Opera against the denationalization: "The Haunted Manor" (1865) by Stanisław Moniuszko

Abstract

When in 1865 the opera Straszny Dwór (The Haunted Manor) composed by Stanisław Moniuszko (considered the creator of the Polish national opera) had its premiere, it was enthusiastically received by the audience, who still kept the memory of the recently failed January Uprising of 1863. Caracterized by the abundance of patriotic and national elements, Straszny Dwór is a good example of the intellectual fight against the denationalization suffered by the Polish society throughout the XIXth century, when Poland as a state didn´t exist.