''The Reward''
[''Jim Samson''. Kurpiński, Karol Kazimierz / Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians] ( pl, Nadgroda
) — Polish opera in 2 acts by
Karol Kurpiński
Karol Kazimierz Kurpiński (March 6, 1785September 18, 1857) was a Polish composer, conductor and pedagogue. He was a representative of late classicism and a member of the Warsaw Society of Friends of Learning (Polish: ''Towarzystwo Warszaws ...
with libretto written by
Ludwik Adam Dmuszewski. Its first performance took place on 24 December 1815 in
Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...
.
This opera was written "because of the desired arrival of the brightest
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
, Emperor and King of the newly resurrected Polish Kingdom" Its other titles are:
* The Reward, or The Resurrection of the Nation (Nagroda,
[''Nagroda'' is normal spelling in Polish, while ''Nadgroda'' is archaic.] czyli Wskrzeszenie narodu)
* The Brightest Guests, or The Reward (Najjaśniejsi goście, czyli Nagroda)
* The Reward, or the Resurrection of Polish Kingdom (Nagroda, czyli Wskrzeszenie Królestwa Polskiego)
An arrangement of the overture for piano was published in ''Tygodnik Muzyczny'' (1820 No.5). It appears to be the only part of the music to survive.
Roles
* Podczaszy (The
Cup-bearer
A cup-bearer was historically an officer of high rank in royal courts, whose duty was to pour and serve the drinks at the royal table. On account of the constant fear of plots and intrigues (such as poisoning), a person must have been regarded as ...
), heir of the estate
* Ekonom (The Steward)
* Organista (The Organist)
* Justyna, his daughter
* Basia, her friend, a peasant
* Grzegorz, former steward
* Stanisław, his son, former soldier
Chorus:
* Goście z sąsiedztwa (Guests from the neighborhood)
* Wieśniacy (Villagers)
The scene is staged in
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
.
* Act I: a village
* Act II: palace garden.
The action takes place on 10 November 1815.
Music numbers
* Overture
Act I
* (?) Maidens chorus. «Cieszmy się, ciesmy w tej radosnej chwili» (Scene I)
* Dumka (Justyna). «Gdym przestała bydż dziecięciem» (Scene I)
* Duet (Justyna and Basia). «Nadziejo, droga nadziejo!» (Scene II)
* Polonaise (Basia). «Jak prawdziwa Krakowianka» (Scene III)
* Duet (Justyna and Stanisław). «Ach jak szczęśliwy był dzisiejszy ranek» (Scene VIII)
* Finale (Justyna, Stanisław, Basia, Ekonom, Organista, a group of villagers). «Niech żyje! niech żyje! niech żyje!» (Scene X)
Act II
* Mazurek (Organista). «Cieszmy się miłą nadzieją» (Scene I)
* (?) Chorus and
krakowiak
The Krakowiak or Cracovienne is a fast, syncopated Polish folk dance in duple time from the region of Kraków and Lesser Poland. The folk outfit worn for the dance has become the national costume of Poland, most notably, the rogatywka peaked hat ...
s. «Nasz sędziowy od Skalmierza» (Scene II)
* Cantata (text by
Ludwik Osiński, music by
Józef Elsner). «Jakaż radość weselnych rozwesela plemie?» (after the play)
External links
Full text of the libretto*
A performance of the overture arranged for piano (synthesized)
References
1815 operas
Operas by Karol Kurpiński
Polish-language operas
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