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Organization

Singer

Tenor

Piotr Beczała

Jontek

Soprano

Corinne Winters

Halka

Ewa Vesin

Bass

Alexey Tikhomirov

Stolnik

Natalia Kawałek-Plewniak

Zofia

Baritone

Tomasz Konieczny

Janusz

Lukas Jakobski

Dziemba

Spoken

Sreten Manojlovic

A piper

Conductor

Łukasz Borowicz

Stage director

Mariusz Treliński

Set designer

Boris Kudlička

Costume designer

Dorota Roqueplo

Video designer

Bartek Macias

Lighting designer

Marc Heinz

Choreographer

Tomasz Wygoda

Chorus master

Erwin Ortner

Dramaturge

Piotr Gruszczyński

Libretto

Wlodzimierz Wolski

MusikTheater an der Wien

polsk

Vienna

Austria

Theater an der Wien

Grosser Pausenraum

Stanisław Moniuszko succeeded in musically defining a specifically Polish tone with Halka in 1858 - Halka is therefore still considered a Polish national opera to this day. The resounding success was based on the clever integration of Polish dances such as the mazurka, the polonaise and the folk dances of the Gorals, an ethnic minority that still lives in the High Tatras today. Poland had ceased to exist as a separate state in the 18th century, making it all the more important for Poles living under Russian, Prussian or Austrian rule to find an identity in their culture. The opera shows the sad ending of the love story between the rich young squire Janusz and one of his subordinates, the highland girl Halka, thus reflecting the current social structure of the population of the areas, where Poles lived. There the state was organized in a strictly hierarchical manner, and serfdom still existed in large parts. Again and again uprisings flared up against the feudal social order and foreign rule. In this sense, Halka was deliberately designed by Moniuszko and his librettist Włodzimierz Wolski as a highly political opera and was also perceived as such by the audience - it achieved the status of a national opera not only because of the processing of traditional musical motifs. At that time, mazurka and polonaise were also the dances of the nobility and were therefore used with rather negative connotations in the overall context of the opera; the folk music of the lower classes from the peasant milieu of the highlands are positively contrasted. Halka's path to the National Opera was not without problems: Moniuszko was a poorly paid conductor in Vilnius when he conceived the opera with Wolski. At first, Halka only had two acts, and nobody wanted to perform them because of their explosive content at the time. It was first performed in concert in Wilna in 1848, and in 1854 it was finally staged there and the success was triumphant. For the Warsaw performance four years later, Moniuszko extended his work to four acts, and in this form Halka and her creators achieved the fame they deserved. In 1854 she finally made it onto the stage there and the success was triumphant. For the Warsaw performance four years later, Moniuszko extended his work to four acts, and in this form Halka and her creators achieved the fame they deserved. In 1854 she finally made it onto the stage there and the success was triumphant. For the Warsaw performance four years later, Moniuszko extended his work to four acts, and in this form Halka and her creators achieved the fame they deserved.

The top-class ensemble of singers is headed by world star KS Piotr Beczała, also a winner of the International Opera Awards 2018; the title role is played by American soprano Corinne Winters. Alexey Tikhomirov sings Stolnik, Natalia Kawałek his daughter Zofia. In addition to the house debuts of Piotr Beczała and Corinne Winters, KS Tomasz Konieczny will be appearing as her fiancé Janusz for the first time at the Theater an der Wien. Lukas Jakobski, who was highly successful as Leuthold in Guillaume Tell at the theater last season, will take over the steward Dziemba where Vienna made a guest appearance. The role of Dudarsz is embodied by bass-baritone Sreten Manojlović. The ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra will play and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir (directed by Erwin Ortner) will sing.

CONTENTS
The landowner Stolnik wants to marry his daughter Zofia to the wealthy Janusz, and the young couple celebrate their bachelorette party on the estate. Suddenly a woman's plaintive song is heard in the distance. Zofia takes pity, Janusz goes out to see if anyone can help. In front of the gate he finds out what he feared: the sad singer is Halka, a peasant girl from his estates, who was his lover for a long time and whom he has now left for the sake of the rich heiress Zofia. But he didn't confess it to her, he just left without any explanation. Halka has been looking for him and still believes that Janusz will marry her, especially as she is expecting a child by him. To avoid a scandal and get rid of her quickly, he lies to her again, she assures of his love, sends her away, claiming he will follow soon. Nevertheless, she continues to wait for him in hiding and does not listen to her friend Jontek, who, despite her bond with Janusz, loves her faithfully and even accompanied her on her search. He persistently tries to get Halka to understand the truth about Janusz' betrayal. When she finally understands that a wedding is being prepared, she makes her presence felt in front of the gate again and disturbs the party again. Janusz comes out and hypocritically tells Jontek to take the excited Halka home to calm her down. Finally, the whole party comes and is outraged by the interruption. Jontek and Halka are chased away, and Halka finally understands what is happening. The next morning the wedding is being prepared in Janusz' home village, when Jontek and Halka sadly burst in and tell of Janusz' heartlessness. The villagers take Halka's side, and the cheering for the noble bride and groom is therefore somewhat muted when they arrive. Janusz manages to distract the pitying Zofia from the sad, increasingly confused Halka and move into the church with his bride. Jontek's faithful, all-accepting love cannot save Halka, while Janusz is getting married with Zofia in the church, she throws herself into the river and drowns. to distract the increasingly confused Halka and move into the church with his bride. Jontek's faithful, all-accepting love cannot save Halka, while Janusz is getting married with Zofia in the church, she throws herself into the river and drowns. to distract the increasingly confused Halka and move into the church with his bride. Jontek's faithful, all-accepting love cannot save Halka, while Janusz is getting married with Zofia in the church, she throws herself into the river and drowns.

Halka Moniuszko

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