Other 19th-century composers used to turn Mickiewicz’s texts into operatic librettos, such as Henryk Jarecki in Powrót Taty (Father’s Return), Władysław Żeleński in Konrad Wallenrod and the Italian composer Amilcare Ponchielli in Lithuanians (I Lituani based on Wallenrod). Stanisław Moniuszko had no such ambitions, opting for a form close to a cantata – some believe this led to rather frigid reception of Halka, today undoubtedly the most iconic Polish opera. The author of The Haunted Manor expressed his interest in Mickiewicz’s works many times. He wrote a total of 17 songs to Adam Mickiewicz’s texts.
In 1867, he wrote a series of eight sonnets for solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra for Crimean Sonnets. Sketches for Phantoms can be found in Songbooks for Home: the third edition contains the duet Naprzód Ciebie Wspomina (He Recalls You) from the fourth part of Dziady; the next edition contains Tu Niegdyś Z Wiosny Poranki (Here We Had Once Spring Mornings), a fragment of Zosia’s song from the second part of Forefather’s Eve; the fifth edition contains a duet of the Sorcerer and Zosia, Na Głowie Ma Kraśny Wianek (A Beautiful Garland On Her Head).
The work had its premiere on the anniversary of the January Uprising (22nd January 1865), in the Redutowe Rooms of the Grand Theatre, at a benefit concert organised by Maria Kalergis. The theatre was filled to capacity, the crowd dominated by black mourning dresses of women mourning the uprising. It is worth mentioning the event took place outdoors, in the gardens of the Music Institute in Warsaw in June 1866. The concert was repeated several times, and the critics’ reception was favourable. In the same year, Phantoms was performed in Lviv, with the composer present. Two years later the work was performed for the anniversary of the outbreak of the November Uprising, with texts recited by Helena Modrzejewska, Salomea Palińska and Jan Chęciński.
In the 20th century, Phantoms was not clearly present in the programmes of Polish theatres and musical institutions – in 1998 it was staged by the Silesian Opera (directed by Tadeusz Bradecki) and in 1996 at the National Opera (directed by Ryszard Peryt). In 2017, it could be seen at Wrocław’s National Music Forum as part of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival (directed by Paweł Passini). Andrzej Kosendiak, the conductor preparing the musical setting of the performance at the NMF, said: ‘There is a chance for a fresh look at the work of this outstanding composer. In my opinion, Stasio’s Song is siciliana’. In turn, Franciszek Bylicki in his 1880 book Stanislaw Moniuszko: Studyum wrote:
It is possible that this type of composition was more suited to Moniuszko’s talent than the opera form, which cannot be built from different parts, does not give as much opportunity and rest, and requires great uniformity in performing the main roles. The introduction to 'Phantoms', entitled 'Cemetery', is undoubtedly the most beautiful composition, which Moniuszko wrote for orchestra. It consists of four movements, each of which represents a separate phantom, but all linked together, although they differ both in tempo and rhythm. Will the listener be able to imagine a cemetery when listening to it?
The orchestra, apart from traditional instruments (the most interesting parts are played by strings and horns, and the flute solos are particularly noteworthy), also features bells and an ophicleide, an old brass instrument – a kind of bass horn. Moniuszko used almost half of Mickiewicz’s original text, partly sung, sometimes recited. The most important role in Phantoms is undoubtedly played by the choir, sometimes singing in soft unison, at other times thickening and dialoguing with the soloists. The composer himself compared Phantoms to Félicien-César David’s Desert symphony-ode. When writing about musical adaptations of Mickiewicz’s texts, it is worth remembering that during his student years the Bard happened to write a review of a musical work for the stage, which was not an opera but an operetta – Jan Czeczot’s Małgorzata z Zębocina (Margaret of Zębocin).
[Opera], whether it be serious or buffo, requires neither all the power of a tragedy nor the wit and ridicule of a comedy. On the other hand, however, it necessitates deep knowledge of the human heart, great wisdom, often lyrical fervour, and almost always naturalness and simplicity, familiarity with music as the opera’s principal art, which is only accompanied by poetry – these are qualities inextricably needed by every opera as a genre.
Did any composer live up to Mickiewicz’s expectations?
Sources: Mirosław Strzyżewski, Recenzje Filomackie Mickiewicza; Franciszek Bylicki, 'Stanisław Moniuszko. Studyum'; the program for the performance ‘Spectres’ staged at the Silesian Opera in Bytom in 1998, edited by Tadeusz Kijonek; a conversation between Grzegorz Chojnowski and Andrzej Kosendiak in ‘Muzyka w Mieście’ (no. 9, September 2017).