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A Soliloquy That’s Overheard or Spied on? Dramatic Techniques of Involuntary Disclosure of Secrets in The Haunted Manor by Jan Chęciński and Stanisław Moniuszko and its European Contexts

2017; De Gruyter; Volume: 58; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1515/ruch-2017-0022

2300-1968

Michał Bajer,

Visual Culture and Art Theory

Summary The plot of The Haunted Manor hangs on scenes in which the characters confess their secrets, try to figure out the hidden truth and invent fake secrets. This article analyzes the handling of secrets in Jan Chęciński and Stanisław Moniuszko’s famous opera, paying special attention to the problem of eavesdropping and spying. After examining Chęciński and Moniuszko’s use of the neoclassical model of the overheard soliloquy, the article assesses the relationship between the treatment of the secret in The Haunted Manor and the conventions of contemporary drama. The analysis reveals that the preoccupation with secrets not only has a significant impact on the plot and the construction of individual scenes but is also used to reach out to the world of contemporary comedy. In effect, this study rejects the description of The Haunted Manor as an artless celebration of provincial backwardness and shows that its dramatic handling of secrets is as skilful and sophisticated as one would expect from a classic operatic drama.