Human VoiceAnother SilenceExpected

Francis PoulencHUMAN VOICE A lyrical tragedy in one actionLibretto: Jean CocteauPiano versionPremiere: 06/02/1959, Opéra-Comique, ParisPremiere: 25/03/2027Co-production: Teatro Real, MadridOriginal French language version with Polish and English subtitles

ANOTHER SILENCETheatrical and Poetic ResearchArtists: Maja Ostaszewska, Christof LoyBased on Polish, German and French Poetry

Arnold SchönbergExpected EwartungMonodrama in one act and four scenesLibretto: Marie PappenheimPraPremiere: 6/06/1924, Prague, German TheatrePremiere: 25/03/2027Co-production: Teatro Real, MadridOriginal German language version with Polish and English subtitles

At the center of both monodramas — Poulenc's Human Voice and Schönberg's Erwartung (Expectations) — are two women trying to overcome life's crises. Nameless She from Poulenc's “lyrical tragedy” is a woman abandoned by her lover who tries to free herself from the past. At first she seems calm and composed, however a call from an unfaithful man reveals her deplorable state. Chained to a handset for 40 minutes, she goes through various phases of breakdown, only to finally surrender to the charm of her former love again. The situation of the nameless Women from Schönberg's monodrama is also unenviable. Lost in a dark forest, the heroine searches for her lover, manages to find her way out of the thicket, she also finally comes across her beloved, but this is not the meeting she expected.

Literally, there is seemingly little in common between the two stories. In writing the libretto, Schönberg had the help of Marie Pappenheim, a medical student who also wrote poetry, who maintained ties with the psychoanalytic community. The expressionist monodrama focuses on the inability to articulate the heroine's agitation. In a completely different situation is the Woman from Jean Cocteau's drama, which Poulenc used in his composition — she is extremely talkative, as if she wanted to enchant the reality around her with her words.

However, there is no doubt that both characters experience their situation extremely strongly, and the music tries to follow their emotions. Schönberg, in order to express his emotional instability, creates an uninterrupted line of constant tension developing in an unknown direction, in a similar way — albeit in his musical language — Poulenc proceeds, not allowing the audience to rest from the maniac heroine. The music of both one-acts is united by a restless rhythm reflecting the nervous exhaustion of the characters and, by the way, their emotional involvement in trying to save the collapsing reality.

Christof Loy, one of the leading opera directors, invites us on this poetic journey through the various states of love and despair. In his performance, he creates a world in which silence is as important as attempts to break it. Two one-cases for the premiere at the Teatro Real were joined by an acting etude specially prepared by the director together with the legendary actress Rossy de Palma. In Warsaw we will be able to see Maja Ostaszewska in a theatrical and poetic study prepared together with the director. Swedish soprano Malin Byström, who specializes in the roles of strong women, will also appear on the stage.