The Marriage
To escape the horrors of the battlefield, Henryk has a dream in which he imagines that his childhood home has been turned into an inn. His father is the innkeeper and his fiancée, Mania, is a serving maid. As innkeeper, his father is given a hard time by all the drunkards and, to defend his dignity, he claims that he is untouchable, ‘like a king’. But will a ‘royal wedding’ between the prince Henryk and Mania manage to restore the family’s honour?
The Marriage (Ślub) is an opera adaptation of the eponymous play by Witold Gombrowicz, one of Poland’s leading dramatists of the 20th century. Poznań Opera House has commissioned this operatic adaptation from Zygmunt Krauze, for his part, one of the leading composers active in Poland today. Out of the three members of the creative team, it is Krauze who is working for the Poznań stage for the first time. Krzysztof Cicheński returns to Poznań to direct the performance after writing the libretto himself. Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak as conductor has numerous contemporary productions in her repertoire. OperaVision is happy to share this new production with audiences worldwides. Just like the soldier Henryk, audiences will try to make out what is true and what is nightmare in this theatre of the absurd.
CAST
Henryk | Michał Partyka |
|---|---|
Władzio | Piotr Kalina |
Mania | Gosha Kowalinska |
Father | Łukasz Konieczny |
Mother | Monika Mych-Nowicka |
Drunkard | Jan Jakub Monowid |
Chancellor | Michal Korzeniowski |
Cardinal | Albert Rugieł |
Orchestra | Poznań Opera Orchestra |
Chorus | Poznań Opera Chorus |
| ... | |
Music | Zygmunt Krauze |
|---|---|
Text | Krzysztof Cicheński |
Conductor | Katarzyna Tomala-Jedynak |
Director | Krzysztof Cicheński |
Scenography | Julia Kosek Krzysztof Cicheński |
Costumes | Julia Kosek |
Lights | Wiktor Kuźma |
Video | Leszek Stryła |
Chorus Master | Mariusz Otto |
Assistant conductor | Wiktor Kozłowski |
Assistant director | Dominika Babiarz |
| ... | |
Video
STORY
Act I
Henryk comes back from war to his hometown. It is unclear whether what happens on stage is his dream or is actually happening. He is accompanied by Władzio, who shares his wartime experiences. Henryk’s family house resembles an inn, and its inhabitants are strangely changed. Henryk’s parents are there and his former fiancée Mania is now the maidservant Mańka. The father is an innkeeper and harassed by drunkards. The mother has lost her former chic and class. Another inn brawl started by the drunkards ends in an unexpected way. Father is hailed and appointed a King by the Drunkard and his companion. As King, he cannot be touched even with a finger. Henryk kneels before his father.
Act II
The King declares Henryk Prince. Mańka becomes once again the untainted fiancée, who Henryk is to marry soon. The court abides by the King’s will. The ceremony, just like in the old days, is meant to restore everyone’s lost splendour and order. Once again, however, the Drunkard steps in. The Drunkard upsets the order by awakening Henryk’s desire to take over the throne. The son overthrows the father with an eloquent touch of his finger and tries to grant himself marriage. The Drunkard turns courtiers’ attention towards Władzio, staging a scene in which Henryk’s friend becomes Mania’s new fiancé.
Act III
Henryk starts a cruel reign. To outsmart Drunkard, and grant himself a marriage without hindrance or doubt from his subjects, he talks Władzio into suicide. When, during another attempt to conduct the wedding ceremony, the guests at the party discover Władzio’s dead body, Henry loses his resolve and announces that nothing will come of it. Instead of a marriage, a funeral.
GALLERY
