A dramatized reconstruction of historical events which led to the Warsaw premiere of Stanisław Moniuszko’s “Halka”. The story of its production serves as a pretext for presenting the opera as an instrument in the fight for social justice and Poles’ national identity under Russian rule.
The excellent musical score consists mainly of opera excerpts performed by the orchestra of the Stanisław Moniszko Grand Theater in Poznań. The theater’s soloists included Barbara Kostrzewska, who sang the parts of Paulina Rivoli, and Wacław Domieniecki, who sang the parts of Jontek, as played by Tadeusz Cygler.
In 1857 Warsaw, progressive patriots led by poet Włodzimierz Wolski and journalist Józef Sikorski fight for production of Stanisław Moniuszko’s opera “Halka” in the Warsaw Grand Theater. Their efforts meet with strong resistance: theater director Abramowicz, who is also a tsarist general, believes that “Halka’s” nation-oriented message may boost anti-Russian sentiment. Polish aristocrats prefer Italian music, while prima donna Paulina Rivoli fears that having to play the role of a simple highlander will destroy her career. Despite this, Moniszko arrives in Warsaw and rehearsals begin. The majority of opponents slowly change their mind about “Halka”, but the most ardent ones refuse to lay down their arms. If the premiere does not turn out to be a huge success, the show will be cancelled.
