Cherubini: Faniska Krystian Adam, Robert Gierlach, Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra & Łukasz Borowicz

• Luigi Cherubini (1760 - 1842): Faniska, Act I:
• 1 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: Ouverture 07:37
• 2 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: Oh ciel, dove m'aggiro? (Sung in Italian) 08:55
• 3 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: Ah, sì, miei fidi, a voi nel consegnar (Sung in Italian) 07:43
• 4 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: Ove mi conducete? (Sung in Italian) 07:49
• 5 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: Ah, s'eguale al dolce aspetto (Sung in Italian) 06:28
• 6 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: Di queste selve, oh amabile (Sung in Italian) 04:18
• 7 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: La bona gente non vuol prenderli (Sung in Italian) 01:22
• 8 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: Aria di ballo 02:21
• 9 Cherubini: Faniska, Act I: Tu che giungi della morte di Rasinski messaggier (Sung in Italian) 11:29
• Faniska, Act II:
• 10 Cherubini: Faniska, Act II: Introduzione 04:24
• 11 Cherubini: Faniska, Act II: Qual orribil soggiorno! (Sung in Italian) 10:21
• 12 Cherubini: Faniska, Act II: Ah, consorte! (Sung in Italian) 04:11
• 13 Cherubini: Faniska, Act II: Oh voi, che il rigor del destin (Sung in Italian) 03:34
• 14 Cherubini: Faniska, Act II: Dolce ne guai ristoro (Sung in Italian) 04:39
• 15 Cherubini: Faniska, Act II: Taci, iniquo, iniquo orror mi fai (Sung in Italian) 07:56
• Faniska, Act III:
• 16 Cherubini: Faniska, Act III: Introduzione 03:39
• 17 Cherubini: Faniska, Act III: Marcia 02:00
• 18 Cherubini: Faniska, Act III: All'armi! All'armi! (Sung in Italian) 00:42
• 19 Cherubini: Faniska, Act III: Empio ferisci, uccidimi (Sung in Italian) 04:59
• 20 Cherubini: Faniska, Act III: Non credete, non pensate (Sung in Italian) 03:41
• 21 Cherubini: Faniska, Act III: Marcia dei soldati 03:30
• 22 Cherubini: Faniska, Act III: Fausto ha il cielo alfin premiato (Sung in Italian) 02:47
• Total Runtime 01:54:25

Info for Cherubini: Faniska

We can joke that this year Easter fell in… October, as it was then that due to the pandemic the Ludwig van Beethoven Easter Festival, scheduled for April, was held. Traditionally it included a concert dedicated to forgotten opera works, the spiritus movens of which was Łukasz Borowicz, our Chief Guest Conductor.

Also traditionally one of the cycle’s performers was Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra. This time at the National Philharmonic in Warsaw (on the 20th of October) “Faniska” by Luigi Cherubini was heard. You can now listen to this work in its full version on albums. The double CD “Luigi Cherubini, Faniska” has just been released by the DUX label.

The opera (with the libretto by Joseph Sonnleithner) was commissioned by the directorship of Hofoper in Vienna in April of 1805. The premiere performance took place in the Viennese Kärntnertortheater on the 25th of February 1806 in the presence of the emperor Franz II. The work fascinated Ludwig van Beethoven so much, that he decided to compose an opera. And he wrote one: “Fidelio”.

The action of “Faniska” takes place in Poland, in one of the castles of magnates in the area of Sandomierz. Both characters, Zamoski and Rasinski, are the estranged rulers of the adjacent voivodeships. The main plot concerns the efforts to free Faniska, the wife of Rasinski, who is being imprisoned by Zamoski in the dungeons his castle. The story finishes with a happy end.

The album was recorded with the participation of Natalia Rubiś (soprano), Krystian Adam Krzeszowiak (tenor), Katarzyna Belkius (soprano), Robert Gierlach (basso-baritone), Tomasz Rak (baritone), Justyna Ołów (mezzosoprano), Piotr Kalina (tenor), Poznan Chamber Choir (prepared by Bartosz Michałowski) and Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra. The whole ensemble was led by Łukasz Borowicz.

"With only one really good voice, that of bass-baritone Robert Gierlach as Zamoski, the vocal side is somewhat weak. On the other hand, Lukasz Borowicz is all the more impressive as the conductor. He puts a lot of lightness and transparency into the orchestral part, which he controls admirably, enlivening it with many details. Because Cherubini’s score is so imaginative and so closely connected to the drama, this counts for a lot." (pizzicato.lu)

Natalia Rubis, soprano (Faniska)
Krystian Adam, tenor (Rasinski)
Katarzyna Belkius, soprano (Edwige)
Robert Gierlach, bass (Zamoski)
Poznan Chamber Choir
Poznan Philharmonic Orchestra
Lukasz Borowicz, conductor

Lukasz Borowicz
One of the most versatile conductors of his generation, Łukasz Borowicz regularly leads the major European orchestras in the core Germanic repertoire as well as important Russian, Polish, Czech and Hungarian works. He conducts opera and has received numerous prizes for his over 100 recordings. From 2007 to 2015 he was Chief Conductor of the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra in Warsaw, and in 2006 he was appointed Chief Guest Conductor of the Poznań Philharmonic, a title he retains.

In the 20/21 season Borowicz debuts with Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal, Orquestra Titular del Teatro Real (Madrid) and returns to Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra (Ostrava), Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra (Bratislava), Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, DSO Berlin, Baltic Philharmonic (Gdańsk), Cracow Philharmonic, Beethoven Academy Orchestra (Cracow), Silesian Philharmonic (Katowice), Pomeranian Philharmonic (Bydgoszcz) and Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera (Warsaw).

In the 19/20 season Borowicz led a new production of Moniuszko’s Halka at the Theater an der Wien and the Teatr Wielki – National Opera of Poland. Throughout February and March, Borowicz led the Poznań Philharmonic on tour throughout Germany and France, including stops at the Kölner Philharmonie and the Théâtre des Champs Elysées.

In the 18/19 season Borowicz made his debuts with Paris Opera (Les Huguenots), Hungarian National Orchestra and Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, and led a new production of Halka (Vilnius Version) by Stanisław Moniuszko at the Polish National Opera. He performed on tour with the Poznań Philharmonic, and returned to Warsaw Philharmonic, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, Janáček Philharmonic and Orchestre symphonique et lyrique de Nancy, as well as the orchestras in Katowice, Szczecin, Gdańsk and Łódź. Ongoing recording projects included a multi-disc recording of Anton Bruckner’s sacred music with RIAS Kammerchor and Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin for Accentus, as well as a release of Hugo Alfven’s five symphonies with the Deutsche Symphonieorchester Berlin on CPO. He also recorded an album of cello concertos by exiled Jewish composers with Raphael Wallfisch and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. In the 17/18 season he made his debut with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Gürzenich-Orchester Köln and recorded with Bamberger Symphoniker.

Łukasz Borowicz has appeared as guest conductor with SWR Sinfonieorchester, Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Hamburger Symphoniker, MDR Sinfonieorchester, Luzerner Symfonieorchester, Orchestre National de Lille, Luxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Trondheim Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group and a number of other orchestras and ensembles, including all the major Polish symphonies. He has led concerts at the Rossini Festival in Pesaro, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival and Kissinger Sommer Festival, and has an ongoing relationship with the Beethoven Easter Festival in Warsaw, which has seen thirteen rarely played operas recorded and released to date.

Borowicz made his operatic debut at Polish National Opera with Don Giovanni, which has been followed by over 180 performances at the house, including new productions of Orfeo ed Euridice, A Midsummer’s Night Dream (Mendelssohn/Ligeti), The Rite of Spring and Romeo and Juliet (Prokofiev). Further operatic credits include premieres of Die Zauberflöte, Rusalka, Dido and Aeneas, Blubeard’s Castle (Łódź), Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin, Halka, King Roger (Kraków), Eugene Onegin (Nantes), King Roger (Bilbao), Don Giovanni (Polish Royal Opera Warsaw).

A prolific recording artist with over 100 albums to his name, Borowicz’s recordings have been awarded four Diapason d’Or prizes. Symphonic recordings include the complete violin concertos by Grażyna Bacewicz for Chandos, the complete symphonic works by Andrzej Panufnik for CPO, and several titles for Hyperion. The final installment of the Panufnik cycle was selected as an Editor’s Choice by Gramophone magazine, and Borowicz received the ICMA Special Achievement Award in 2015 for his pioneering work on the cycle. In 2018 he received another ICMA award for his recording of Quo Vadis by Feliks Nowowiejski. His collaboration with Piotr Beczała on Deutsche Grammophon’s recording Heart’s delight – Songs of Richard Tauber was met with wide critical and public praise.

Born in Warsaw in 1977, Łukasz Borowicz graduated from the Frederic Chopin Music Academy, where he studied under Bogusław Madey. He received a doctorate in conducting under Antoni Wit. He has received the Polityka Passport Award (2008), Coryphée of Polish Music Award (2011), Norwid Award (2013) and Tansman Prize honouring an outstanding musical personality (2014).

Booklet for Cherubini: Faniska