Composed by: Karol Szymanowski (1882 - 1937)
Date of composition: 1923-31
Premiered: 1935 (Prague)
Harnasie ("The Highland Robbers") is a ballet composed by the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski.
Performed by Simon Rattle cond/ City of Birmingham Orchestra
SYNOPSIS:
Scene 1 (Mountain Meadow)
0:00 - "Redyk". [2:07] Pastoral scene; Shepherds in a mountain meadow at spring time. Bells + sheep bleating. [3:32] An Old Fiddler plays a tune.
4:20 - "Mime Scene". Boy tries to attract Girl [4:49]. Widow [5:08] tries to attract Boy, but fails.
6:24 - "Highland Robbers' March". Pistol shots, and the sound of singing, signal the arrival of Harnasie. A crowd of girls try to pull Girl away, but Girl doesn't listen. [7:53] Harnasie enter the scene.
8:02 - "Mime Scene". The leader looks Girl up and down. He notices Boy and threatens him. Boy tries to take Girl, but the leader gets mad and chases Boy away [8:48]. Girl finally yields to the leader after some resistance [10:09].
11:38 - "Highland Robbers' Dance" The Highlanders dance the night away with Girl. Morning; Highlanders leave Girl, telling her she should expect them to return. [14:01] The Old Fiddler appears, and takes Girl to the inn...
Scene 2 (Inn)
15:58 - "Wedding". Inn is filled with people singing a wedding song. [16:34] Drunken guests enter and join in.
18:28 - "Here comes the bride". Girl enters with Boy. It's their wedding, but Girl is sad.
20:20 - "Stable-boys' Song"
21:32 - "Wedding Dance/Highlanders' Dance". Boy and Girl open the dance, after which the rest of the inn follow. Suddenly, pistol shots [24:37] are heard. [25:12] The Harnasie barge into the inn. Everybody is terrified, with the exception of Girl, who shows relief.
25:18 - "Assault of the Robbers". Girl throws herself into the arms of the leader. The leader orders the band of musicians to play a new tune [25:52]. As the dance progresses, the remaning robbers begin grabbing the other female guests in the room, with diminishing resistance. [28:12] The male guests attack the robbers in revolt, after which one of the robbers breaks the lamp [28:43], plunging everything into darkness. [29:58] The scene calms down. Widow finds Boy in a corner, miserable. She takes him away [NOTE: This last scene has no corresponding sheet music.]
Scene 3 (Mountain Meadow)
30:51 - "Epilogue; In the Mountains". Moonlight. The singing of Harnasie can be heard in the distance. The Old Fiddler appears on stage and plays a sad tune.
NOTE: The lyrics have been removed for copyright reasons.