Libretto by Peter Šavli (after the Slovenian folk tale The Swineherd Who Became a Spanish King from the Tolmin Fairy Tales Collection)
- Conductor Igor Švara
- Stage Direction, Set and Costume Design Rocc
- Lighting Design Jasmin Šehić
- Choreography Tanja Pavlič
- Dramaturgy Tatjana Ažman
The young Swineherd wants to know if there is any truth in his dreams, as he dreamt that he became a Spanish King. First he rescues a haunted witch as a dragonfly. Then he picks up the magic pouch, ring and sword from the drunken bandits. He defeats a foreign army in Spain and is rewarded by the youngest Princess, who, however, can’t stand the poverty of a Swineherd’s home, stills his magic objects and flees back to Spain.
The desperate Swineherd is helped by the witch, who first turns him into a girl, selling miraculously delicious pears. When the Princess eats the pear, horns grow on her head. Then the witch turns the Swineherd into a monk healer. The King asks him for help, but the horns on his daughter’s head only grow bigger, as she fails to frankly confess her guilt to him. At last, the Princess confesses that she has robbed her husband. He takes off his monks robe and reveals himself to her. And there comes the happy ending.
The short ballet numbers, presented between the scenes, are relaxing the opera’s atmosphere and emphasising its particular contents. The opera’s running time is 60 minutes and it is composed of six pictures. The musical language is fluent, varied and lively, spiced here and there with some themes, reminding of Spanish folklore, Classicism and easy Gershwin-like swing. The performance is designed for the elementary school youth and adults, yet it can thrill the opera lovers from secondary schools as well.
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