Manru
Manru is an opera in three acts, music by Ignacy Jan Paderewski composed to the libretto by Alfred Nossig, based on the novel A Hut Behind the Village by Józef Ignacy Kraszewski.Performance history
The opera received its first performance in Dresden May 29, 1901, followed by the Polish premiere in Lwów on June 8, 1901, and Teatr Wielki, Warsaw on May 24, 1902.
The American premiere took place on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera House on February 14, 1902, with the debut of Alexander von Bandrowski in the title role, Walter Damrosch conducting. The opera initially received an enthusiastic reception, with the premiere being marked as "one of high distinction." Nevertheless, predominantly due to a badly written libretto, it received only 9 performances in the season 1901/1902 and was never revived there since.
Manru remains to this day the only Polish opera ever presented at The Metropolitan Opera.Available recordings
- DUX 0368/0369, Lower Silesian Opera House, Wroclaw, World premiere recording of "Manru"
- DUX 9793/2011, Opera Nova w Bydgoszczy, pierwsza rejestracja "Manru" w technice DVD. Nagroda "Złotego Orfeusza" za realizację.
