Dear Nation,

Allow me for some details. I am writing an opera – based on "The Wedding" – this one hundred and twenty-year-old iconic text – supposed to be the essence of who you are. Whether it is the essence, I'm not sure, but it certainly astonishes and dazzles. And it explains a lot. I won't repeat the cliché that it hasn't lost any of its relevance. It has aged a bit. Yet, through it, I understand more about you and about myself than I ever expected I could. It also belongs to the category of texts that make you feel as though you'd instantly get along with its author, despite the time passing.

So, I am writing, and the rhythm and pace of this writing are dictated by the unique form of "The Wedding". It is claimed that it's a thoroughly modern form, but that has become an anachronistic cliché as well, so let me specify – it's episodic, with multi-threaded narration, numerous micro-climaxes, without distinctly primary or secondary characters or threads. A particular challenge is the number of characters in the drama. If I were to follow one of the fundamental principles of opera and give each of them their voice, it would be a logistical and financial nightmare even for a grand theater. The sheer volume of the text is another challenge – a standard one – "The Wedding" sung in full would indeed last until dawn. So, I'm cutting down the text and juggling voices, fewer than half of what Wyspiański assumed for his drama. Calculating time for their transformations – not necessarily on or off stage, but primarily in the viewer's mind. And I struggle against my tendency to stabilize expression.

This writing feels like rock climbing. It's technical and requires high concentration. It's done in short bursts but demands long-term strategy – the wall is a kilometer high. By the way – another cliché – that there are too few hours in a day. Nonsense. What is in lacking is attention. So I maintain discipline. I sleep eight hours, rise early. I take cold baths. I avoid intoxicants. I don’t let myself get distracted. I'm being a good boy.