Discover the Rare Beauty of Szymanowski's Music in an Intimate Concert Setting

Opera Australia is celebrating the work of 20th century Polish composer Karol Szymanowski with an intimate, one-off concert following the Australian premiere of his stunning opera, King Roger, at the Sydney Opera House.

As Europe imploded during the First World War, Szymanowski retreated into music. In the isolation of his Ukrainian family estate, exempt from conscription, he found solace in music that told of faraway places.

His music is described as intoxicating: sometimes hypnotic, sometimes ecstatic, sometimes floating on a single melodic line and sometimes with extravagant harmony.

Szymanowski took the threads of Romanticism and French impressionist music and wove something entirely new, gilding the tapestry with exotic melodies from the Middle East and Greek antiquity.

"Karol Szymanowski is a simply wonderful composer," said Opera Australia Artistic Director Lyndon Terracini. "Szymanowski was fascinated by the melting pot of people and cultures in the Mediterranean, particularly in Sicily and this reflects so beautifully in his work."

Few sopranos are as delightful to watch perform as Taryn Fiebig. She sings alongside an ensemble drawn from the Opera Australia Orchestra, with Opera Australia Associate Music Director Anthony Legge on piano.

Program:

• 'Fountain of Arethusa' from Trois Mythes

• Romance

• String Quartet no. 2

• 'Chant de Roxane' from King Roger

• Songs of the infatuated Muezzin

Performance Information: Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House. Sunday 29 January at 3:00pm (Running time approx. 60mins)

Bookings: Adult tickets from $85 (fees may apply), Pensioner and Student tickets available (fees may apply), Opera Australia Box Office: (02) 9318 8200 www.opera.org.au

Presented in association with the Sydney Opera House. Organised in collaboration with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute as part of the Polska Music program.

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