Poster
Waldemar Zawodziński directs this famous Polish opera starring Mariusz Kwiecień, the Polish-born soloist of New York’s Metropolitan Opera as the heartless nobleman Janusz
Zawodziński's staging puts the spotlight on the woman who has got the courage to fight for love. It is set in the late 18th century in the Podhale highlander region of Poland in the south, amid the picturesque scenery of the Tatra mountains. The title character, a peasant girl named Halka falls for the rich nobleman Janusz and falls pregnant. He abandons her and marries a a gentlewoman instead. Halka comes to the wedding wishing to set fire to the church, she changes her mind, however. Having left the child in the roadside chapel, she drowns herself in the river.
The first informal performance of Moniuszko’s "Halka", based on the libretto by Włodzimierz Wolski, took place at a private gathering at the house of his parents-in-law in 1848 in Vilnius. The opera was staged for the first time six years later at the building of a former town hall. It didn't, however, receive much enthusiasm on the part of critics nor the public due to the scandalous plot centred around an extramarital affair between the peasant highlander girl and the nobleman.
Director Waldemar Zawodziński gives his take on the work:
The libretto is an exquisite one. All of the acts are set at dusk or in the nighttime and this leaves its mark on the opera. The night is favourable to the awakening of the dormant part of our soul, everything becomes relative, nothing is as certain as during the day. The amazing thing is that we’re seeing the world from Halka’s perspective and the picture is certainly not an objective one. The only thing this girl has got is love and in opposition to the mentality of the time she decides to talk about it and fight for it, no matter what price it takes, be it even madness and ostracism. This character is extremely liberated; she will fight for the things most important to her even if the whole world is against her.
The title role of Halka is performed by sopranos: Magdalena Barylak, Ewa Biegas and Ewa Vesin. The role of Janusz is assigned to Mariusz Kwiecień, the Polish soloist of New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Stanisław Kufluk and Krzysztof Witkowski. Jontek, the young highlander in love with Halka will be sung by Tomasz Kuk, Vasyl Grokholskyi and Tadeusz Szlenkier, while the role of Pantler, the father to Janusz’s wife - by Aleksander Teliga.
Ewa Biegas, one of the sopranos cast as the main character of the opera calls the staging "extremely realistic and natural", remarking that there are new aspects every time the role is sung. Conductor Łukasz Borowicz restored the parts of the score which usually are not sung due to the high degree of technical difficulty. The costumes were designed by the late Magdalena Tesławska and Paweł Grabarczyk, while the choreography has been created by Janina Niesobska.
It is the fifth time "Halka" comes to the stage at the Kraków Opera. The first staging took place in 1958 and the role of Halka was sung by Teresa Żylis-Gara, the famous Polish soprano who performed at the most prestigious opera houses in the world: the Metropolitan Opera in New York, London’s Covent Garden and Milan’s La Scala. The last, 2004 staging of the opera was a spectacular open-air performance directed by Krzysztof Jasiński, performed four times in the beautiful scenery of Twardowski’s Rocks in the Zakrzówek area of Kraków.
"Halka"
Music: Stanisław Moniuszko. Libretto: Włodzimierz Wolski. Direction and stage design: Waldemar Zawodziński. Music director and conductor: Łukasz Borowicz. Costumes: Magdalena Tesławska, Paweł Grabarczyk.Choreography: Janina Niesobska. Preparation of the choir: Zygmunt Magiera. Cast: Magdalena Barylak, Ewa Biegas, Ewa Vesin, Vasyl Grokholskyi, Tomasz Kuk, Tadeusz Szlenkier,Volodymyr Pankiv, Aleksander Teliga, Mariusz Kwiecień, Stanisław Kufluk, Krzysztof Witkowski, Agnieszka Cząstka, Monika Korybalska, Anna Borucka-Kuflyuk, Krzysztof Dekański, Krzysztof Witkowski, Marcin Kotarba, Adam Sobierajski, Adam Zdunikowski, Władysłw Guzik, Imeri Kawsadze
The opera premieres on the 16th of December, 2011. Repeats performances: 18th, 20th, 21st, 22nd of December & 25th, 26th of February, 2012.
"Halka" is also taking the stage at Warsaw's National Opera House, premering on the 23rd of October, 2011.
Kraków
48 Lubicz St
31-512 Cracow
ph: (+48 12) 296 61 00-02
fax: (+48 12) 296 61 03
www.opera.krakow.pl
Source: www.opera.krakow.pl, www.gazeta.pl, www.e-teatr.pl, www.culture.pl