Bolkenheim, Silesia, 1662. The Thirty Years' War has just ended, but the city now finds itself ravaged by plague. Mayor Silvanus Schuller and his wife Benigna convene a dinner with representatives of multiple religions, including Jewish merchant Löwer Perl, pastor Plebanus Wendt, Catholic priest Robert Dedo, Huguenot François Tortebat and Jansenist Jedidja Potter. Discussions between the thirteen guests grow more and more heated, reflective of the conflicts that had torn Europe asunder during the war. As the opera progresses, Benigna opens up about her past, from which a mysterious figure in a black mask makes an unwelcome reapparance to spell the doom of the invitees…
This rarely performed work, intense and uncompromising, is one of the highlights of Alsop's inaugural season at the head of the NOSPR: a fitting celebration of the legacy of Penderecki, who died in 2020 and whose score is complex, allusive (with nods to Bach and traditional Jewish modes), and compelling throughout. A stellar vocal cast is assembled for the occasion, including tenor Tadeusz Szlenkier as Silvanus and soprano Yeree Suh as Benigna.
