Sacrum in Opera

Concert from 2016

Is there room for God in musical theater? Can opera bring us closer to Him? Which composers have taken on this theme? What were their intentions, and what did their musical imagination suggest to them? The answers can be found in the music of W. A. Mozart, G. Verdi, J. Massenet, G. Puccini, and other composers who have created across the centuries.

The repertoire of Sacrum in Opera consists of arias from operatic heroines who, in their lives or at some stage, turn toward Heaven. Their prayers are full of intense emotions—adoration, praise, but also bitterness, questions of meaning, or cries for mercy. By using the rich means of musical stylistics and drawing from personal sensitivity, we aim to convey the sincerity of this dialogue and reflect the timeless longing for what is sacred and perfect.

Program:

S. Landi – “O morte gradita” – aria of St. Alexis from the opera Il Sant’Alessio
J. Massenet – “La mer! Il partit au printemps” – aria of Griselidis from the opera Griselidis
L. Różycki – “Po cierpieniach spokój wraca” – aria of Lucretia from the opera Beatrix Cenci
G. Verdi – “Oh dischiuso il firmamento!” – aria of Fenena from the opera Nabucco
W. A. Mozart – “Ein ergrimmter Löwe brüllet” – aria of Mercy from the opera The Obligation of the First Commandment
J. Massenet – “Hosannah!” duet of Angels from the opera The Juggler of Notre Dame
G. Puccini – “Vissi d’arte” – aria of Floria Tosca from the opera Tosca
G. Duprez – “On ma conte” – scene from the opera Jeanne d’Arc
P. Tchaikovsky – “Prastite vy, kholmy, polja rodnyje” – aria of Joan of Arc from the opera The Maid of Orleans
G. Verdi – “Oh, ben s`addice…Sempre all`alba” – aria of Joan of Arc from the opera Giovanna d’Arco
F. Poulenc – “Ave Maria” from the opera Dialogues of the Carmelites