D'ARC
80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising

Conceived and directed by Krystian Lada, D’ARC is a contemporary opera whose narrative unfolds across three time horizons and dreams, allowing the story’s three protagonists to meet: Joan, a Paris-based photographer and a daughter of Polish immigrants; Joanna, a Polish cellist and Warsaw insurgent; and Giovanna, the French national hero, the Maid of Orleans. What they all have in common is a readiness to sacrifice themselves for a vision that is bigger than themselves.

Stage director Krystian Lada can boast collaborations with the leading opera houses in Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Germany. His productions are often set in unusual locations, including production plants, old hospital buildings, or city squares. He created D’ARC to exist specifically in the Warsaw Rising Museum's spaces, the nearby Freedom Park and architectural environment, turning the Warsaw district of Wola into a portal to the past and future.

The libretto was written by the award-winning authors Anka Herbut and Łukasz Barys, drawing on journals kept by artists who participated in the uprising and the story of Joan of Arc. The score is made up of newly written pieces for a chamber orchestra and soloists supplied by young Polish composers: Dobrawa Czocher, Teoniki Rożynek, Wojciech Błażejczyk, and Rafał Ryterski, along with rarely performed pieces by American Julius Eastman (1940–1990) and Roman Padlewski (1915–1944), a Polish composer who died fighting in the uprising. Conductor Lilianna Krych serves as the music director, while the lineup of performers includes the contemporary music group Hashtag Ensemble.

In the span of one night, the audience follows the protagonists to 2024 Paris, 1944 Warsaw, and 1429 Rouen, to experience a world that was, a world that is, and a world that can only exist in our dreams together with cellist Dobrawa Czocher (Joanna), actress Agnieszka Grochowska (Joan), soprano Gabriela Legun (Giovanna), and baritone Szymon Komasa (Angel of History).

The production marks the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. Apart from a tribute to the past generation of Warsaw residents, it is a journey through music and theatre conventions whose creatives experiment with the form, structure, and space.

Creatives: 

Libretto: Anka Herbut | Łukasz Barys

Music: Dobrawa Czocher | Teoniki Rożynek | Wojciech Błażejczyk | Rafał Ryterski | Julius Eastman | Roman Padlewski

Conductor: Lilianna Krych

Director, set design, script: Krystian Lada

Set design collaborator: Łukasz Misztal

Costiumes: Natalia Kitamikado

Lights: Aleksandr Prowaliński

Choreography collaborator: Wojciech Grudziński

Assistant to the director: Magdalena Milczarska

Production: Warsaw Rising Museum: Marta Kuźmiak (production manager) | Iwa Ostrowska | Beata Spodarek

Performers:

Joan – Agnieszka Grochowska

Joanna – Dobrawa Czocher

Giovanna – Gabriela Legun

Angels of History – Szymon Komasa | Dominik Bobryk | Michał Adam Góral | Wojciech Grudziński

Hashtag Ensemble: Wojciech Błażejczyk (electric guitar) | Aleksandra Demowska-Madejska (viola) | Adam Eljasiński (bass clarinet) | Paweł Janas (accordion) | Krzysztof Kozłowski (synthesizers) | Mateusz Loska (double bass) | Małgorzata Mikulska (bass flute) | Dominik Płociński (cello) | Olga Przybył (percossion) | Kamila Wąsik-Janiak (violin)

Match Match Ensemble: Małgorzata Bartkowska (alto) | Ewa Kijewska (alto) | Michał Kijewski (bass) | Andrzej Klepacki (tenor) | Paweł Kowalewski (tenor) | Marzena Lewandowska (alto) | Michał Malec (bass) | Konstancja Molewska (soprano) | Jakub Prasał (tenor) | Daria Sawczuk (soprano) | Adrianna Żołnierczuk-Malec (soprano)

Cello players: Nadia Bojadżijew | Dobrawa Czocher | Katarzyna Drzewiecka | Jadwiga Jaworska | Martyna Kępińska | Urszula Lalek | Joanna Marczyk | Tatiana Przybylska | Katarzyna Stasiewicz | Hanna Szczęsna