Grand Theatre, Warsaw

From 1833 The Theatre was built on Theatre Square between 1825 and 1833, replacing the former building of Marywil, from Polish classicist designs by the Italian architect Antonio Corazzi of Livorno, to provide a new performance venue for existing opera, ballet, and drama companies active in Warsaw. The building was remodeled several times and, in the period of Poland's political eclipse from 1795 to 1918, it performed an important cultural and political role in producing many works by Polish composers and choreographers. Evolution of Polish opera between 1890 and 1905|left It was in the new theatre that Stanisław Moniuszko's two best-known operas received their premieres: the complete version of Halka (1858), and The Haunted Manor (1865). After Frédéric Chopin, Moniuszko was the greatest figure in 19th-century Polish music, for in addition to producing his own works, he was director of the Warsaw Opera from 1858 until his death in 1872. During the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 the Germans shot civilians in the burnt-out ruins. ==Facilities at the National Opera==

The National Opera features two auditoriums and a museum: • The Stanisław Moniuszko Auditorium, which seats 1,841, is the primary venue for opera, ballet and theatre performances, which run annually from September through June/July. • The Emil Młynarski Auditorium seats 248. • The Theatre Museum, accommodated in former main-floor ballrooms, is the country’s sole theatre museum. Before the building stand two statues by Jan Szczepkowski, of Wojciech Bogusławski, the father of Polish National Theatre, and of Stanisław Moniuszko, the father of Polish National Opera. ==See also==