Legendary heroes and the legend of the 20th-century avant-garde, ancient history and a contemporary IQ test, opera heroines dancing in defiance of the patriarchy and Monteverdi up close at the bar – welcome to a festival of rediscovered, rarely performed and unconventional operas. The Capella Cracoviensis, who are organising Opera Rara Kraków, has developed stage renditions of three masterpieces by George Frideric Handel. The Krakow première of Orlando, one of the composer's finest scores, will feature the excellent countertenor Tim Mead (3, 4, 5.02, ICE Kraków). Poro, the story of Alexander the Great's conflict with the eponymous Indian ruler, filled to the brim with vocal mastery, will be shown in Poland for the first time (13, 14, 15.02, Łaźnia Nowa Theatre). Teseo, on the other hand – Handel’s unique attempt to combine a French musical tragedy with an Italian opera seria – was directed by Krzysztof Garbaczewski (18, 19.02, ICE Kraków). The works by the Baroque virtuoso will be juxtaposed with IQ – an opera, whose protagonist is... an intelligence test. Its author, Enno Poppe, drew inspiration from the chaos of sounds surrounding us in everyday life, including the hum of machines we hear since birth. Our guides to the opera laboratory will be Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble led by Lilianna Krych (6, 7, 8.02, Cricoteka). After 14 years, it is time for Monteverdi's madrigals in a milk bar to return with the Bar.oque Feast directed by Cezary Tomaszewski. The performance focuses on the intimacy of the message – the singers of Capella Cracoviensis sit with the audience at a bar table (9, 10, 16, 17, 20.02, Żaczek Milk Bar). Themes of resistance and emancipation will resound in the Kraków Dance Theatre's production Opera.exe, featuring choreography by Erik Makohon. Medea, Salome and Turandot, heroines traditionally portrayed as victims of passion, madness or fate, rebel against their librettos and step outside the stories imposed upon them by the system. Their story will be further deconstructed thanks to the music by Piotr Peszat, which constitutes a form of a musical palimpsest based on classical sounds including arias sung by Anna Zawisza (11, 12.02, Cricoteka). The final accent of the festival will be the Schaeffer – the Abstract Nightingale programme, a tribute to one of the most important creators of the 20th and 21st century avant-garde in the form of a five-hour marathon (“You will, of course, be able to get in, get out, walk around, sit down, and stand up,” reassure the organisers), developed by Spółdzielnia Muzyczna (21.02, MOCAK). Are you ready for an opera carnival?

3, 4, 5.02, 6:30pm
ICE Kraków Congress Centre, Theatre Hall S2
George Frideric Handel Orlando (1733)

Czary, szaleństwo i miłość niepodzielnie rządzą w świecie Orlanda Handla. Jego barwne libretto – bardzo w stylu „fantasy” – na podstawie słynnego w owych czasów eposu Ludovica Ariosta, zainspirowało kompozytora do napisania jednej ze swoich najwspanialszych partytur. Teraz, po raz pierwszy, będzie można usłyszeć ją nareszcie w Krakowie – rolę tytułową zaśpiewa Tim Mead, zagra Capella Cracoviensis, a całość poprowadzi wybitny francuski skrzypek i conductor Thibault Noally.

Tomasz Wygoda stage movement
Natan Berkowicz stage space
Robert Bolesto text

Tim Mead – Orlando
Joanna Sojka – Angelica
Kangmin Justin Kim – Medoro
Julia Pliś – Dorinda
Nicolas Brooymans – Zoroastro
Capella Cracoviensis
Thibault Noally conductor

6.02, 6:30pm | 7, 8.02, 5pm
Cricoteka
Enno Poppe IQ (2011/12)

Anna Zawisza soprano
Ingrida Gapova soprano
Maciej Straburzyński baritone
Marta Wryk alto lector actress
Spółdzielnia Muzyczna Contemporary Ensemble
Lilianna Krych conductor

9, 10, 16, 17, 20.02, 6pm
Żaczek Milk Bar, ul Czarnowiejska 75
Bar.oque Feast

Cezary Tomaszewski stage concept

Antonina Ruda soprano
Artur Plinta Ilona Szczepańska alto
Bartosz Gorzkowski Szczepan Kosior tenor
Sebastian Szumski bass
Capella Cracoviensis

11.02, 7pm | 12.02, 6pm and 8pm
Cricoteka
Opera.exe

Eryk Makohon concept choreography set design
Piotr Peszat music
Weronika Wawryk multimedia and visual identity
Izabela Zawadzka production

Patrycja Marszałek Yelizavieta Tereshonok Agnieszka Bednarz-Tyran Natalia Myczewska choreography and performance
Anna Zawisza soprano

13.02, 6:30pm | 14, 15.02, 5pm
Łaźnia Nowa Theatre
George Frideric Handel Poro (1731)

Wojciech Grudziński stage movement
Marcin Chlanda stage concept

Rafał Tomkiewicz – Poro
Dorota Szczepańska – Cleofide
Margarita Slepakova – Erissena
Franko Klisović – Gandarte
Krzysztof Lachman – Alessandro
Przemysław Józef Bałka – Timagene
Capella Cracoviensis
Alessandro Tampieri conductor

18, 19.02, 6:30pm
ICE Kraków Congress Centre, Theatre Hall S2
George Frideric Handel Teseo (1713)

Krzysztof Garbaczewski stage concept
Gwidon Wydrzyński light

Carlotta Colombo – Medea
David Hansen – Teseo
Teresa Marut – Agilea
Anna Koehler – Clizia
Matylda Staśto-Kotuła – Egeo
Kacper Szelążek – Arcane
Capella Cracoviensis
Alessandro Moccia conductor

21.02, 1pm–6pm
MOCAK
Schaeffer the Abstract Nightingale

Bogusław Schaeffer:
Tavio for piccolo solo
Canzona for cello solo
Baclar for bass clarinet solo
Sonatina for two violins
Four Works for string trio
tentative music for 159 instruments – version C: for 9 instruments
Quartet for saxophone, flute, clarinet and piano
Die abstrakte Nachtigall for soprano saxophone solo
Sonatina for piano solo
Konglomerat for percussion solo