The World of King Roger
Here are some quick facts about composer Karol Szymanowski to get you introduced to the world of King Roger and ready to purchase your tickets today.
Szymanowski was born on his family's estate in Tymoszówka, which is now Ukraine. It was in his family home where his father began teaching him early on about the love for music. Later, he continued to study music in Warsaw and Berlin.
In 1905 Szymanowski created the Company of Young Polish Composers to publish works of Polish composers. The company was a wild success and aided in publishing his opera Hagith (1913).
From 1914 to 1917, Szymanowski studied Greek drama and philosophy, along with Islamic culture, which greatly influenced his compositional work. It was right after this period that he began writing King Roger.
At the 1926 world premiere of King Roger, Szymanowski's sister, soprano Stanislawa Korwin-Szymanowska, played Queen Roxana.
In 1927, he was offered the directorships of the Cairo and Warsaw conservatories. Szymanowski saw the Warsaw post as an opportunity to re-invigorate Polish music education, which was neglected during the partition years and form a new generation of Polish composers.
After becoming ill with tuberculosis, Szymanowski moved to Villa Atma and later to two different sanatoriums in the hopes of receiving life-saving treatment. During this time, he composed nonstop. He later passed in the Lausanne sanatorium on March 29, 1937.
He received countless awards, including The Officer Cross of the Polonia Restituta Order; The Officer Order of the Italian Crown; and The Academic Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature.