The production depicts the creation process of a contemporary art exhibition entitled “The Extermination of the Medusas.” The protagonist is the Curator, for whom the exhibits and accompanying events become a vehicle back to ancient times. The Curator identifies with Medusa and undertakes an inner journey through a tragic history. He experiences the cost of renouncing one’s own identity – a price Medusa pays to survive. He asks himself what meaning an exhibition holds in times when the slogan “Never Again” has lost its protective power, and cruelty toward strangers – the “new monsters” – explains playwright and librettist Robert Bolesto.

“The Monster’s Voice” is about a person who, under the threat of death, can never reveal the truth about themselves. They must hide or disguise themselves. Pretend to be someone else. Constantly observe everything and everyone, trust no one. Eventually, at the cost of their life, they become “nobody”. The truth about the titular character is revealed primarily through their voice – high and pure. For most of the time, it must remain suppressed, avoiding natural, upper registers. Only a few times, at moments of particular significance, does it resound fully. The harmony leans toward twelve-tone technique. The orchestration and instrumentation reflect a modernist retreat from Wagnerian monumentalism toward chamber music – adds composer Alek Nowak

We transpose a modern story into the world of myth to reach the roots of fear, hatred, and love, seeking in them timeless truths about humanity – explains the opera’s director, Agnieszka Smoczyńska, We aim to confront operatic form with realism. The staging refers to a documentary-style account of the creation of a museum exhibition about the extermination of the “other,” the “alien,” the “unknown” – by transforming them into a monster and then executing them. The emerging exhibits summon the ghosts of the past, which in turn trigger deeply encoded fears in the main character. The depicted reality slowly begins to warp – revealing primal images inscribed in the world’s history. We come to understand that the libretto’s core is the motif of annihilation and the loss of identity – relevant from the dawn of humanity to today.

The opera’s visual world was created by set designer Jagna Dobesz – recipient of the European Film Award and the Polish Film Award Eagle for “The Girl with the Needle” by Magnus von Horn – and lighting designer Aleksandr Prowaliński, who has recently collaborated with Krystian Lada, Ewelina Marciniak, and Jakub Skrzywanek. Costumes for the performance are designed by Katarzyna Lewińska, known for her work with Agnieszka Holland on “In Darkness” and “Spoor,” as well as “Afterimage” by Andrzej Wajda, “Body” by Małgorzata Szumowska, and the cult series “1670.” Choreography is by Tomasz Wygoda, and the title role will be sung by countertenor Jan Jakub Monowid. This opera marks another collaboration for Smoczyńska, Bolesto, Wygoda, and Lewińska after their well-received work on “Simon Boccanegra.” Makeup is by Monika Kaleta, who worked with Smoczyńska on “Simon Boccanegra” and also created makeup for the films “Fugue” and “United States of Love,” as well as productions by Krzysztof Warlikowski.

The world premiere of “The Monster’s Voice “will take place on June 27 and 28 at Aula Artis in Poznań.

After the premiere in Poznań at Malta Festival, the performance will be shown by the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk as part of the Baltic Opera Festival (July 12), and in autumn it will be presented to audiences at the Eufonie Festival.

The opera is produced by Malta Festival, the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk, and the National Centre for Culture. The performance is being developed as part of the cultural programme of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

The presentation is co-financed by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Culture Promotion Fund – a state special-purpose fund – as part of the “Music” programme implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance.

The Main Partner of the 35th edition Malta Festival premiere is Polenergia.