Stanisław Moniuszko

**Stanisław Moniuszko**  (May 5, 1819 in Ubiel, near Minsk – June 4, 1872 in Warsaw, Congress Poland) was a Polish composer, conductor and teacher. He is generally called the father of Polish national opera.

### Youth

Moniuszko was born in Ubiel (Minsk district in modern Belarus) to a Polish-Armenian  noble family of landowners. He showed an early ability in music, and began private piano lessons with August Freyer in 1827.  Moniuszko began to formally study composition in Berlin with Karl Friedrich Rungenhagen, who also taught him in choral conducting. While in Berlin, he had an unexpected early success when he set three songs to the words of the Polish national poet, Adam Mickiewicz.

After three years in Berlin, he returned to Poland in 1840 to marry Aleksandra Müller. He got a job as an organist in Vilnius and also worked as a private piano tutor. The Moniuszkos had ten children.

Around 1840, he began to compose strongly, writing his first operas and several other stage works, as well as sacred music and secular cantatas.

During his lifetime Moniuszko traveled many times to St. Petersburg where his concerts were very well received.  He was the mentor of César Cui.

### Maturity

In 1848 in Vilnius, he staged and conducted the first performance of his opera _Halka_.  After the triumph of his new four-act version of _Halka_ at Warsaw on 1 January 1858, he toured France.  It was soon later staged in Prague, Moscow and St. Petersburg, where it met with great success.

On 1 August 1858 he was made conductor of the Polish Opera in the Grand Theatre in Warsaw.  In 1864, Moniuszko started lecturing at the Music Institute in Warsaw, where he also directed a choir. His disciples included, among others, Zygmunt Noskowski and Henryk Jarecki.

Stanisław Moniuszko died on 4 June 1872 in Warsaw of a sudden heart attack. He was buried in Powązki Cemetery.

#### Operettas

|bgcolor=ececec|Work|bgcolor=ececec|Form|bgcolor=ececec|Composed|bgcolor=ececec|Libretto|bgcolor=ececec|Première|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|_Biuraliści_ (The Bureaucrats)|operetta in one act|c. 1835|I F Skarbeck|unperformed||||||
|_Nocleg w Apeninach_ (A Night in the Apennines)|operetta in one act|c. 1837-9|A Fredro|Vilnius, 1839||||||
|_Cudowna woda_ (The Miraculous Water)|operetta in two acts, lost except overture|1840-1||||||||
|_Ideał, czyli Nowe Precjoza_ (Perfection, or The New Preciosa)|operetta in two acts|c. 1841|O Milewski|Vilnius, 1840||||||
|_Karmaniol, czyli Francuzi lubią żartować_ (Carmagnole, or The French Like Joking)|operetta|c. 1840-1|O Milewski (after Théaulon de Torges and E Jaime)|unperformed||||||
|_Nowy Don Kichot, czyl Sto szaleństw_ (The New Don Quixote, or 100 Follies)|operetta in three acts|1841|A Fredro (after M de Cervantes)|Lwów 1849 Warsaw, 1923||||||
|_Żółta szlafmyca_ (The Yellow Nightcap)|operetta|c. 1841|F Zablocki|lost||||||
|_Loteria_ (The Lottery)|operetta in one act|c. 1842-3|O Milewski|Minsk, 1843||||||
|_Cyganie_ (The Gypsies) (revised as _Jawnuta_ 1860)|operetta|c. 1852|F D Kniaźnin|Vilnius, 20 May 1852||||||
|_Beata_|operetta in one act|c. 1870-1|Jan Chęciński|Warsaw, 2 February 1872||||||
|_Pobór rekrutów_ (Conscription)|operetta|1842|Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich|lost||||||

#### Operas

|bgcolor=ececec|Work|bgcolor=ececec|Form|bgcolor=ececec|Composed|bgcolor=ececec|Libretto|bgcolor=ececec|Première|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|_Halka_ (Helen)|opera in two acts, later enlarged to four acts|c. 1847-8 & 1857|Włodzimierz Wolski (after Kazimierz Władysław Wójcicki)|Vilnius, 1 January 1848||||||
|_Sielanka_ (Idyll)|opera in two acts|c. 1848?|Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich|lost||||||
|_Betty_|comic opera in two acts|c. 1852|F Schober (after Scribe and Melesville)|Vilnius, 20 May 1852||||||
|_Flis_ (The Raftsman)|opera in one act|c. 1858|S Boguslawski|Warsaw, 24 September 1858||||||
|_Rokiczana_ (The King of Peasants)|incomplete|c. 1859|J Korzeniowski|unperformed||||||
|_Hrabina_ (The Countess)|opera in three acts|c. 1869|Włodzimierz Wolski|Warsaw, 7 February 1860||||||
|_Jawnuta_|opera in two acts|c. 1860||Warsaw 5 June 1860||||||
|_Verbum nobile|opera in one act|c. 1860|Jan Chęciński|Warsaw, 1 January 1861||||||
|_Straszny Dwór_ (The Haunted Manor)|opera in four acts|c. 1861-4|Jan Chęciński (after Kazimierz Władysław Wójcicki)|Warsaw, 28 September 1865||||||
|_Paria_|opera in three acts with prologue|c. 1859-69|Jan Chęciński (after a play by Delavigne)|Warsaw, 11 December 1869||||||
|_Trea_|incomplete|c. 1872|J Jasiński after a Femish legend|unperformed||||||
|_Nowy dziedzic_ (The New Landlord)|incomplete|undated||unperformed||||||
|_Sen wieszcza_ (The Seer's Dream)|incomplete|undated|Władysław Syrokomla after J B Rosier and A de Leuven|unperformed||||||
|_Walka muzyków_ (The Musicians' Struggle)|incomplete|undated|Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich|lost||||||

#### Ballet

- _Monte Christo_, after Alexandre Dumas (1866)
- _Na kwaterunku_ (On the Bilet) (1868)
- _Figle szatana_ (Satan's Tricks aka Devil's Frolics) (1870)
- _Merry Wives of Windsor_ (c. 1849), ballet music composed for the opera of Otto Nicolai

#### Theatre

- _Kasper Hauser_ (1843), melodrama by Anicet, Bourgeois and d'Ennery. First performance: Minsk, November 18, 1843
- _Sabaudka_ (Savoyardess or the Mother's Blessing) melodrama in 5 acts by d'Ennery and Lemoine. First performance: Vilnius, May 6, 1845
- Hamlet. Shakespeare's tragedy. First performance: Warsaw, March 24, 1871
- _Zbojcy_ (Die Rauber). Schiller's tragedy. First performance: Warsaw 1870 and 1871
- _Hans Mathis_, drama (1872). Finished by Adam Munchheimer
- _Karpaccy gorale_, drama by J. Korzeniowski

#### Cantatas

|bgcolor=ececec|Work|bgcolor=ececec|Form|bgcolor=ececec|Composed|bgcolor=ececec|Text|bgcolor=ececec|Première|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|_Milda_|cantata for solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra|1848|J.I. Kraszewski, after Witolorauda|Vilnius, 18 December 1848||||||
|_Nijoła (Wundyny_|cantata for solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra|after 1848|partly from Witolorauda|Vilnius, 8 March 1852||||||
|_Florian Szary_ (The Grey)|ballad from unfinished opera _Rokiczana_ for baritone solo, choir and orchestra|1858-9|J. Korzeniowski|Warsaw, 16 December 1860||||||
|_Widma_ (The Ghosts)|cantata for solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra|before 1859|Adam Mickiewicz, after Dziady (The Forefathers)|Warsaw, 1865||||||
|_Sonety krymskie_ (Crimean Sonnets)|cantata (8 sonnets) for solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra|1867|Adam Mickiewicz|Warsaw, 16 February 1868||||||
|_Pani Twardowska_|ballad for solo voices, choir and orchestra|1869|Adam Mickiewicz|Warsaw, December, 1869||||||
|_Kurmine_|cantata|unfinished||||||||

#### Sacred

|bgcolor=ececec|Work|bgcolor=ececec|Form|bgcolor=ececec|Composed|bgcolor=ececec|Text|bgcolor=ececec|Première|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|_Litanie ostrobramskie_ (Litanies of Ostra Brama) no.1|solo voices, mixed choir, organ and orchestra|1843|Latin|||||||
|Mass in A minor|soprano, alto and organ|1848|A.E. Odyniec|||||||
|_Litanie ostrobramskie_ (Litanies of Ostra Brama) no.2|solo voices, mixed choir, organ and orchestra|1849|Latin|||||||
|Funeral mass in D minor|4-part mixed choir and organ|1850|F. Felinski|||||||
|_Litanie ostrobramskie_ (Litanies of Ostra Brama) no.3|solo voices, mixed choir, organ and orchestra|1854|Latin|||||||
|_Litanie ostrobramskie_ (Litanies of Ostra Brama) no.4|solo voices, mixed choir, organ and orchestra|1855|Latin|||||||
|Mass in E minor|2 sopranos, alto and organ|1855|A.E. Odyniec (Polish), Achilles Bonoldi (Latin)|||||||
|Mass in E-flat major|solo voices, mixed choir, organ and string quintet|1865|Latin|||||||
|Mass in B-flat major _"Piotrowinska"_ (Piotrowin Mass)|solo voices, mixed choir and organ|1872||Warsaw, 19 May 1872||||||
|_Oto drzewo krzyza_ (Ecce lignum crucis)|motet for baritone solo, mixed choir and organ|1872|Latin or Polish translation by M. Kotarbinski|Warsaw, 29 March 1872||||||
|_Modlitwa Panska "Ojcze nasz"_ (The Lord's Prayer "Our Father")|4-part mixed choir and orchestra or organ|||Warsaw, 17 June 1859||||||
|Psalm _"Ne memineris"_|solo voices, mixed choir, organ and string quintet||Latin|||||||
|Psalm _"Vide humilitatem meam"_|mixed choir, sting quintet and organ||Polish|||||||
|Requiem aeternum|11 solo voices, mixed choir and orchestra|||||||||

#### Songs

_More than 300, listing the most popular:_

- _Chochlik_ (The Imp). Text by A.E. Odyniec
- _Czaty_ (The Ambush), ballad. Text by A. Mickiewicz. Also in a version with orchestra
- _Czarny krzyżyk_ (The Little Black Cross). Text by Bruno Bielawski.
- _Dziad i baba_ (The Old Man and The Old Woman). Text by J.I. Kraszewski
- _Dziadek i babka_ (Grandpa and Grandma). Text by P. Jankowski
- _Entuzjasta_ (The Enthusiast). Text by J. Prusinowski
- _Kozak_ (Cossack). Also known as _Tam na gorze jawor stoi_
- _Kum i kuma_ (Chums). Text by J. Czeczot
- _Łzy_ (Tears). Text by A.E. Odyniec
- _Maciek_. Text by T. Lenartowicz
- _Magda karczmarka_ (Magda, the Innkeeper). Also known as _W pustej karczmie Magda siedzi_, ballad. Text by E. Sztyrmer
- _Nad Nidą_ (On Nida River). Text by Włodzimierz Wolski
- _Panicz i dziewczyna_ (The Young Master and The Girl). Also known as _W gaiku zielonym_. Text by A.E. Odyniec
- _Pieśń wieczorna_ (The Song at Dusk). Also known as _Po nocnej rosie_. Text by W. Syrokomla
- _Piosnka żołnierza_ (Soldier's Song). Also known as _Już matka zasnęła_. Text by J. Korzeniowski
- _Polna różyczka_ (The Little, Field Rose). Text by J. Grajnert
- _Powrót taty_ (Father's Return). Text by A. Mickiewicz
- _Prząśniczka_ (The Spinner). Text by J. Czeczot. Also in a version with orchestra
- _Rozmowa_ (Conversation). Also known as _Kochanko moja, na co nam rozmowa_. Text by A. Mickiewicz
- _Rybka_ (The Fish). Text by A. Mickiewicz
- _Świerszcz_ (The Cricket). Text by J.N. Kaminski
- _Świtezianka_ (The Nymph of Lake Switez). Text by A. Mickiewicz
- _Tren X_ (Lament No. X). Also known as _Urszulo moja wdzieczna_. Text by J. Kochanowski
- _Trzech Budrysów_ (Three Budryses). Text by A. Mickiewicz. Also in a version with orchestra
- _Trzy śpiewy: Niepewnosc, Pieszczotka, Sen_ (Three Chants: Uncertainty, Cuddlesome One, Dream). Text by A. Mickiewicz. German translation _Blankensee_
- _Wilija_ (Christmas Eve). Text by A. Mickiewicz
- _Znaszli ten kraj_ (Do You Know Such Land). Text by A. Mickiewicz, after J. W. Goethe

#### Chamber

- String quartet no.1 in D minor (1839)
- String quartet no.2 in F major (before 1840)

#### Organ

- Organ compositions on the themes of church songs, among others _Vespers and Song of Ostra Brama_. Published: Warsaw, 1862.

#### Piano

- _Fraszki_ (Trifles). Two books. Published: Vilnius, 1843
- Nocturne in A-flat major. Published: Vilnius, 1846
- Mazurka in D major. Published: Vilnius, before 1846
- Six Polonaises. Published: Vilnius, 1846
- Polka in C major. Published: Warsaw, 1851
- Polka, "Daniel". Published: Warsaw, 1852
- Polka, "Gabirela". Published: Warsaw, 1855
- "Spring" Polka. Published: Warsaw, 1860
- _Vilanelle_ in B flat major. Published: Warsaw, 1851
- Three Waltzes. Published: Warsaw, 1852
- "Wedding" Mazurka. Published: Warsaw, 1872
- _Kolysanka_ (Cradle Song) in D major. Published: Warsaw, 19 March 1872
- Piano transcriptions of opera fragments and of works by other composers, among others Six Polonaises of Michal Oginski. Published: Warsaw, before 1858
- Original compositions and transcriptions for piano duet

#### Symphonic

- _Bajka_ (Fairytale), fantastic overture (1848). Two versions. First performed: Vilnius, 1 May 1848
- _Kain_, overture (1856). First performance: St. Petersburg, March 1856
- War Overture. First performance: Vilnius, 19 March 1857
- _Polonez koncertowy_ (concert polonaise) in A major, for large orchestra (1866)
- _Polonez obywatelski_, civic polonaise in F major (after 1863)

## Recordings

Due to the current obscurity of Moniuszko outside Poland, this list more or less represents a complete discography.

### Opera

- **Halka**: Andrzej Hiolski, Barbara Zagorzanka, Jerzy Ostapiuk, Ryszarda Racewicz, Wieslaw Ochman. Robert Satanowski cond., Polish National Opera Orchestra & Chorus. 2 CDs, DDD, CPO Records, Live (recorded 1987?), 18 January 1995
- **Halka** (highlights): Andrzej Hiolski, Edmund Kossowski, Barbara Nieman, Halina Slonicka, Bohdan Paprocki. Zdizislaw Gorzynski cond., Polish National Opera Orchestra & Chorus. CD, Polskie Nagrania Muza, 6 April 1994 (originally 1992)
- **Halka**: Harmonia Mundi/Chant du Monde?
- **Halka**: Tatiana Zacharczuk, Władimir Kuzmienko, Zbigniew Macias, Katarzyna Suska, Piotr Nowacki. Antoni Wicherek cond., Soloists, Choir, Ballet and Orchestra of The Great Theatre National Opera in Warsaw. ***DVD***, 2h10m, ZPR Records, 1999
- **Halka**: Tatiana Borodina, Oleh Lykhach, Aleksandra Buczek, Mariusz Godlewski, Radosław Żukowski, Zbigniew Kryczka, Jacek Ryś, Rafał Majzner, Andrzej Kalinin, Rafał Majzner, Janusz Zawadzki. Ewa Michnik cond., Wroclaw Opera Orchestra, Chorus & Ballet. ***DVD***, 2h16m, subtitles in Polish, English, German. DUX Recording Producers/Metronome, 19 March 2007. _Cat. no DVD : DUX 9538, Barcode: 5902547095387_
- **Hrabina**: Halina Slonicka,  Agnieszka Kossakowska, Edmund Kossowski, Kazimierz Pustelak, Bogna Sokorska. Mieczysław Mierzejewski cond., Orchestra & Choir Teatru Wielkiego w Warszawie. CD, Polskie Nagrania Muza, 2004
- **The Haunted Manor**: Adam Kruszewski, Iwona Hossa, Jacek Parol, Anna Lubanska, Krzysztof Szmyt, Dariusz Stachura, Piotr Nowacki, Stefania Toczyska, Zbigniew Macias, Romuald Tesarowicz, Agnieszka Zwierko. Jacek Kasprzyk cond., Wielki Theatre Orchestra. 2 CDs, DDD, EMI Classics, Studio, 13 July 2004
- **The Haunted Manor**: Bozena Betley-Sieradzka, Wiera Baniewicz, Zdzislaw Nikodem, Wieslaw Ochman, Andrzej Hiolski, Leonard Mroz, Andrzej Saciuk, et al. Jan Krentz cond., Orchestra & Choir of the PRiTV, Kraków. 4 CDs, Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1 January 2003. _SX 0253_
- **The Haunted Manor**: Andrzej Hiolski, Bernard Ładysz, Bogdan Paprocki, Halina Słonicka, Zdzisław Nikodem. Witold Rowicki cond., Orchestra & Choir Teatru Wielkiego w Warszawie. Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1992. _PNCD093_
- **The Haunted Manor**: Bogdan Paprocki, Edmund Kossowski, Antonina Kawecka, Marian Woźniczko, Barbara Kostrzewska, Felicja Kurowiak, Radzisław Peter, Zygmunt Mariański, Henryk Łukaszek, et al. Walerian Bierdajew cond., Poznań Opera. Early 1950s
- **Verbum Nobile**: Andrzej Kizewetter, Krystyna Pakulska, Marian Kondella, Jan Czekay, Edward Kmiciewicz. Robert Satanowski, cond., Orchestra & Choir Państwowej Opery. CD, AAD, 1h5m, Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1993. _PNCD 247_

### Vocal

- **Canons**: Krzysztof Szmyt, Pawel Skaluba, Piotr Kusiewicz, Ryszard Minkiewicz. CD, DDD, DUX Recording Producers, 27 March 2001
- **Litanies of Ostra Brama**: Czeslaw Galka, Anna Lubanska, Iwona Hossa, Adam Zdunikowski. Henryk Wojnarowski cond., Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra. CD, CD Accord, 5 September 2006
- **Religious Songs**: Andrzej Hiolski, Jaroslaw Malanowicz, Joanna Kozlowska, Piotr Kusiewicz. CD, DDD, CD Accord, 26 June 2001
- **Religious Works**: Marian Sawa, Witold Pilewski, Anna Malewicz, Krystyna Szoslek-Radkowa, Krystyna Szostek-Radkowa, et al. Edmund Kajdasz cond., Warsaw Chamber Orchestra. CD, ADD, Olympia, 4 October 1993
- **Śpiewnik domowy I**: Bożena Betley, Alina Bolechowska, Maria Fołtyn, Jadwiga Romańska, Hanna Rumowska-Machnikowska, Halina Szymulska. CD, Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1996. _PNCD348_
- **Śpiewnik domowy II**: Andrzej Hiolski, Bernard Ładysz, Wiesław Ochman, Maciej Witkiewicz. CD, Polskie Nagrania Muza, 1996. _PNCD349_

### Instrumental

- **Opera Overtures**: Grzegorz Fitelberg; Jan Krenz; Witold Rowicki cond., Polish Radio Orchestra & Chorus Katowice; Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra. CD, ADD, Olympia, 4 October 1993
- **Overtures**: Robert Satanowski cond., Filharmonia Pomorska Bydgoszcz. CD, DDD, CPO Records, 25 January 1995
- **Overtures & Dances**: Roland Bader cond., Kraków Philharmonic Orchestra. CD, DDD, Koch Schwann, 21 January 1997
- **String Quartets** (w/ Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński): Camerata Quartet. CD, DDD, DUX Recording Producers, 29 May 2007
- **Новае неба Станіслава Манюшкі**: Classic Avantgarde ensemble (Belarus). CD, 2008.
- _Mazur from Act IV Straszny Dwór'' with Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Witold Rowicki, 1967, Orchestral CDs, CD12/2011