The opera "Nikola Šubić Zrinjski" in Rijeka on 4 November - exactly 150 years after Zajc's premiere, in concert at the theatre that bears his name

HNK Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka stages a gala concert performance of "Nikola Šubić Zrinjski", Ivan Zajc's best-known opera, on Wednesday, 4 November, at 7:30 pm. The date was chosen on purpose: the work premiered on 4 November 1876 at what was then the National Provincial Theatre in Zagreb, with Zajc himself conducting. In Rijeka the baton belongs to maestro Igor Vlajnić.

Zajc was born in Rijeka, which is why the theatre carries his name. The opera tells the story of the last stand of Ban Nikola Šubić Zrinjski, who died in 1566 defending Szigetvár against the Ottoman army of Suleiman the Magnificent. A hero, a siege, death instead of betrayal: a plot every Balkan nation knows by heart, just with its own names.

Vlajnić has had the opera in his repertoire for more than 20 years. In June he led the anniversary performances at HNK in Zagreb, all sold out, and for the occasion borrowed Zajc's original ivory baton from the collection of Villa Ružić in Rijeka. The evening in Rijeka also marks 30 years of artistic work by opera singers Kristina and Robert Kolar, who sang Eva and Zrinjski in Rijeka's 2020 production.

A concert performance means no set: it all falls on the orchestra, the choir and the voices. Tickets run from 19 to 29 euros, about 1,170 to 1,790 denars, on mojekarte.hr.