Princesses hidden inside oranges, a woman with no shadow, a feast with a tomb monument as a special guest, violent deaths stretching well over 20 minutes and endlessly sung notes… Only at the opera! We are celebrating this form of art which has been enchanting and entertaining audiences for over four centuries on 25 October – birthday of Georges Bizet and Johann Strauss II. The fifth World Opera Day is joined by the Opera Rara festival and its organisers Capella Cracoviensis, with plenty of special guests visiting Kraków. Christina Pluhar and her ensemble L’Arpeggiata take us to the roots of the genre with a concert performance of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo. The conductor will also lead CC in Mozart's Requiem, traditionally on the All Saints Day. The acclaimed tenor Ian Bostridge, best known for his performances of German Lieder, appears in two cycles: Beethoven’s An die ferne Geliebte and Schubert’s Schwanengesang. The finale, featuring audience favourite counter-tenor Philippe Jaroussky and Le Concert de la Loge, resounds with forgotten arias by Valentini, Traetta and Bernasconi, making for an unforgettable evening.

25 October 2023, 7pm
ICE Kraków
Claudio Monteverdi: La favola d’Orfeo concert version
Orfeo – Cyril Auvity tenor
La Musica, Proserpina – Céline Scheen soprano
Messaggiera – Luciana Mancini mezzo-soprano
Euridice – Natalia Kawałek mezzo-soprano
Ninfa, Speranza – Benedetta Mazzucato alto
Pastore 1 – Rafał Tomkiewicz kontratenor
Pastore 2, Spirito, Eco – Zbigniew Malak tenor
Pastore 3, Spirito, Apollo – Alessandro Giangrande tenor
Plutone, Caronte, Spirito – Salvo Vitale bass
Spirito – Sebastian Szumski baritone
Spirito – Przemysław Józef Bałka bass
L’Arpeggiata
Christina Pluhar theorbo / artistic direction

29 October 2023, 7pm
Juliusz Słowacki Theatre
Franz Schubert Schwanengesang
Ludwig van Beethoven An die ferne Geliebte
Ian Bostridge tenor
Saskia Giorgini piano

1 November 2023, 19.30
Church of St Catherine
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Requiem in D minor K. 626
Capella Cracoviensis
Christina Pluhar conductor

9 November 2023, 7pm
Juliusz Słowacki Theatre
Johann Adolf Hasse Sinfonia (Demofoonte)
Johann Adolf Hasse Ma che vi fece, o stelle… Sperai vicino il lido (Demofoonte)
Johann Adolf Hasse Misero pargoletto (Demofoonte)
Leonardo Leo Sinfonia (Catone in Utica)
Michelangelo Valentini Se mai senti spirarti sul volto (La Clemenza di Tito)
Tommaso Traetta Dove son che m’avenne?… Gemo in un punto e fremo
(L’Olimpiade)
—
Andrea Bernasconi Siam navi all’onde algenti (L’Olimpiade)
Giovanni Battista Ferrandini Gelido in ogni vena
Georg Friedrich Händel Ouverture (Ariodante)
Johann Christian Bach Per quel paterno amplesso (Artaserse)
Niccolò Jommelli Fra cento affanni (Artaserse)
Philippe Jaroussky countertenor
Le Concert de la Loge
Julien Chauvin conductor