FULL I, SEKÜRE (Aleksander Nowak) Poznań 2024 Aleksandra Żakiewicz, Jan Jakub Monowid, Bartosz Gorzkowski
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Information on the Performance
- Work Title: I, SEKÜRE
- Composer: Nowak Aleksander
- Libretto: Aleksander Nowak, based on the novel "My Name is Red" by Orhan Pamuk Libretto Text, Libretto Index
- Venue & Opera Company: The Grand Theatre of Stanisław Moniuszko, Poznań, Poland
- Recorded: September 7, 2024
- Type: Staged Opera Live
- Singers: Aleksandra Żakiewicz, Jan Jakub Monowid, Bartosz Gorzkowski, Sebastian Szumski, Jacek Wróbel, Maciej Straburzyński
- Conductor: Maciej Tomasiewicz
- Orchestra: Contemporary Ensemble Music Cooperative, Capella Cracoviensis
- Chorus: Polish Radio Choir
Information about the Recording
- Published by: Aleksander Nowak
- Date Published: 2024
- Format: Streaming
- Quality Video: 4 Audio:4
- Subtitles: yessubs, ensubs
- Video Recording from: Vimeo FULL VIDEO
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS PERFORMANCE
“I, Şeküre” is an opera created by Polish composer Aleksander Nowak, based on the motifs of the novel “My Name is Red” by Turkish writer Orhan Pamuk. Nowak is also the author of the libretto based on selected threads of this fascinating, mesmerizing story.
In the novel “My Name is Red”, Pamuk combines elements of a crime intrigue, a love story, and an aesthetic-philosophical essay. The action of the book takes place in Istanbul, in 1591, during the reign of Sultan Murat III. The main character, Czarny, is summoned to the capital of the empire after a 12-year absence to help his uncle finish working on a manuscript. Upon arrival, he becomes entangled in both a criminal and a love intrigue. The uncle is the father of Czarny’s former love – Şeküre.
The opera itself focuses on the character of Şeküre, one of the main characters in Pamuk’s novel. In Nowak’s work, Şeküre becomes the narrator of the story, sharing her inner experiences, desires and dilemmas. This character symbolizes the difficulties and limitations that women have to struggle with in a patriarchal society. “I, Şeküre” is not only a literary adaptation, but also an autonomous work that reflects on universal themes such as identity, love, freedom and the role of women in society. The libretto and musical fragments of the piece in a special arrangement were presented as part of the Malta Festival 2023, and the world premiere of “I, Secure” took place as part of the Opera Rara Festival in Krakow.
Aleksander Nowak composes instrumental and vocal-instrumental music, occasionally using electronic means. The most important place in his work is occupied by opera and drama written in collaboration with contemporary writers. He is the author of such compositions as “Space Opera” (libretto: Georgi Gospodinov), “ahat ilī – Siostra boga” (libretto: Olga Tokarczuk), “Drach. Dramma per musica”, “Syrena. Melodrama aeterna”, “Pokora. Dramma giocoso” (libretto: Szczepan Twardoch), “Baśń o Sercu. Favola in musica” (libretto: Radek Rak) or “Rzeczy. Vaudeville” (libretto: Marcin Wicha).