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Zygmunt Krauze's "Pułapka" Returns to the Boards of the Wrocław Opera
2013-11-21
The nearest performance of Zygmunt Krauze's opera, acclaimed by critics and audiences, „Pułapka” ("The Trap") will be held on February 28 at the Wrocław Opera. The premiere of the opera, which was written on a libretto based on the play by Tadeusz Różewicz, „Pułapka”, took place in December 2011. The work, directed by Ewelina Piotrowiak was led by Tomasz Szreder and starred Mariusz Godlewski (baritone). After the premiere the reviewers and critics wrote:„There is no more depressing – and at the same time beautiful – spectacle on any opera stage in Poland.” [Adam Domagała, Gazeta Wyborcza Wrocław, 2011-12-20]
„Zygmunt Krauze's music does not blur the meaning of the words. Short orchestral introductions before each image and a few songs from the choir is really all that has been added. The rest is based on dialogues supplemented by expressive monologues. The composer repeats the motifs assigned to individuals, building the score like a set of blocks, but then Pułapka consists of obsessively returning topics.” [Jacek Marczyński, Rzeczpospolita, 2011-12-19]
„This Różewicz-Krauze Pułapka is an extraordinary performance. A chamber opera, in which there are no arias, everything is based on dialogue, and the text of the libretto itself is an abridged form of the text from the play (bravo for the composer and Grzegorz Jarzyna, as the abbreviations draw out that which is most important and, more importantly, the music further underlines it).” [Katarzyna Kaczorowska, Gazeta Wrocławska, 2011-12-19]
„Not only music lovers, but people hungry for good, classical theatre, which does not distort the letter of the text and does not seek contexts where they do not exist should go and see Pułapka.” [Magdalena Talik, Kreatywny Wrocław, 2011-12-19]
„ Zygmunt Krauze's music successfully underlines the grotesque incompatibility of the character and the situation in which he is caught by time and illusion. Using the Webernian theme, the composer worked like an animator of the rhythm of the existence of the characters trapped in events, social stereotypes, apparent male-female-family relationships, individual longings-needs. The people of this drama behave like participants in a ball for dummies, which is perfectly captured by the operatic convention. Unnatural song fits perfectly to this 'epic of being out of place', as has been written about Różewicz's Pułapka.” [Grzegorz Chojnowski, Polskie Radio Wrocław, 2011-12-19]
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