Polish composer Moniuszko's 'Halka' premieres in Italian

An Italian-language version of "Halka," one of the best-known operas by Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko, had its world premiere on Friday.

Stanisław Moniuszko

Polona

The production, directed by Michał Znaniecki, was staged by the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in Białystok, northeastern Poland, with Italian conductor Fabio Biondi as musical director. It featured an international cast of soloists.

First staged in 1848, Halka tells a story of jealousy and sacrifice, centred on the title character's unrequited love for a wealthy nobleman named Janusz.

Znaniecki said in a director’s note that the Italian version offers a broader perspective on the work. "Every culture knows the figure of a woman wounded by love and pushed to the margins," he wrote, adding that the adaptation allows audiences to see the opera beyond its local context.

Violetta Bielecka, head of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic, said the production aims to present Halka "not as a historical opera, but as a vivid, emotional and still relevant drama about loneliness, injustice, and a lack of sensitivity to others."

She added that Moniuszko had hoped the opera would reach major European stages after entrusting an Italian translation of the libretto to Giuseppe Achille Bonoldi.

"Today, two centuries later, this vision is finally coming true," she said.

Biondi has previously given concert performances of Halka and other Moniuszko operas – The Raftsman, The Countess), Verbum Nobile, Apparitions and The Pariah – at the Chopin and His Europe Festival in Warsaw, describing the project as "a fascinating adventure" and praising the composer’s music.

Moniuszko (1819-1872) is regarded as a founding figure of Polish national opera. In addition to operas, he composed operettas, songs, cantatas and chamber music.

(mk/gs)