An opera directed by Poland’s Krzysztof Warlikowski has received standing ovations from the audience and praise from critics at the Salzburg Festival in Austria.
“The Idiot” opera, composed in 1985 by Poland’s Mieczysław Weinberg, is based on Dostoevsky’s novel of the same title. Warlikowski’s version has breathed new life into the piece.
The Salzburger festival website described it as “a triumph of visionary opera” with “a well-deserved standing ovation.”
The European News Agency wrote: “The production not only pays homage to the depth of Weinberg’s score but also elevates it to new heights, offering audiences an unforgettable experience.”
Meanwhile, Britain’s The Financial Times wrote: “The combination of text, music, motion and imagery reaches a level of such complex perfection that you can’t find words for the way you feel.”
Warlikowski, a theater and opera director, studied history, philosophy and Romance languages at Kraków’s Jagiellonian University, philosophy and French language and literature at the Sorbonne, and directing at the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Kraków.
In 2018, he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival with Henze’s “The Bassarids”.
In theater, Warlikowski is widely recognized for his productions of contemporary work, modern interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays, and unconventional readings of Greek tragedies.
Warlikowski was honored by the French Minister of Culture with the title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 2013, and in 2021 was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre by the Venice Biennale.
The Salzburg Festival is the largest summer festival of music and theater in Europe. In its current form, it has been organized since 1920, although its roots go back to 1877. This year’s edition will last 44 days, and its program includes over 170 different events.
The Salzburger festival website described it as “a triumph of visionary opera” with “a well-deserved standing ovation.”
The European News Agency wrote: “The production not only pays homage to the depth of Weinberg’s score but also elevates it to new heights, offering audiences an unforgettable experience.”
Meanwhile, Britain’s The Financial Times wrote: “The combination of text, music, motion and imagery reaches a level of such complex perfection that you can’t find words for the way you feel.”
The director
Warlikowski, a theater and opera director, studied history, philosophy and Romance languages at Kraków’s Jagiellonian University, philosophy and French language and literature at the Sorbonne, and directing at the Ludwik Solski Academy for the Dramatic Arts in Kraków.
In 2018, he made his debut at the Salzburg Festival with Henze’s “The Bassarids”.
In theater, Warlikowski is widely recognized for his productions of contemporary work, modern interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays, and unconventional readings of Greek tragedies.
Warlikowski was honored by the French Minister of Culture with the title of Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres in 2013, and in 2021 was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre by the Venice Biennale.
The Salzburg Festival is the largest summer festival of music and theater in Europe. In its current form, it has been organized since 1920, although its roots go back to 1877. This year’s edition will last 44 days, and its program includes over 170 different events.
Source: PAP, The Financial Times, salzburgerfestspiele.at, TVP World
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