# Moniuszko and Straszny Dwor



## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

I've been talking to Florestan about this opera, and thought I'd alert the rest of you to this wonderful opera.

Stanisław Moniuszko's Straszny Dwór (The Haunted Manor) is the Polish national opera. Although the story is an elegant comedy about two brothers who vow to renounce women so they'll always be ready to defend Poland, but fall in love with the daughters of the Sword Bearer, it's really a patriotic piece, and was banned by the occupying Russians.

That might explain why it's also almost unknown outside Poland - even though it's one of the best operas ever composed and should be mainstream repertoire anywhere. Nearly every number is a gem. The opera abounds in elaborate ensembles that rank with the best of Rossini or Auber, bel canto lyricism, dancing rhythms (including the polonaise, of course!), and imaginative instrumentation.

There are three full recordings; the best is EMI's set with Jacek Kaspszyk, 2001; the others are Jan Krenz (1970s) and Walerian Bierdajew (1950s). I first discovered it as a kid through the 1992 highlights CD.

There are two filmed productions:
David Pountney's recent production, which is updated to before WWII but has subtitles in English : http://vod.teatrwielki.pl/stream/vod/straszny-dwor/

And a 1976 telefilm (part of it here): 




To whet your appetite, here are four of the great numbers:
The Act II finale





Ten zegar stary - one of the all time great bass arias:





Tenor aria





Mazurka





Here's a playlist of highlights: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoB7Fd8EvhHYABhaw4olkYZ5VYK_80x5E

I've heard a handful of other Moniuszko operas - Halka, Paria and bits of Verbum nobile - which have much to recommend them. Straszny Dwór, though, is a joy.


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

I do believe ( quit sure) Sospiro is also a big fan of this work .


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Pugg said:


> I do believe (quite sure) Sospiro is also a big fan of this work.


I am indeed! 

I've read that it's regarded as Poland's national opera so it was courageous of the opera house to employ non-Poles as Director (David Pountney) and Set Designer (Leslie Travers) for this new production. Leslie Travers is thrilled that it's being revived so soon. I follow him on Twitter.

From the opera house site:

" ... Is David Pountney's production controversial? It is! But it is also interesting, new and beautiful! It testifies to his knowledge of Polish history. The main characters parade around in uniforms from independent Poland (1920). The imagery includes not just talking portraits of great-great-grandmothers (as a bit of playful mischief), but also Kossak's Miracle on the Vistula and genre scenes from 18th-century French miniatures (tableaus were present in Polish theatre tradition at least since the Young Poland movement). There's plenty of comedy: the morning at the barracks after demobilization, the "little house" of dreams that is the size of a toy, or the squabble over the boar. And there's the famous mazurka, in which costumes (white and red for everyone) and the character of the dance are used to portray the intolerable duality of Polish nature: a blend of dignified pride and inclination for tomfoolery. *The mazurka is disrupted by the scream of an approaching airplane, the lights dim for a moment. It takes a while for the dancing and music to resume. No Polish director has shown, in a fraction of a minute, the tragic fate of the Teatr Wielki as fittingly as Pountney.* The last performance before the theatre's wartime destruction was in fact The Haunted Manor, on 31 May 1939. It was also the first after the reconstruction, on 20 November 1965, when "dancing and music" could return here again."

Powerful stuff. (My bold)

Anyway I've got my flights, hotel and opera tickets booked and I can't wait.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I recently found out about this opera and bought a copy of the Krenz CD set. I might have bought the Kaspszyk set but had a deal too good to pass up on the Krenz set. I also am watching David Pountney's recent production, but on You Tube. Am only a hour in but am loving it.


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## Meyerbeer Smith (Mar 25, 2016)

sospiro said:


> I am indeed!
> 
> I've read that it's regarded as Poland's national opera so it was courageous of the opera house to employ non-Poles as Director (David Pountney) and Set Designer (Leslie Travers) for this new production. Leslie Travers is thrilled that it's being revived so soon. I follow him on Twitter.
> 
> ...


Wonderful! I hope you enjoy it!


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

SimonTemplar said:


> Wonderful! I hope you enjoy it!


She will, as long as she seeing not to much sopranos.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Pugg said:


> She will, as long as she seeing not to much sopranos.


:lol:

............................................


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Looks like we have another forum meetup. 12th November in Warsaw. Sospiro and me so far. Anyone else?

Lots of homework for me. The opera and some basic Polish!


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Sounds like a great plan ! But I'm in the middle of my Zurich/Paris trip November 12


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## Sloe (May 9, 2014)

SimonTemplar said:


> Stanisław Moniuszko's Straszny Dwór (The Haunted Manor) is the Polish national opera. Although the story is an elegant comedy about two brothers who vow to renounce women so they'll always be ready to defend Poland, but fall in love with the daughters of the Sword Bearer, it's really a patriotic piece, and was banned by the occupying Russians.


I think the Polish national opera is Halka.
It is usually that opera Poles like to mention asking about Polish operas.


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