Stanisław Moniuszko facts for kids

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.

Biography

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

Operas

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

Vocal

Cantatas

Sacred

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

Instrumental

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)

Autographed music quotation

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

Images for kids

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  Stanisław Moniuszko, 1865

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  Bronze bust of Stanisław Moniuszko by Gennadij Jerszow, at the Music Academy in Gdansk.

See also

In Spanish: Stanisław Moniuszko para niños