Stanisław Moniuszko’s music is filled with patriotic character and songful lyricism, and of his numerous operas he is perhaps best remembered for Halka (866048586) and The Haunted Manor (811139192). With his reputation as ‘the father of Polish national opera’ firmly established, Paria was his final completed opera. The tragic narrative tells of the pariah Idamor, who becomes the heroic leader of an army and goes against Indian social norms in choosing Neala, the daughter of High Priest Akebar, as his bride. Although Paria was misunderstood by critics at its premiere, the moving themes of exclusion and the power of social rules now make it an opera for our times.

Renowned in his native Poland and increasingly recognised internationally as a leading opera composer, Stanisław Moniuszko can always be relied on for superb music drama. Despite this reputation, his final opera Paria was summed up by one contemporary critic as a work that ‘can hardly arouse enthusiasm, yet it can be admired’, and it has long remained the least frequently staged of Moniuszko’s operas. Removed from the work’s context as a departure by the composer from its more popular predecessors, Paria can now be taken at face value – a touching story of love and exclusion, heard here in a concert version that was given First Prize at the International Opera Awards 2021 in the category ‘rediscovered work’.

This release follows our critically acclaimed Poznań recording of Halka that appeared in May 2021 (866048586), admired in Gramophone by Ivan Moody: ‘I defy anyone not to be won over immediately by the Overture, especially in a performance as dynamic as this. You know immediately that you are in for something special as the tragic drama unfolds… nobody will be in the slightest disappointed by this colourful, driven performance. Highly recommended indeed’.

Polish-British conductor Jacek Kaspszyk’s career was launched at the Karajan conducting competition where he was one of only two prize-winners together with Valery Gergiev. He has recently completed a tenure as artistic director of the Warsaw Philharmonic, and has held leading positions with most major Polish orchestras, including artistic director of the NFM Wrocław Philharmonic, music director of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, and music and general director of the Polish National Opera. Known worldwide for his masterly interpretations of Polish works, he also conducts a wide range of the major Romantic, 20th-century and contemporary orchestral repertoire.

Cast:
- Idamor: Dominik Sutowicz (tenor)
- Neala: Iwona Sobotka (soprano)
- Ratef; Piotr Friebe (tenor)
- Akebar: Rafał Korpik (bass)
- Jares: Stanisław Kuflyuk (baritone)
- Priestess: Aleksandra Kiedrowska (soprano)