Stanisław Moniuszko facts for kids
Stanisław Moniuszko (born May 5, 1819, in Ubiel, near Minsk – died June 4, 1872, in Warsaw, Congress Poland) was a very important Polish composer, conductor, and teacher. Many people call him the father of Polish national opera because his music helped create a unique Polish style in opera.
Who Was Stanisław Moniuszko?
His Early Life
Stanisław Moniuszko was born in a small town called Ubiel, which is now in Belarus. His family were Polish landowners. From a young age, Stanisław showed a great talent for music. He started taking private piano lessons when he was just eight years old.
Later, he went to Berlin to study how to write music with Karl Friedrich Rungenhagen. He also learned how to lead a choir. While in Berlin, he became famous quickly when he wrote music for three poems by Adam Mickiewicz, a very important Polish poet.
In 1840, after three years in Berlin, he returned to Poland and married Aleksandra Müller. He found a job as an organist in Vilnius and also taught piano lessons. Stanisław and Aleksandra had ten children!
Around 1840, he started composing a lot of music. He wrote his first operas, other plays with music, and also music for church and large songs called cantatas. He often traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, where his concerts were very popular. He even taught another famous composer, César Cui.
His Main Achievements
In 1848, in Vilnius, Moniuszko put on the first performance of his opera Halka. This opera was a huge success! After a new, longer version of Halka was performed in Warsaw in 1858, he traveled to France. Halka was soon performed in other big cities like Prague, Moscow, and St. Petersburg, where it was also very popular.
On August 1, 1858, he became the conductor of the Polish Opera at the Grand Theatre in Warsaw. In 1864, Moniuszko started teaching at the Music Institute in Warsaw, where he also led a choir. Some of his students became famous composers themselves, like Zygmunt Noskowski.
Stanisław Moniuszko passed away suddenly from a heart attack on June 4, 1872, in Warsaw. He was buried in Powązki Cemetery.
Operettas
| Work | What it is | First Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Biuraliści (The Bureaucrats) | a short, light opera | never performed |
| Nocleg w Apeninach (A Night in the Apennines) |
a short, light opera | Vilnius, 1839 |
| Ideał, czyli Nowe Precjoza (Perfection, or The New Preciosa) |
a short, light opera | Vilnius, 1840 |
| Nowy Don Kichot, czyl Sto szaleństw (The New Don Quixote, or 100 Follies) |
a short, light opera | Lwów 1849 Warsaw, 1923 |
| Loteria (The Lottery) | a short, light opera | Minsk, 1843 |
| Cyganie (The Gypsies) (later changed to Jawnuta in 1860) |
a short, light opera | Vilnius, May 20, 1852 |
| Beata | a short, light opera | Warsaw, February 2, 1872 |
Operas
| Work | What it is | First Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Halka (Helen) | an opera, first in two acts, then four | Vilnius, January 1, 1848 |
| Betty | a funny opera | Vilnius, May 20, 1852 |
| Flis (The Raftsman) | an opera in one act | Warsaw, September 24, 1858 |
| Hrabina (The Countess) | an opera in three acts | Warsaw, February 7, 1860 |
| Jawnuta | an opera in two acts | Warsaw, June 5, 1860 |
| Verbum nobile | an opera in one act | Warsaw, January 1, 1861 |
| Straszny Dwór (The Haunted Manor) | an opera in four acts | Warsaw, September 28, 1865 |
| Paria | an opera in three acts with a start | Warsaw, December 11, 1869 |
Ballets
- Monte Christo (1866)
- Na kwaterunku (On the Bilet) (1868)
- Figle szatana (Satan's Tricks aka Devil's Frolics) (1870)
Music for Plays
Moniuszko also wrote music for many theater plays, including:
- Kasper Hauser (1843)
- Sabaudka (Savoyardess or the Mother's Blessing) (1845)
- Hamlet by Shakespeare (1871)
- Zbojcy (Die Rauber) by Schiller (1870 and 1871)
Vocal Music
Cantatas
These are large pieces for singers and orchestra, often telling a story.
| Work | What it is | First Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Milda | for solo singers, choir and orchestra | Vilnius, December 18, 1848 |
| Widma (The Ghosts) | for solo singers, choir and orchestra, based on a poem by Adam Mickiewicz | Warsaw, 1865 |
| Sonety krymskie (Crimean Sonnets) |
for solo singers, choir and orchestra, based on poems by Adam Mickiewicz | Warsaw, February 16, 1868 |
| Pani Twardowska | for solo singers, choir and orchestra, based on a poem by Adam Mickiewicz | Warsaw, December, 1869 |
Sacred Music
This is music written for church services.
| Work | What it is | First Performance |
|---|---|---|
| Litanie ostrobramskie (Litanies of Ostra Brama) no.1 |
for solo singers, choir, organ and orchestra | |
| Mass in A minor | for soprano, alto and organ | |
| Mass in B-flat major "Piotrowinska" (Piotrowin Mass) |
for solo singers, choir and organ | Warsaw, May 19, 1872 |
| Modlitwa Panska "Ojcze nasz" (The Lord's Prayer "Our Father") |
for choir and orchestra or organ | Warsaw, June 17, 1859 |
Songs
Moniuszko wrote over 300 songs! Here are some of the most popular ones:
- Chochlik (The Imp)
- Czaty (The Ambush)
- Dziad i baba (The Old Man and The Old Woman)
- Łzy (Tears)
- Pieśń wieczorna (The Song at Dusk)
- Powrót taty (Father's Return)
- Prząśniczka (The Spinner)
- Rybka (The Fish)
- Świtezianka (The Nymph of Lake Switez)
- Trzech Budrysów (Three Budryses)
- Wilija (Christmas Eve)
- Znaszli ten kraj (Do You Know Such Land)
Instrumental Music
Chamber Music
This is music for a small group of instruments.
- String quartet no.1 in D minor (1839)
- String quartet no.2 in F major (before 1840)
Piano Music
- Fraszki (Trifles) (1843)
- Nocturne in A-flat major (1846)
- Mazurka in D major (before 1846)
- Six Polonaises (1846)
- Several Polkas and Waltzes
Symphonic Music
This is music for a large orchestra.
- Bajka (Fairytale), a fantasy overture (1848)
- Kain, overture (1856)
- Polonez koncertowy (concert polonaise) in A major (1866)
Recordings
Even though Moniuszko is not as well-known outside of Poland, many of his works have been recorded.
Opera Recordings
- Halka: There are several recordings of this famous opera, including a DVD version from 2007 by the Wroclaw Opera.
- Hrabina: A recording from 2004 by the Orchestra & Choir Teatru Wielkiego in Warsaw.
- The Haunted Manor: Many recordings exist, including a 2004 EMI Classics version and older ones from Polskie Nagrania Muza.
- Verbum Nobile: A 1993 recording by Polskie Nagrania Muza.
Vocal Music Recordings
- Litanies of Ostra Brama: A 2006 recording by the Warsaw Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.
- Religious Songs: Recorded in 2001.
- Śpiewnik domowy (Home Songbook): Two volumes of these songs were recorded in 1996.
Instrumental Music Recordings
- Opera Overtures: Several recordings of his overtures (the music played at the beginning of an opera) are available.
- String Quartets: A 2007 recording by the Camerata Quartet.
Images for kids
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Stanisław Moniuszko, painted in 1865.
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A bronze statue of Stanisław Moniuszko by Gennadij Jerszow at the Music Academy in Gdansk.
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See also
In Spanish: Stanisław Moniuszko para niños
