Manru
Encyclopedia
Manru is an opera
(lyrical drama
) in three acts, music by Ignacy Jan Paderewski
composed to the libretto
by Alfred Nossig (English translation by H. E. Krehbiel), based on the novel A Hut Behind the Village (1843) by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
.
The opera received its first performance (world premiere
) in Dresden
May 29, 1901 (sung in German, Ernst von Schuch
conducting), followed by the Polish
premiere in Lwow on June 8, 1901, and Teatr Wielki, Warsaw on May 24, 1902.
The American
premiere (sung in English) took place on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera
House on February 14, 1902, with the debut of Alexander von Bandrowski in the title role, Walter Damrosch conducting (good friend of the composer). The opera initially received an enthusiastic reception, with the premiere being marked as "one of high distinction." Nevertheless, predominantly due to a badly written libretto, it received only 9 performances in the season 1901/1902 (of which 4 performances were staged in New York City
) and was never revived there since.
Manru remains to this day the only Polish opera
ever presented at The Metropolitan Opera
.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
(lyrical drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
) in three acts, music by Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski
Ignacy Jan Paderewski GBE was a Polish pianist, composer, diplomat, politician, and the second Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland.-Biography:...
composed to the libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Alfred Nossig (English translation by H. E. Krehbiel), based on the novel A Hut Behind the Village (1843) by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski was a Polish writer, historian and journalist who produced more than 200 novels and 150 novellas, short stories, and art reviews He is best known for his epic series on the history of Poland, comprising twenty-nine novels in seventy-nine parts.As a novelist writing about...
.
The opera received its first performance (world premiere
Premiere
A premiere is generally "a first performance". This can refer to plays, films, television programs, operas, symphonies, ballets and so on. Premieres for theatrical, musical and other cultural presentations can become extravagant affairs, attracting large numbers of socialites and much media...
) in Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
May 29, 1901 (sung in German, Ernst von Schuch
Ernst von Schuch
Ernst Edler von Schuch, born Ernst Gottfried Schuch was an Austrian conductor, who became famous through his working collaborations with Richard Strauss at the Dresden Court Opera....
conducting), followed by the Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
premiere in Lwow on June 8, 1901, and Teatr Wielki, Warsaw on May 24, 1902.
The American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
premiere (sung in English) took place on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
House on February 14, 1902, with the debut of Alexander von Bandrowski in the title role, Walter Damrosch conducting (good friend of the composer). The opera initially received an enthusiastic reception, with the premiere being marked as "one of high distinction." Nevertheless, predominantly due to a badly written libretto, it received only 9 performances in the season 1901/1902 (of which 4 performances were staged in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
) and was never revived there since.
Manru remains to this day the only Polish opera
Polish opera
Polish opera may be broadly understood to include operas staged in Poland and works written for foreign stages by Polish composers, as well as opera in the Polish language....
ever presented at The Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
.
External links
- Metropolitan Opera archives (database)
- Stanford University: Manru: Synopsis and performance history
- Review of the world premiere recording of "Manru" at Naxos Music Library
- Mr. Paderewski's Opera; The New York Times, 1902
- Opera Today: Paderewski: Manru
Available recordings
- DUX 0368/0369, Lower Silesian Opera House, Wroclaw (2001), World premiere recording of "Manru"