Viva Sari: A Literary Portrait of the Maestra by Bogusław Kaczyński

'I have not met anybody like that anywhere in the whole world. [When we first met] I was young, unexperienced, and she was a larger-than-life presence,' said late Bogusław Kaczyński, himself Poland's legendary classical music critic. Indeed, Ada Sari was an undisputed queen of opera in her time and one of the genre's brightest stars ever. A true diva, one of the greatest coloratura sopranos in history, she was an unforgettable Gilda in Rigoletto, Rozyna in The Barber of Seville, Lucia do Lammermoor, Violetta in La Traviata... the list goes on and on. She enchanted audiences everywhere she sang and was a dedicated teacher who saw many of her students rise to become singers of the Polish National Opera. 

When Kaczyński saw her last, she was about to depart for the baths in Ciechocinek. He asked her why she was leaving for a week only. She needed to get her students ready for international competitions, she replied. Unfortunately, she did not get a chance to do that. She died in Ciechocinek in July 1968. Bogusław Kaczyński had promised her once that he'd write her biography. He fulfilled this commitment years later, having conducted extensive research and studied documents scattered all over the world. 

On the 50th anniversary of the artist's death, Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera and ORFEO, the Bogusław Kaczyński Foundation are holding a concert featuring soloists of Opera Academy and the Chamber Orchestra of Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera under Rafał Kłoczko. The audience will also hear Bogusław Kaczyński's literary account of the Maestra. 

Directed by: Paweł Gabara
Set design: Izabela Chełkowska

PERFORMERS

Opera Academy soloists:

Katarzyna Belkius
Monika Buczkowska
Agnieszka Grochala
Joanna Kędzior
Justyna Ołów
Karolina Makuła
Zuzanna Nalewajek
Monika Plesyte
Daria Proszek
Gabriele Skromanaite
Magdalena Stefaniak
Katarzyna Szymkowiak

CHAMBER ORCHESTRA of Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera
under Rafał Kłoczk

Vocal coaches:

Matthias Rexroth
Eytan Pessen
Izabella Kłosińska
Olga Pasiecznik

Stage design:

Izabela Chełkowska