Stanislaw Moniuszko - Moniuszko: Halka [Blu-Ray] - Import Blu-ray Disc

Credits:

Stanislaw Moniuszko

Description:

A great performance by Bechawa! The latest video of Moneuszko's "Halka", the masterpiece of Polish opera, with Japanese subtitles! Moneuszko's "Halka" is not only Poland's first national opera, but also one of the most representative Polish operas, and this December 2019 production is a co-production between Theater an der Wien and Warsaw's Theatre Wielkie, with a leading cast and direction including Bechawa and Konieczny, It is also noteworthy that many Polish staff members, including Bechawa and Konieczny, are involved in the production, as well as in directing and conducting. As his contemporary Chopin did with the piano, Mosciuszko used opera to awaken and inspire patriotism in the Polish people, and his "Halka" of 1847, about Halka, a peasant girl who is played with and abandoned by the young lord Janusz, is a perfect example of his use of the word "patriotism" to express his resentment over the failure of the "Kraków Uprising" the previous year. Wlodzimierz Wolski used metaphors in his play, and Moneuszko adapted the play into an opera. The original story is set in the Tatra Mountains of southern Poland in the mid-18th century, but Mariusz Trelinski, the director, has replaced it with a hotel in the late 20th century, with the peasant girl Halka as a maid and Yontek, who loves and watches over her, as a boy instead of a mountain man.The relationship between the aristocrats and peasants of the original story continues unchanged in the latter half of the 20th century, with rulers and laborers, and is bitterly criticized as a frail existence crying out against the tyranny of rulers and the people (employees) who rebel out of sympathy and righteous indignation. The leading role of Halka is played by American soprano Colleen Winters. She gives an impassioned performance as the young lord Janusz, betrayed and driven mad. Her beautiful arias are also a delight to listen to. Bechawa's performance as Yontek, who loves her, is also gorgeous. The opera is in his native language and is a special opera for Polish people, so he delivers it with his beautiful voice and expressive power. The master of the womanizer is Konieczny, a familiar face at the "Tokyo Spring Music Festival. His sunglasses and hair style are reminiscent of Tchibulski's in "Ashes and Diamonds," which also hints at the hidden intention of the director, Trelinski. The original Polish version of the play is in Polish, but it is the first to be subtitled in Japanese, which is also a delight. For the first time, the audience will be able to experience the entirety of this famous opera that Poles love so much. King International