Vivat Moniuszko: The Countess - Stanisław Moniuszko

“The Countess” is a comic opera presenting the reality of that time divided into two worlds, symbolised by the attire: a tailcoat and a traditional robe of the Polish nobility. The picture of the Duchy of Warsaw is a background of aristocratic salons and the life of old Polish nobility abounding in numerous funny situations. The authors’ sympathies lie at the side of old nobility and they ridicule the aristocratic life of the Warsaw’s high society, mainly occupied with balls, gossips and dresses. The title Countess attaches a lot more weight to her dress than to the question of the nation’s independence and the uprising in progress.