The Theater an der Wien – Das Opernhaus is Vienna's third opera house. It distinguishes itself from the Staatsoper and the Volksoper through its repertoire (many operas from the baroque repertoire and lesser-known works) and its stagione system. In December, Halka by Polish composer Stanislaw Moniuszko was on the programme alongside Giustino and Rodrigo by Händel.
Stanislaw Moniuszko (1819-1872) is considered the father of Polish opera. His two works, best known outside Poland, are Halka from 1848 (second version 1858) and Straszny Dwor (The Haunted Castle) from 1865. Apparently Halka was already introduced to Belgium in 1956 in a French version but was never taken into the repertoire. This was also not the case in Vienna, where the Volksoper presented a scenic version of the work in 1965. To bring Moniuszko's opera back to the Vienna stage, Theater an der Wien chose a co-production with the Teatr Wielki Opera Narodowa Warschau. It was the artistic director of Warsaw's national opera Mariusz Trelinski who staged Halka with the collaboration of Boris Kudlicka (set design), Dorothée Roqueplo (costumes), Tomasz Wygoda (choreography), Marc Heinz (lighting) and Bartek Macias (video).
The libretto by Wlodzimierz Wolski situates the action on a rich country estate in southern Poland at the end of the eighteenth century. Halka is a simple village girl, seduced and then abandoned by Janusz who is now about to marry Zofia, the daughter of the wealthy landowner Stolnik. Mariusz Trelinski's staging relocates the action to the end of the 20th century, in and around a luxurious hotel. Apparently Halka works there as a maid or chambermaid and does not realize what is happening around her: the preparations for the wedding of Janusz and Zofia. Halka still believes in Janusz's love for her. This to the anger and despair of Jontek who truly loves Halka and wants to protect her. Trelinski presents the entire event as an evil dream of Janusz, trapped in the revolving stage that represents the hotel complex, where staff and guests walk around, where Halka has a miscarriage and ultimately commits suicide. A more restrained staging would have been clearer and more convincing!
It's a pity, because the American soprano Corinne Winters, admired in recent years in various roles at Flemish Opera, was a touching Halka, a fragile and vulnerable girl who expressed her love and despair with her expressive soprano voice but as a character sometimes got lost in and was overwhelmed by the busy scenic action. Jontek, the man who loves her but does not understand Halka's love-struck blindness for Janusz, was performed with temperament and tenderness by the celebrated Polish tenor Piotr Beczala, who sang his anger and love with his golden tenor and dramatic power. Janusz, guilty and cowardly, was convincingly performed by Tomasz Konieczny with a fairly rough baritone. Alexey Tikhomitov gave Stolnik the necessary authority and Natalia Kawalek was his spoiled, oblivious daughter Zofia, with a fresh soprano. The members of the Arnold Schoenberg Chor gave voice and presence to the guests and hotel staff. Lukasz Borowicz conducted the ORF Radiosymphonieorchester Wien in a tense performance with colour and dramatic élan and let the mazurka swirl!
- WHAT: Halka, opera by Stanislaw Moniuszko, libretto by Wlodzimierz Wolski
- WHO: Voices: Corinne Winters, Piotr Beczala, Tomasz Konieczny, Alexey; chorus: Arnold Schoenberg Chor; orchestra: ORF Radiosymphonieorchester Wien; conductor: Lukasz Borowicz; staging: Mariusz Trelinski; set design: Boris Kudlicka; costumes: Dorothée Roqueplo; choreography: Tomasz Wygoda; lighting: Marc Heinz; video: Bartek Macias
- PRODUCTION: Theater an der Wien with Teatr Wielki Opera Narodowa Warschau
- WHERE & WHEN: Vienna, Theater an der Wien, 17 December 2019
- PHOTOS: © Monika Rittershaus