Simon Boccanegra was written in the 1850s, a period when Giuseppe Verdi, inspired by his growing fame, was challenging operatic tradition. It is a dark work, dominated by low voices, with a baritone as the protagonist, and no supporting female roles. The world premiere in 1857 was not well-received; towards the end of his life, Arrigo Boito and the composer made far-reaching changes to the work, and only this 1881 version achieved success on opera stages.

Simon Boccanegra

Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera

María De Buenos Aires

Così Fan Tutte

Simon Boccanegra was written in the 1850s, at a time when Giuseppe Verdi, his confidence boosted by his growing fame, decided to challenge the operatic tradition. It is a gloomy opera dominated by low voices, a baritone in the lead male role, and devoid of supporting female characters. Its 1857 world premiere was not well received: nearing the end of his life, Arrigo Boito introduced far-reaching changes to the work together with the composer and it was the altered version completed in 1881 that finally triumphed on the world’s opera stages.

Frivolous comedy or immoral farce? Controversy accompanied Così fan tutte almost from the beginning of the opera. The work of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whose world premiere took place in 1790 in Vienna, was apparently inspired by a real moral scandal that occurred in Paris at that time. Lorenzo da Ponte's libretto focuses on one thread. Don Alfonso challenges his younger colleagues: he bets with Ferrando and Guglielmo that their lovers - Dorabella and Fiordiligi - will not be able to remain faithful when they unexpectedly leave, leaving behind their fiancées. The intrigue is made more credible by the fact that Austria was then involved in a war with Turkey. The maid Despina is also involved in the men's conspiracy. After a sad farewell to their loved ones, Ferrando and Guglielmo return disguised as Albanians to test women's constancy.

María de Buenos Aires represents the New World, new music, tango nuevo , and a new type of opera – tango operita , whose musical foundation is the insane rhythm and mood of the tango, a dance born on the southeastern coast of Latin America. The folk tango argentino had its bard, Astor Piazzolla, a composer-poet who created a new style of presenting this passionate dance, drawing inspiration from Stravinsky, Bartók, and classical musical forms, but also jazz and electronic rock – elevating tango to the status of a musical art.

Katarzyna Borkowska

Events

Upcoming events

18 - 24 Jun, 2026

Maria de Buenos Aires · Polish National Opera

Past events

19 - 24 Mar, 2026

Simon Boccanegra · Polish National Opera

5 - 12 Apr, 2025

María De Buenos Aires · Polish National Opera

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