CULTURE

Hey Halina, my only one...

The tradition of "Halka", a symbolic national opera by Stanisław Moniuszko, is long and outstanding.

It has been performed in Poznań since 1873 and the Grand Theatre in the Edifice under the Pegasus began its functioning with this very opera in 1919. It was not incidentally that "Halka" was chosen as the last premiere of the 20th century.

Under the musical dire- ction of Marcin Sompo- liński, a story of unhappy love of the deceived heroine unfolds before our eyes.

"Halka" is a rather complicated piece of a high level of difficulty, requiring considerable skills and adequacy. Marek Weiss-Grzesiński, the author of the staging and the director of the play, managed successfully to modernise the stage reality by introducing his own system of conventions and symbolism. At the same time he remained faithful to the intentions of Moniuszko himself. Artists play their roles in a clearly actor-like manner.

"Halka" remains a showpiece of Polish opera. It is an embodiment of beauty and strength worthy of a pri- macy over all other operas written in Polish. This fact was evidenced by the Poznań performance which bade farewell to the passing century. Unfortunately, a sign of times is a difficult financial situation of Polish culture. Without a considerable assistance from sponsors (i.e. the VOX company and Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne publishing house) the management of the Grand Theatre in Poznań would not have been able to embark upon such a venture.

Roman Chojnacki