Moniuszko, Stanisław (1819-1872)

Polish composer. He founded a national Polish school of opera in many respects comparable to that of Glinka in Russia. The opera Halka (1848) became his most famous, in fact the classic Polish folk opera.

After studying at home, he went to Berlin 1837-39 as a pupil of Carl Rungenhagen. On his return he became an organist at Wilno, where he taught, conducted, and produced a one-act operetta in 1839. After several more works that remained unperformed he produced The Lottery at Warsaw in 1846. He produced Halka there in 1848 (a revised version was produced in 1858). In 1858 he became conductor at the Warsaw Opera and later professor at the Conservatory. Moniuszko also wrote six Masses, a requiem, secular choral works, orchestral pieces, 2 string quartets, and about 400 songs.

Works Opera Halka (performed 1848, revised 1857), Flis, Hrabina/The Countess, 1860), Verbum nobile (1860), Straszny Dwór/The Haunted Mansion, 1865), Paria, Beata (1872).

Orchestral overture Bajka (Fairy Tale).

Incidental music for Shakespeare's Hamlet and Merry Wives of Windsor and other plays.

Vocal cantatas Spectres, Crimean Sonnets, and others; seven Masses (1850-74), Litanies and other church music; 270 songs, including ballads by Adam Mickiewicz.