A humorous and ironic commentary on the behavior of the society at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries. The young widow, the title Countess, wants to get a handsome officer, Kazimierz. His feelings, in turn, were awakened by Bronia, a girl from a noble family. The action, filled with the adventures of the heroes, leads to a happy ending, in which Bronia marries Kazimierz and the mannered Countess leaves defeated.
In this way, Moniuszko and his librettist Włodzimierz Wolski mark several levels of the operatic story. On the one hand, it is, of course, a story of two women falling in love and competing for a man's favor. On the other hand, The Countess is a charming document showing the life of the high society and impoverished nobility at the time. On the third, however, the opera presents the views of the authors themselves, who show sympathy for the latter social group quite clearly. They also do not hide their patriotic views in the whole work. All this is emphasized in the musical layer, which reflects the character of not only the subsequent scenes, but also individual social groups, and sometimes even characters.
In the Gdańsk realization, the patriotic theme is pushed further back, while the problems of the present day come to the fore - the Countess's palace becomes a shopping center, which in today's world of consumerism rises to the rank of the most important public space.
OPERA CHAT
June 11, 2022
Half an hour before the performance, we invite you to a lecture by Jerzy Snakowski, who will briefly present the work and indicate possible interpretative paths, while sharing with the audience interesting facts and anecdotes related to the title.
During the break on the monitors in the foyer, we will show what is happening behind the curtain during the interaction, we will also talk with the producers and performers. After the performance, we will invite viewers to a live opera chat with Jerzy Snakowski. In the opera foyer, the expert will be waiting for those who would like to share their reflections, emotions or doubts.
