Polish opera

Polish opera includes special musical plays called operas that were performed in Poland and works created by Polish composers for theaters in other countries. These operas are sometimes in Polish and sometimes in other languages.

The story of Polish opera begins with Italian-style shows from a long time ago during the baroque period. Later, during the Romantic time, Polish opera grew strong, especially after Poland was divided among other countries. One famous example is the work of Stanisław Moniuszko, who wrote beautiful operas in Polish.

In the 20th century, Polish opera became known around the world. Composers like Krzysztof Penderecki wrote operas in other languages, such as Ubu Rex and Die Teufel von Loudun, which were later translated into Polish so more people in Poland could enjoy them.

17th century

Operas were first performed in Poland during the Baroque era when Sigismund III Vasa was king from 1587 to 1632. Though Sigismund did not enjoy the arts, his son Władysław IV, who ruled from 1632 to 1648, loved opera. While still a prince, Władysław enjoyed operas when he visited Italy. In 1625, Francesca Caccini wrote an opera called La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'Alcina for him, and it was later performed in Warsaw in 1628. This was the first known performance of an Italian opera outside Italy. Another opera, Gli amori di Aci e Galatea by Santi Orlandi, was also performed in 1628. When Władysław became king, he brought operas to the royal castle and invited Marco Scacchi's opera troupe to Poland. In 1635, an opera named Giuditta, based on the Biblical story of Judith, was performed. The composer was likely Virgilio Puccitelli. Many operas were enjoyed during Władysław IV’s time, though we no longer have their music.

Saxon era (1697-1763)

During the time when kings like John II Casimir of Poland, Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki, and John III Sobieski ruled, they were mostly busy with wars and did not pay much attention to opera. However, the operas that were performed were very respected. Things changed when the ruler of Saxony became the King of Poland in 1697. This ruler had a wonderful opera scene at his court in Dresden.

The first public opera house in Poland opened in 1724. Another important king from Saxony, King August III, built an opera house in 1748 where Italian and German composers' works were often performed. A famous European composer, Johann Adolf Hasse, also came to Poland. His work helped make opera more popular among the nobility and improved the quality of Polish opera to match international standards. Hasse even wrote an opera called Zenobia just for Warsaw in 1761, using a script by Pietro Metastasio.

Late 18th century

During the late 1700s, Poland faced tough times as neighboring countries took parts of it away. Yet, culture still grew strong. A National Theatre opened in 1779, and this was when the first operas in Polish were likely written, though we don’t know their names or authors.

One important moment was in 1777 when Franciszek Bohomolec wrote words for a special song called Nędza uszczęśliwiona (Poverty Made Happy). Soon after, Wojciech Bogusławski turned these words into a story for an opera, with music by Maciej Kamieński. This was the first known opera in Polish. Bogusławski became known as “the father of Polish theatre” for his work. He also wrote and performed an funny opera called Henryk IV na łowach (Henri IV Goes Hunting) with music by Jan Stefani. Another opera, Cud mniemany, czyli Krakowiacy i Górale (The Supposed Miracle, or the Krakowians and the Highlanders), was very popular when it first showed on March 1, 1794. It was performed only four times because it had messages against foreign control of Poland.

Polish National Opera

Even when Poland was not an independent country, people there still loved opera. Two important composers, Józef Elsner and Karol Kurpiński, helped make Polish opera famous. Elsner wrote many operas using Polish folk music and defended the beauty of the Polish language for singing. Kurpiński also wrote popular operas and brought famous works from other countries to Poland, helping to modernize the theatre. In 1833, a new theatre was built in Warsaw, opening with a performance of Rossini's The Barber of Seville.

Stanisław Moniuszko

Stanisław Moniuszko is known as the creator of Polish national opera. His importance in Poland is similar to that of Glinka in the Russian music, Smetana in the Czech, and Ferenc Erkel in the Hungarian music.

In 1837, Moniuszko returned to Poland after studying music in other countries. Ten years later, he wrote the famous Polish Romantic opera Halka. The first version, with two acts, premiered in Vilnius. A second version, with four acts, was shown in Warsaw ten years later. Halka is considered one of the best Polish operas. It uses musical styles from Polish folk traditions like polonaises, mazurkas, and dumkas. It was also the first Polish opera where the whole story is set to music with no spoken dialogue.

The words for Halka, written by Włodzimierz Wolski, are known as some of the best Polish writing from that time. Moniuszko’s next important work is Straszny Dwór or The Haunted Manor. This opera is more playful than Halka. Its words by Jan Chęciński refer to old Polish noble traditions and feelings for independence, which caused the opera to be banned. It was first performed in 1865 and received much applause, but authorities stopped it after just a few shows.

Polish school of opera

One of Władysław Żeleński’s followers modeled his works on Stanisław Moniuszko, using a similar musical style. Żeleński wrote four operas: Konrad Wallenrod, Goplana, Janek, Stara Baśń. These operas often express feelings of wanting independence and are inspired by famous Polish writers like Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki.

In the 20th century, an important Polish opera named Manru was composed by Ignacy Paderewski. Another modern opera is Eros i Psyche (Cupid and Psyche), which is known for its unique style. Other notable works include Legenda Bałtyku (The Legend of the Baltic) and Król Zygmunt August (King Zygmunt August).

Karol Szymanowski

Karol Szymanowski wrote two operas that were very different from earlier Polish operas. The first, Hagith, was inspired by a work called Salome by Richard Strauss but did not succeed when it was first shown in 1922. The second opera, King Roger, created in 1926, became much more important over time. Though it was not well-known for many years, it is now performed successfully in places like the United Kingdom, France, and Spain. King Roger mixes elements of opera and oratorio, with the chorus playing a big part throughout. The music changes from styles inspired by the Eastern Orthodox Church to more complex sounds, and it is regarded as the most important Polish opera of the 20th century.

Post-war opera

During the time when Poland was under a certain government from 1945 to 1989, many operas were made following a special style called socialist realism. One example is Bunt żaków (The Schoolboys' Revolt, 1951) by Tadeusz Szeligowski, which tells a story from long ago. Another composer, Witold Rudziński, wrote operas like Janko Muzykant (Janko the Musician, 1953).

Other important composers included Romuald Twardowski, known for operas such as Cyrano de Bergerac (1963). Many other operas were inspired by famous books and stories, and some were made just for radio or television.

Krzysztof Penderecki

Sonorist opera was created by Krzysztof Penderecki, who composed one of the most famous contemporary operas in 1969: Diabły z Loudun (The Devils of Loudun, libretto by John Whiting after the book by Aldous Huxley). The opera, inspired by Wagner and psychoanalysis, was very interesting and talked about a lot. It became a classic because of its new style.

Penderecki later wrote another opera called Paradise Lost, which also got good reviews. He then created Die schwarze Maske, first shown in Salzburg during The Summer Festival in 1986, which had mixed reactions from people.

When Penderecki decided to write a "Polish" opera, he created Ubu Rex, based on a funny play by Alfred Jarry, Ubu roi, set in Poland. Even though it was in German, the opera got strong reactions from audiences, with some loving it and others leaving the theatre. Still, it caught the attention of people outside Poland.

Recent developments

Some of the newest opera composers from Poland are Krzystof Knittel, Eugeniusz Knapik, and Roman Palester. In 1999, Knittel created an opera called Heart Piece – Double Opera, which includes rock music. Knapik wrote a series of operas, using English, German, and Italian, which are common languages for operas. Palester composed Śmierć Don Juana (The Death of Don Juan), using a special musical style and a story written by Oscar Milosz.

Some other important recent Polish operas include Antygona from 2001 by Zbigniew Rudziński, Balthazar and The Trap from 2011 by Zygmunt Krauze, Ignorant i Szaleniec by Paweł Mykietyn, and Madame Curie from 2011 by Elżbieta Sikora.