The Secret Life of Paintings is a unique combination of arias from the operas of Monteverdi, Handel and Vivaldi with the visual arts from the Baroque era. Fragments of such works as Orlando, Ariodante or Alcina - ‘musical paintings’ as it were - are the setting for stories based on scenes immortalised on the canvases of old masters. The event is a co-production of the Polish National Opera and the Polish Royal Opera. The soloists of the Opera Academy of the Polish National Opera are accompanied by the Period Instruments Ensemble of the Polish Royal Opera Capella Regia Polona conducted by Krzysztof Garstka.

Recorded on 15 May 2025

Sung in Italian, Subtitles in Italian, Polish, English

CAST

Sopranos
Katarzyna Drelich
Izabella Fabrycka
Iryna Melnyk
Justyna Khil
Gabriela Stolińska

Mezzo-sopranos
Emilia Rabczak
Marta Wiktorzak
Nataliia Tepla

Countertenor
Enes Aksu

Baritone
Nazar Mykulyak

Bass-baritone
Paweł Michalczuk

Orchestra
The Period Instruments Ensemble of the Polish Royal Opera 
Capella Regia Polona

Conductor
Krzysztof Garstka

Written and directed by
Ewa Rucińska

Choreography
Ilona Molka

Video Projections
Piotr Majewski

Light design
Maciej Igielski

Costumes and styling
Elżbieta Tolak

PROGRAMME

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

Overture from the opera Rodelinda

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI

Neptune’s aria Superbo è l’huom from the opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria  
PAWEŁ MICHALCZUK bass-baritone (Polish Royal Opera soloist)

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

Armida’s aria Furie terribili from the opera Rinaldo         
KATARZYNA DRELICH soprano (Opera Academy alumna)

Ariodante’s aria Dopo notte from the opera Ariodante 
EMILIA RABCZAK mezzo-soprano

Duet of Ginevra and Ariodante Bramo aver mille vite from the opera Ariodante
IZABELLA FABRYCKA soprano
MARTA WIKTORZAK mezzo-soprano

ANTONIO VIVALDI

Aria Ah ch'infelice sempre from the cantata Cessate, omai cessate
NATALIIA TEPLA mezzo-soprano

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

Alcina’s aria Sì, son quella from the opera Alcina     
JUSTYNA KHIL soprano

Morgana’s aria Tornami a vagheggiar from the opera Alcina        
GABRIELA STOLIŃSKA soprano

Duet of Armida and Argante Al trionfo del nostro furore from the opera Rinaldo  
IZABELLA FABRYCKA soprano
NAZAR MYKULYAK baritone

Agrippina’s aria L’alma mia fra le tempeste from the opera Agrippina     
IRYNA MELNYK soprano

Ariodante’s aria Scherza infida from the opera Ariodante     
EMILIA RABCZAK mezzo-soprano

Cleopatra’s aria Piangerò la sorte mia  from the opera Giulio Cesare in Egitto    
IZABELLA FABRYCKA soprano

Ginevra’s arioso Vezzi, lusinghe e brio from the opera Ariodante      
GABRIELA STOLIŃSKA soprano

Aria Pena tiranna from the opera Amadigi di Gaula                                                         
ENES AKSU countertenor (as guest)

Apollo’s aria Come rosa in su la spina from the cantata Apollo e Dafne          
NAZAR MYKULYAK baritone

ANTONIO VIVALDI

Sinfonia from the opera L’Olimpiade (1st mov. Allegro)

Vagaus’s aria Armatae face et anguibus from the oratorio Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernis barbarie     
MARTA WIKTORZAK mezzo-soprano