, which suddenly became our neighbor in the audience.
'The young prince fell into a deep melancholy, from which only a sincere smile can heal him' â I think, as not only the fall of Morgan amused the prince, but also the audience, who often laughed at this performance, thanks to the imaginative scenery (e.g., a giant flying nose in a bloody kitchen) and choreographic solutions (e.g., youth climbing the walls), as well as thanks to the humorous characters â outstanding in the role of the cook was PrzemysÅaw Firek. This performance also mocks stereotypes â it does not shy away from the 'black', which makes it even more enjoyable.
My attention was drawn to KSIÄÅ»Ä - Vasyl Grokholskyi, FATA MORGANA - Ewa Biegas, and NINETTA - Iwona Socha.
Great applause also belongs to conductor Tomasz Tokarczyk, who brilliantly led the orchestra, supported on the desert by the main character throwing a bottle on stage â without interrupting the orchestral conducting (!), and also managed a very extensive ensemble of soloists along with the choir, which, given the director's ideas, is to be believed â it was not easy. Bravo!
'Give me water' is a fragment of the libretto, but this performance is such a water in the desert of the Kraków Opera's repertoire. I am glad that I could watch it in good company. Thank you.