Stanisław Moniuszko (; May 5 (17), 1819 – June 4, 1872) was a Polish

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and def ...

, conductor,

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

and

pedagogue Pedagogy (), most commonly understood as the approach to teaching, is the theory and practice of learning, and how this process influences, and is influenced by, the social, political, and psychological development of learners. Pedagogy, taken ...

. He wrote many popular

art songs An art song is a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the collective genre of such song ...

and

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

s, including '' The Haunted Manor'' and '' Halka'', and his music is filled with patriotic folk themes of the peoples of the former

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

(mainly Poles, Lithuanians and Belarusians). He is generally referred to as "the father of Polish national opera". Since the 1990s Stanisław Moniuszko has been recognized in

Belarus Belarus, officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Russia to the east and northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Belarus spans an a ...

as an important figure to Belarusian culture as well.

Life

Moniuszko was born into a

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

landowning family in Ubiel,

Minsk Governorate Minsk Governorate was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') of the Russian Empire, with its capital in Minsk. It was created from the land acquired in the partitions of Poland and existed from 1793 until 1921. Its territory covered th ...

(

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

, now

). His father, Czesław, and his uncle, Ignacy, both served in

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

’s army. His first piano teacher was his mother, Elżbieta (Elizabeth) Madżarska of

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

descent. He later continued his musical education in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

and

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

, and studied under Carl Friedrich Rungenhagen in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. In 1840, he married Aleksandra Mueller, with whom he had ten children, and settled down in

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, taking up the position of organist at the Church of St. John's. Moniuszko also offered private music lessons, which turned out to be an important source of income for his family. His first operettas ''Loteria'' (Lottery) and ''Żółta szlafmyca'' (Yellow Nightcap) were not very successful. However, in 1847, the premiere staging of '' Halka'' (the two-act version), considered one of his most notable operas, was more successful. It took place in

and was conducted by the composer himself. Moniuszko travelled to Sankt Petersburg in order to introduce its audiences to his music. They were received with acclaim and had favourable reviews. During his stay there, Moniuszko became acquainted with some of the leading composers and musicians of Russia, including

Mikhail Glinka Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka ( rus, links=no, Михаил Иванович Глинка, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, mʲɪxɐˈil ɨˈvanəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡlʲinkə, Ru-Mikhail-Ivanovich-Glinka.ogg; ) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognit ...

, Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Cesar Cui, and Alexander Serov. In 1854, he established St Cecilia's Society with the assistance of Achilles Bonoldi, its amateur members giving two public concerts twice a year. Owing to the composer's good relations with Warsaw's

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) are a class of business owners, merchants and wealthy people, in general, which emerged in the Late Middle Ages, originally as a "middle class" between the peasantry and aristocracy. They are traditionally contrasted wi ...

and aristocracy, such as Józef Sikorski, editor-in-chief of the music magazine ''Ruch Muzyczny'', Moniuszko's career started to gain momentum. In 1858, he moved with his family to Warsaw where he was appointed conductor at the Warsaw Opera. During the Warsaw period, he composed his most famous musical works – the operas '' The Countess'', '' Verbum nobile'', '' The Haunted Manor'' and '' Paria''. Between 1862–1864, Moniuszko worked on ''The Haunted Manor'', arguably his greatest opera. The premiere performance of the opera was delayed by the outbreak of the

January Uprising The January Uprising was an insurrection principally in Russia's Kingdom of Poland that was aimed at putting an end to Russian occupation of part of Poland and regaining independence. It began on 22 January 1863 and continued until the last i ...

of 1863 and ultimately took place on 28 September 1865 at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw. In 1868, Moniuszko travelled to

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

where he met

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( ; ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded ...

in order to discuss the staging of '' Halka''. The same year, the opera was performed at the National Theatre in Prague and was directed by Smetana himself. In 1869, his opera '' Paria'' premiered in Warsaw while '' Halka'' was staged for the first time in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. He also served as a professor at the Warsaw Conservatory. In 1871, he published ''Pamiętnik do nauki harmonii'' (A Textbook for Studying Harmony). On 2 February 1878, the Grand Theatre in Warsaw staged his last

operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

''Beata''. He died of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when Ischemia, blood flow decreases or stops in one of the coronary arteries of the heart, causing infarction (tissue death) to the heart muscle. The most common symptom ...

in Warsaw in 1872 and was buried at the

Powązki Cemetery Powązki Cemetery (; ), also known as Stare Powązki (), is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one of the oldest, having been established in 179 ...

. His funeral was attended by up to 100,000 people and turned into a national and patriotic manifestation.

Works

Moniuszko composed more than 300 individual songs, primarily to texts of Polish poets, and around two dozen operas. His series of twelve song books is notable and contains songs to the words of

Adam Mickiewicz Adam Bernard Mickiewicz (24 December 179826 November 1855) was a Polish poet, dramatist, essayist, publicist, translator and political activist. He is regarded as national poet in Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. He also largely influenced Ukra ...

Antoni Edward Odyniec Antoni Edward Odyniec (25 January 1804 – 15 January 1885) was a Polish Romantic-era poet who penned the celebrated "Song of the Filaretes". Said to be an imitator of his friend Adam Mickiewicz, Odyniec made his mark as a translator of works by ...

, Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, Stefan Witwicki,

Antoni Malczewski Antoni Malczewski (3 June 1793 – 2 May 1826) was a Polish romantic poet, known for his only work, "a narrative poem of dire pessimism", ''Maria'' (1825). At the times, prominent and scandalizing was his autodestructive romance with a married ...

, and

Wincenty Pol Wincenty Pol (; 20 April 1807 – 2 December 1872) was a Polish poet and geographer. Life Pol was born in Lublin (then in Galicia), to Franz Pohl (or Poll), a German in the Austrian service, and his wife Eleonora Longchamps de Berier, from a ...

. Similarly to other prominent composers of the time, like

Antonín Dvořák Antonín Leopold Dvořák ( ; ; 8September 18411May 1904) was a Czech composer. He frequently employed rhythms and other aspects of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia, following the Romantic-era nationalist example of his predec ...

, Moniuszko wrote music based on his country's culture, reflecting the widespread rise of nationalism in 19th-century Europe, which aimed at asserting the national identities of various European nations. The composer himself noted that his songs, which were published under the collective title ''Śpiewnik Domowy'' (''Home Songbook''), had a national character. Their 'Polishness' is found in his use of and reference to traditional Polish dance rhythms like

Polonaise The polonaise (, ; , ) is a dance originating in Poland, and one of the five Polish folk dances#National Dances, Polish national dances in Triple metre, time. The original Polish-language name of the dance is ''chodzony'' (), denoting a walki ...

Mazurka The Mazurka ( Polish: ''mazurek'') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character defined mostly by the prominent mazur's "strong accents unsystematically placed on the seco ...

, Kujawiak, and

Krakowiak The Krakowiak or Cracovienne is a fast, syncopated Polish folk dance in duple time from the region of Kraków and Lesser Poland. The folk outfit worn for the dance has become the national costume of Poland, most notably, the rogatywka peaked hat ...

and the propagation of texts written by Polish national poets. The songbook contained sets of songs intended "for everyday use", which turned Moniuszko into a figure loved and admired by masses of his compatriots. The songs were often performed by the 19th-century Polish choirs in Austria, Germany, and Russia, and became a point of reference for other Polish composers. The songs remain popular to this day and include such titles as ''Prząśniczka'', ''Krakowiak'', ''Znasz-li ten kraj'' or ''Świtezianka''. According to director Ilaira Lanzino, the composer had always been interested in people excluded from society, a point of view which back in Moniuszko's times was often interpreted as Poland's oppression by foreign powers. However, she further observes that he was rather interested in the internal exclusion of people within society and never actually sought to become "the national composer". Moniuszko's opera style bears similarities to that of

Daniel Auber Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally whe ...

and

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...

, but with stronger emphasis on chorus and melodies inspired by Polish dances. Lithuanians stress, that Stanisław Moniuszko was eagerly using Lithuanian motifs – e.g. his cantatas " Milda", " Nijolė", based on

Lithuanian mythology Lithuanian mythology () is the mythology of Lithuanians, Lithuanian polytheism, the religion of pre-Christian Lithuanians. Like other Indo-European studies, Indo-Europeans, Lithuanians (tribe), ancient Lithuanians maintained a polytheistic myth ...

, were issued in Vilnius. '' Halka'' is an opera to a libretto written by Włodzimierz Wolski, a young Warsaw poet with radical social views. After being staged in Warsaw in 1858, it became the most widely known Polish opera and is part of the canon of Polish national operas.

Modern performances

An English version of ''Straszny dwór'' ('' The Haunted Manor'', or ''The Haunted Castle'') was created and premiered by the student operatic society at

Bristol University The University of Bristol is a public research university in Bristol, England. It received its royal charter in 1909, although it can trace its roots to a Merchant Venturers' school founded in 1595 and University College, Bristol, which had ...

in 1970; this version has been performed since, specifically in 2001 by Opera South, which company also presented the world premiere of a specially created new English version of ''Verbum Nobile'' in 2002. In 2009, Pocket Opera, of San Francisco, CA, USA, premiered Artistic Director Donald Pippin's English language translation of '' The Haunted Manor''; and in 2010, Pippin's translation of '' Halka''. Moniuszko's opera '' Flis'' (''The Raftsman'') was performed and recorded in the Grand Theatre of Polish National Opera at the 2019 Chopin and his Europe International Music Festival, marking the 200th anniversary of Moniuszko's birth. '' Paria'' was performed at Poznań Opera in June 2019, directed by

Graham Vick Sir Graham Vick (30 December 1953 – 17 July 2021) was an English opera director known for his experimental and revisionist stagings of traditional and modern operas. He worked in many of the world's leading opera houses and was artistic di ...

and conducted by Gabriel Chmura. Moniuszko's operas are regularly performed at the Belarusian National Opera.

Remembrance

* On 26 October 1908, a commemorative plaque devoted to Moniuszko was unveiled at the building on 3 Mazowiecka Street in Warsaw where the composer died. * In 1922, a sculpture of Moniuszko created by Boleslovas Balzukevičius was unveiled at the Church of St. Catherine in

, Lithuania. * In 1936, a statue of Moniuszko designed by Jan Szczepkowski was unveiled at the Theatre Square (Polish: ''Plac Teatralny'') in front of the Grand Theatre in Warsaw, Poland. In 1944, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the original monument was destroyed by Nazi Germans. It was subsequently reconstructed in 1965, a year after the sculptor's death. Apart from Warsaw, the statues of Moniuszko can also be found in such Polish cities as

Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...

Toruń Toruń is a city on the Vistula River in north-central Poland and a World Heritage Sites of Poland, UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its population was 196,935 as of December 2021. Previously, it was the capital of the Toruń Voivodeship (1975–199 ...

Częstochowa Częstochowa ( , ) is a city in southern Poland on the Warta with 214,342 inhabitants, making it the thirteenth-largest city in Poland. It is situated in the Silesian Voivodeship. However, Częstochowa is historically part of Lesser Poland, not Si ...

Racibórz Racibórz (, , , ) is a city in Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland. It is the administrative seat of Racibórz County. With Opole, Racibórz is one of the historic capitals of Upper Silesia, being the residence of the Duchy of Racibórz, Du ...

Żory Żory (; , , ) is a town and city powiat, county in the Silesian Voivodeship, located in southern Poland with 62,848 inhabitants (2021). It is located in the historic Upper Silesia region about southwest of Katowice. Location Żory is located in ...

and

Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...

. * A sculpture of the composer is featured on the façade of the Hungarian State Opera House, Budapest, at Andrássy 22 Street and was created by Károly Antal. * In 1949, the Grand Theatre in

Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...

was officially given the name of the composer. * Since 1951, the Warsaw Music Society, established in 1871 on the initiative of Władysław Wiślicki, has borne the name of Stanisław Moniuszko. The society owns most of the Moniuszko memorabilia which has been preserved to present times. * In 1980s, a museum dedicated to the life and musical legacy of Moniuszko was established in his birthplace of Ubiel, present-day Belarus. * Between 1990–1996, Moniuszko was featured on the 100,000- zloty banknote issued by the

National Bank of Poland The Narodowy Bank Polski (; the National Bank of Poland), often abbreviated to NBP, is the central bank of Poland, founded in 1945. It controls the issuing of Poland's currency, the Polish złoty. The bank is headquartered in Warsaw, and has bra ...

. * Stanisław Moniuszko is a patron of many streets in numerous Polish cities including

Gdańsk Gdańsk is a city on the Baltic Sea, Baltic coast of northern Poland, and the capital of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. With a population of 486,492, Data for territorial unit 2261000. it is Poland's sixth-largest city and principal seaport. Gdań ...

Białystok Białystok is the largest city in northeastern Poland and the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is the List of cities and towns in Poland, tenth-largest city in Poland, second in terms of population density, and thirteenth in area. Biał ...

Olsztyn Olsztyn ( , ) is a city on the Łyna River in northern Poland. It is the capital of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, and is a city with powiat rights, city with county rights. The population of the city was estimated at 169,793 residents Olsz ...

Bytom Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital. It is one ...

Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship. Radom is the fifteenth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in its province w ...

and

Giżycko Giżycko (former or ''Łuczany''; ) is a town in northeastern Poland with 28,597 inhabitants as of December 2021. It is situated between Lake Kisajno and Lake Niegocin in the region of Masuria, within the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. It is ...

. * In 2004, a street named in honour of the composer was opened in

, Belarus. * In 2016, a statue of Moniuszko (alongside the statue of

Vintsent Dunin-Martsinkyevich Vintsent Dunin-Marcinkievič (; ; February 8, 1808 – December 21, 1884) was a Polish- Belarusian writer, poet, dramatist and social activist and is considered one of the founders of the modern Belarusian literary tradition and national scho ...

) was ceremonially unveiled nearby the Minsk City Hall. The statue was designed by Leu and Siarhei Humileusky. * In 2018, the

Sejm of Poland The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the transition of government i ...

and the

Senate of Poland The Senate () is the upper house of the Parliament of Poland, Polish parliament, the lower house being the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, Sejm. The history of the Polish Senate stretches back over 500 years; it was one of the first constituent ...

established 2019 as "The Year of Moniuszko" to commemorate the composer's 200th birth anniversary. * The images of Moniuszko also appeared on a number of postage stamps issued by the

Polish Post The Polish Post (, ) is the state Mail, postal administration of Poland, initially founded in 1558. The company is headquartered in Warsaw and employs over 67,000 people. It is the largest mail-handling company in the country, which additionally ...

including in 1951, 1958, 1972, and 2019. * On 5 January 2019, the

Warszawa Centralna railway station Warszawa Centralna (official Polish name since 2019 Dworzec Centralny im. Stanisława Moniuszki), in English known as Warsaw Central Station, is the primary railway station in Warsaw, Poland. Completed in 1975, the station is located on the Warsaw ...

was officially given the name of Stanisław Moniuszko.

Selected compositions

Operas

* '' Halka'', libretto by Włodzimierz Wolski, 1848 * ''Sen Wieszcza'' (''The Seer's Dream''), libretto by

Władysław Syrokomla Ludwik Władysław Franciszek Kondratowicz (29 September 1823 – 15 September 1862), better known as Władysław Syrokomla (), was a Polish romantic poet, writer and translator working in Vilnius and Vilna Governorate, then Russian Empire, whos ...

, unfinished, 1852–1854 * '' Flis'' (''The Raftsman''), libretto by Stanisław Bogusławski, 1858 * ''Rokiczana'' (''The King of Peasants''), libretto by Józef Korzeniowski, unfinished, 1858–1859 * '' Hrabina'' (''The Countess'') libretto by Włodzimierz Wolski, 1859 * '' Verbum nobile'', libretto by Jan Chęciński, 1861 * '' The Haunted Manor'', libretto by Jan Chęciński, 1865 * '' Paria'', libretto by Jan Chęciński, 1868 * ''Trea'', libretto by J.S. Jasiński, unfinished, 1872

Ballets

*''Monte Christo'', 1865 *''Na kwaterunku'', 1868 *''Figle szatana'', 1870

Operettas

*''Nocleg w Apeninach'', libretto by

Aleksander Fredro Aleksander Fredro (20 June 1793 – 15 July 1876) was a Polish poet, playwright and Polish authors, author active during Romanticism in Poland, Polish Romanticism in the Partitions of Poland, period of partitions by neighboring empires. His works ...

, 1839 *''Ideał'', libretto by Oskar Korwin-Milewski, 1840 *''Loteria'', libretto by Oskar Korwin-Milewski, 1840 *''Karmaniol, czyli Francuzi lubią żartować'', libretto by Oskar Korwin-Milewski, 1841 *''Żółta szlafmyca'', libretto by Franciszek Zabłocki, 1841 *''Jawnuta'', libretto by W.L. Anczyc, 1850 *''Bettly'', libretto by Franciszek Szober, 1852 *''Beata'', libretto by Jan Chęciński, 1870

Cantatas

*''Milda'', 1848 *''Nijoła'', 1848 *''Widma'', c. 1858 *''Florian Szary'', 1858–1859 *''Sonety krymskie'', 1867 *''Pani Twardowska'', 1869

Chamber

*String Quartet No. 1 in D minor, 1839 *String Quartet No. 2 in F major, c. 1840

Notes

References

External links

* *
List of works
lieder.net
"Stanisław Moniuszko"
biography, list of works, Polish Music Center,

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

How Family Shaped the Father of Polish Opera

The Lesser Known Faces of Stanisław Moniuszko
* Sound examples and discussion o

an

editionsilvertrust.com
Collection of works by Stanisław Moniuszko in National Digital Library of Poland (Polona)

Stanislaw Moniuszko. Musical Romantic from Minsk Region to the 200th anniversary of his birthWorks by Stanislaw Moniuszko on the Belarusian stage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moniuszko, Stanislaw 1819 births 1872 deaths People from Chervyen district People from Igumensky Uyezd Composers from the Russian Empire Music educators from the Russian Empire Polish male conductors (music) Polish male opera composers Male classical organists Polish classical organists Polish conductors (music) Polish music educators Polish opera composers Polish people of Armenian descent Polish Romantic composers 19th-century Polish classical composers 19th-century conductors (music) 19th-century organists Academic staff of the Chopin University of Music Burials at Powązki Cemetery