Konrad Wallenrod (opera) explained

Konrad Wallenrod is a Polish-language opera by Władysław Żeleński to a libretto by Zygmunt Sarnecki (1837-1922) and Władysław Noskowski (1841-1881) based on the epic poem Konrad Wallenrod (1828) by Adam Mickiewicz. The premiere was 1885 in Lviv, which was not prepared technically to create a grand opera on this scale.^[1] Notably at the premiere the elaborate harp part was played on the piano by Paderewski.^[2] A further staging in Krakow was not followed by a planned staging in Warsaw, which was stalled partly due to the Tsarist censor's concerns with the subject. Konrad Wallenrod was not performed in Warsaw till the 1930s.

Plot

The plot follows closely the poem Konrad Wallenrod with Wallenrod and his wife Aldona sacrificing themselves in the final act and the triumph of the Teutonic knights.^[3]

Cast

• Alf, later performing under the assumed name of Konrad Wallenrod, a tenor
• Aldona, his wife, soprano
• Halban, priest of Perkūnas Baltic god of thunder, bass
• head knight commander, baritone
• Witold minstrel baritone
• Orlandi minstrel soprano
• Clavigo minstrel mezzo-soprano
• First Crusader bass
• Second Crusader baritone
• Knight first tenor
• Knight second bass
• Knight third baritone
• Knight fourth baritone
• Monk, non speaking role
• Lithuanians, Lithuanians, pages, bards, Teutonic Knights, knights, priests, peasants, peasant women and children

Recording

• Halban's aria Alfred Orda (baritone)

Notes and References

1. The Polish Biographical Dictionary Stanley S. Sokol, Sharon F. Mrotek Kissane, Alfred L. Abramowicz · 1992 p 456 "Among his best compositions are the operas Konrad Wallenrod, Goplana, Janek, and Old Tale"
2. Center Stage: Operatic Culture and Nation Building Philipp Ther · 2014 - Page 118
3. https://portalmuzykipolskiej.pl/en/osoba/4402-wladyslaw-zelenski/kompozycje/4099-konrad-wallenrod Konrad Wallenrod