A celebratory concert performance of Ivan pl. Zajc's opera “Nikola Šubić Zrinjski” will be staged on Wednesday, 4 November, at 19.30 at the Rijeka Croatian National Theatre (HNK). Maestro Igor Vlajnić will conduct the performance, which marks the 150th anniversary of the premiere of Zajc's most famous opera, as well as the 30th anniversary of the artistic careers of opera singers Kristina and Robert Kolar.
The opera “Nikola Šubić Zrinjski” premiered in 1876 at the then National Provincial Theatre in Zagreb. It was the first opera performed at the newly established Rijeka National Theatre, where it had its premiere on 2 November 1946, conducted by Boris Papandopulo. The composer Ivan pl. Zajc was born in Rijeka, which gives this event special significance. The most recognisable and popular part of the opera is undoubtedly the chorus “U boj, u boj” (To battle, to battle).
In the title roles, Robert Kolar will appear as Nikola Šubić Zrinjski and Kristina Kolar as Eva, the wife of Nikola Šubić Zrinjski. Notably, Kristina and Robert Kolar were spouses on stage for the first time in their careers as Zajc's Zrinjski and Eva in 2018. Maestro Vlajnić is also connected to this work – “Zrinjski” was the first opera he conducted in Rijeka, exactly 20 years ago.
Alongside them, the Rijeka Symphony Orchestra and the Rijeka Opera Chorus will participate in the performance. Other roles will be played by Gabrijela Deglin as Jelena, Marko Fortunato as Lovro Juranić, Slavko Sekulić as Sulejman the Magnificent, Bože Jurić Pešić as Mehmed Sokolović, Jure Počkaj as Levi, Marijan Padavić as Gašpar Alapić, Krešimir Škunca as Mustafa, Darko Matijašević as Ali Portuk and Glasnik, Saša Matovina as Ibrahim Beglerbeg, and Marin Tuhtan as Vuk Paprutović.
With this celebratory concert performance, the Rijeka HNK rounds off a rich history of performing Zajc's masterpiece, from the premiere in Zagreb to the first showing in Rijeka in 1946, all the way to today's celebration of two significant anniversaries.
