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

Before Giacomo Puccini began composing La Bohème , which became one of the most frequently performed operas in the world, he was planning an opera about the life of Buddha. At the same time, he was drawn to the eroticism of La She-Wolf , set in Sicily. He was dissuaded from this latter project by Wagner's stepdaughter, Liszt's granddaughter, who was horrified by the story's intense brutality. With the help of the seasoned librettists Luigi Illica and Giovanni Giacosa, Puccini embarked on a free adaptation of Scenes from the Life of the Bohemians , a celebrated book by Henry Murger that unvarnishedly depicts the miserable existence of the Parisian "artistic proletariat." The book captivated me immediately. I felt like part of a family: freshness, youth, passion, gaiety, tears shed in silence, a love that gives joy and demands suffering. There are people, feelings, and heart. But above all, there is poetry, divine Poetry ," Puccini enthused, finding in Murger many familiar experiences. After the success of Manon Lescaut (1892), he was able to buy a villa in Torre del Lago, but he still remembered the hungry and cold student years he had spent in Milan.

Jan Żądło

Events

Past events

19 - 24 Mar, 2026

Simon Boccanegra · Polish National Opera

16 - 25 Jan, 2026

La bohème · Polish National Opera

Future and recently performed repertoire

Paolo Albiani in Simon Boccanegra by Verdi

Polish National Opera

Schaunard in La bohème by Puccini

Polish National Opera

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