Moniuszko / Capella Cracoviensis - Stanislaw Moniuszko: Halka (Version 1848) - Import 2 CD

Credits:

Moniuszko / Capella Cracoviensis

Description:

This is the world premiere recording of the 1848 Vilnius 2-act version of the opera in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Stanislaw Moneuszko (1819-1872), the composer considered the "father of Polish opera. Monieuszko's romantic Polish national opera, "Halka," was first performed in Vilnius in 1848 on the occasion of the bicentennial of his birth. This is the world premiere recording in Polish of the two-act version first performed in Vilnius in 1848 to commemorate the bicentennial of Monieuszko's birth, which has seen a remarkable revival in recent years (the recording by Europa Galante under Biondi was a revised version in four acts from 1858, performed in Italian). The Vilnius two-act version is very dramatic and dynamic in style, with each musical episode constructed as part of a scene. Unprecedented in Europe at the time, it tells the tragic love story of a peasant girl with melodious arias and wonderful choral scenes in Polish folkloric colors. The Vilnius version of "Halka" is a brilliant musical drama, with a message that strikes the listener directly. It is pleasing to the ear, and has been condensed, leaving out the unnecessary.The Polish director and theater reformer Leon Schiller (1887-1954) was highly critical of the opera's logical construction of the story and its organization as an extremely fine drama. However, even Schirrell could not imagine that the first draft version, stripped of the elements added in the 1858 revision, would be so wonderful, and he even claimed that "going back to the first draft would not produce a good result. Recently, however, the value of the first draft has come to be properly appreciated, and the number of performances has increased. Capella Cracoviensis, founded in 1970, is a Polish period instrument orchestra. The repertoire ranges from Renaissance polyphony to Romanticism and opera, and the orchestra has been invited to perform at many important music festivals and concert halls. The event was broadcast live on the radio and made a big splash.Recently, Decca has released revival recordings of secret operas such as Porpora's opera "German Germanico" and Pergolesi's opera "Adriano in Syria". 72-page booklet with lyrics and bilingual translation (English and German only). Included Sony Music