Ludwik Osiński’s libretto for „Andromeda”, the opera by Józef Elsner, from 1807 in the manuscript collection of the Scientific Library of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków

Among the literary texts available in manuscripts in the Scientific Library of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków, one that draws attention is a libretto written by a poet and plawright, Ludwik Osiński (1775–1838), for Andromeda, an opera composed by Józef Elsner (1769–1854). The opera was first staged in 1807 in Warsaw to honour Napoleon Bonaparte, in the times of the Duchy of Warsaw, after the French victory over the Prussians. Osiński used a mythological theme to glorify the Emperor. Napoleon was in the audience during one of the performences.
The handwriting, grammar and spelling of the text suggest that the manuscript from the Scientific Library of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Polish Academy of Sciences comes from the 19th century. No information as to who wrote down the text has been found either in the manuscript itself or in the library’s catalogues.
210 years after those events it is worth bringing this work back. The Libretto was printed in 1808 as one complete work in two languages: Polish and in French translation. Now it is a historic publication from the epoque. Andromeda was not included in the four-volume publication of the author’s works presented in between 1861 and 1862. This article is the first critical edition of Osiński’s work.

Among the literary texts available in manuscripts in the Scientific Library of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków, one that draws attention is a libretto written by a poet and plawright, Ludwik Osiński (1775–1838), for Andromeda, an opera composed by Józef Elsner (1769–1854). The opera was first staged in 1807 in Warsaw to honour Napoleon Bonaparte, in the times of the Duchy of Warsaw, after the French victory over the Prussians. Osiński used a mythological theme to glorify the Emperor. Napoleon was in the audience during one of the performences.
The handwriting, grammar and spelling of the text suggest that the manuscript from the Scientific Library of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Polish Academy of Sciences comes from the 19th century. No information as to who wrote down the text has been found either in the manuscript itself or in the library’s catalogues.
210 years after those events it is worth bringing this work back. The Libretto was printed in 1808 as one complete work in two languages: Polish and in French translation. Now it is a historic publication from the epoque. Andromeda was not included in the four-volume publication of the author’s works presented in between 1861 and 1862. This article is the first critical edition of Osiński’s work.