On October 21, the premiere of the three act long opera Goplana by Władysław Żeleński was held in the Grand Theatre of the National Opera (Teatr Wielki Opery Narodowej). Based on Balladyna by Juliusz Słowacki, the libretto was created by Ludomiła German.
Director Janusz Wiśniewski presented the story in a unique world based on his rich imagination. The orchestra was conducted by Maestro Grzegorz Nowak. The main characters were played by some of the leaders of opera in Poland today: Edyta Piasecka (Goplana), Arnold Rutkowski (Kirkor), Mariusz Godlewski (Kostryn), Małgorzata Walewska (Wdowa), Wioletta Chodowicz (Balladyna), Katarzyna Trylnik (Alina), and Rafał Bartmiński (Grabiec).
Goplana by Żeleński is a very well composed work. In the lyrical aspect, it is similar to the operas of Stanisław Moniuszko, the father of Polish opera. The composer included musical elements borrowed from Polish national dances: polonaise, kujawiak, mazurka and oberek. In terms of the libretto, the author leans toward fantasy. The main character is a goddess from a lake, a fantasy character with lyrical-coloratura voice. However the story is cruel – three characters die and evil dominates.
As of November 3, the opera will be available to be viewed on-demand via vod.teatrwielki.pl and theoperaplatform.eu. Watch a trailer for the production at teatrwielki.pl/goplana-transmisja.
[Source: polmic.pl]