Organization

Mezzo-soprano (+3)

Anna Lubańska

Czesnikowa

Bass (+4)

Alexander Teliga

Skołuba

Baritone (+5)

Damian Wilma

Grzes

Contralto (+2)

Magdalena Idzik

Marta

Stage director

Stage director (+2)

David Pountney

Conductor

Piotr Staniszewski

Lighting designer

Fabrice Kebour

Costume designer

Set designer (+1)

Marie-Jeanne Lecca

Set designer

Leslie Travers

Choreographer

Choreographer (+2)

Emil Wesołowski

Chorusmaster

Violetta Bielecka

Chorusmaster (+2)

Mirosław Janowski

Librettist

Jan Chęciński

Teatr Wielki - Opera Narodowa

Chorus

Chorus of the Polish National Opera

Orchestra

Orchestra of the Polish National Opera

Tenor (+1)

Dominik Sutowicz

Stefan

Bass-baritone (+6)

Artur Janda

Zbigniew

Elzbieta Wroblewska

Jadwiga

Soprano (+1)

Ania Jeruc

Hanna

Baritone (+2)

Sławomir Kowalewski

Maciej

Mateusz Zajdel

Damazy

Adam Kruszewski

Swordfish

Paweł Skałuba

Bass (+5)

Paweł Horodyski

Mezzo-soprano (+2)

Katarzyna Szymkowiak

Gabriela Legun

Baritone (+3)

Piotr Kędziora

Zbigniew Malak

Baritone (+1)

Stanisław Kuflyuk

Lukasz Konieczny

Although The Haunted Manoris considered the most outstanding of Moniuszko's works, and it is so hard to believe that this opera has been performed on the Warsaw stage over 1,500 times. The masterpiece, created at the time when Poland disappeared from the map of Europe, was for the spirit of the nation a sentimental return to the times of a sovereign homeland not endangered by external conflicts. The praise of the family, native tradition, recalling happy times - immediately won the hearts of the audience thirsty for Polish culture. Before the tsarist censorship realized that the opera was written to cheer up hearts, and after the first three performances, in 1865, the performance was taken off the poster, the Polish audience managed to see the performance and the news about the work that inspired hope for regaining freedom spread widely. Unfortunately, Moniuszko did not live to see another showThe Haunted Manor . Meanwhile, 100 years after its premiere, it is no coincidence that this opera became a spectacle inaugurating the activity of the Warsaw opera stage rebuilt from the devastation caused during World War II. The Haunted Manor has become a symbol of Polish nationality, patriotism and the strength of the nation, leading many times in the history of history to the rebirth of the country.

It is not surprising then that the performances of this arch-Polish opera have always been undertaken by native producers. In 2015, however, in the repertoire of the Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera, the name of the outstanding British producer, director of leading festivals and opera theaters - David Pountney appeared under the title of the Moniuszko opera. In the previous seasons, the director staged The Passenger and Wilhelm Tell on the Warsaw stage. Fascinated by the mentality of nations behind the Iron Curtain, with his own passion and commitment, he undertook the realization of the Polish composer's work in the already well-known space of the National Opera. According to Pountney, Moniuszko deliberately referred to the 18th century in this opera - the last period when the Republic of Poland was independent and just before its collapse, which is why the British director also placed the plot of The Haunted Manor in the times of a break from the historical turmoil - the interwar period.

Absorbing the atmosphere of the 1920s and 1930s in Pountney's production, full of escapism, hedonism and fun after the regaining of independence by the Polish state, one cannot resist the ominous feeling of the impending extermination - World War II - constituting, quoting the director - "a terrible guillotine that will cut off all that mirth.

Moniuszko's work directed by David Pountney is a great opportunity to see the play in a light and witty form. The love plot included in the libretto takes place in the times of the heyday of intellectual and noble culture. It is touching and entertaining, although it is impossible to resist the impression that this general image of carelessness and cheerfulness can be destroyed at any moment. Undoubtedly, the performance prompts reflection on the fact that history likes to come full circle and what seems obvious to us today is not given forever. The music is really beautiful, graceful and enjoyable. In the middle acts, the crystal beauty of the ensembles is enchanting, and the recitative concept of combining individual numbers excellently drives the dramatic continuum of the whole.

Pollakk