Warsaw opera plans seven new productions next season
PR dla Zagranicy
Grzegorz Siwicki
23.05.2018 08:30
The centenary of Polish independence in November is one of the central themes for Warsaw’s National Opera as it plans its next season.
![The National Opera House in Warsaw. Photo: Guillaume Speurt [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](http://external.polskieradio.pl/files/a562c44a-33da-43cf-b4a5-2a0ab1a870c7.file "The National Opera House in Warsaw. Photo: Guillaume Speurt [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons")
The National Opera House in Warsaw. Photo: Guillaume Speurt [CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The opera will open its 2018/2019 season on October 12 with Manru, a rarely performed opera by Ignacy Jan Paderewski, who was not only a legendary pianist and composer but also a statesman who is considered to be one of the architects of Poland regaining independence in November 1918.
Premiered in 1901, Manru was produced in many prestigious venues in Europe and the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and it remains to this day the only Polish opera ever staged by the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Also planned for next season are Halka by Stanisław Moniuszko, the father of Polish national opera, and Karol Szymanowski’s King Roger.
On November 11, Poland’s Independence Day, the National Opera will be the venue of a gala concert of Polish music by Paderewski, Krzysztof Penderecki and Henryk Mikołaj Górecki. Paderewski’s Piano Concerto will be performed by American pianist Garrick Ohlsson.
The season’s highlights also include performances of Puccini’s Tosca and Benjamin Britten’s Billy Budd as well as two ballet productions.
(mk/gs)