PROGRAMME CALENDAR a BRIEF HISTORY Beginning the 135Th Opera Season of OPERA in HUNGARY 2018
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PROGRAMME CALENDAR A BRIEF HISTORY Beginning the 135th opera season OF OPERA IN HUNGARY 2018 Two years ago, we celebrated the 200th anniversary of the publication of the play that was later to be “THE PLEASURES OF CIVILISED used as the libretto of the first surviving Hungarian musical drama. And even though some form of op- era performance had already existed in Hungary in the courts of the aristocrats and primates – for an PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS COMPLEX” example, one need look no further than Haydn, who worked at Eszterháza (today’s Fertőd) – the first institution at the national level was the one which opened as the Hungarian Theatre of Pest in 1837 and was renamed the National Theatre in 1840. The opera company led by Ferenc Erkel and the dance en- semble led by Frigyes Campilli were given their own building and independence only at a relatively late stage, in 1884. But then they moved into the new building designed and built by Miklós Ybl on the “radial” avenue, and in doing so became the greatest of all of Hungary’s cultural institutions. We can really put our faith in Géza Csáth, since, as an early “So what do they do? They curse and insult those who, with follower of Freud, he studied the subconscious and believed their youthful tendons, climbed the walls and out into open that the mysterious world within us gives us pleasure. space. They see Puccini’s weaknesses, but are incapable of Opera and ballet, too, are complex experiences, as are all the noticing his youthfullness, his strength. Beckmessers will always arts. Now, as we announce our newest season, “Puccini’s quarrel with Walthers von Stolzing. But I’m not going to pester We follow in the footsteps of legendary personalities: Italy”, let us do so by reflecting on and responding to some the man who can transport me into the chilly atmosphere of a lines from Csáth, that brazen, young and tragic genius. winter morning (La bohème, Act III) using only two flutes by calling him to account for his use of open fifths.” “Puccini was in Budapest during the premiere of Madama intendants Miklós Bánffy, Miklós Radnai, János Kovács and Ádám Medveczky; Butterfly. While on a carriage ride on Andrássy Avenue, he Opera lovers and ballet fans should not, however, hold us to Aladár Tóth, Miklós Lukács and choreographers Gyula Harangozó, stopped his coach and, seeing a young girl carrying an excerpt of account for abandoning other great creative figures, even if the piano score from his opera Tosca under her arm, wrote into we’ve done so for Puccini. No! 16 premieres and 60 opera Miklós Szinetár; musical directors and László Seregi and Lilla Pártay; stage the score: ‘A souvenir from Giacomo Puccini, the wandering and ballet repertoire productions will take the stage here minstrel.’ This small scene from the past demonstrates to us and around the world, featuring pieces from 16 different conductors Gustav Mahler, Artúr Nikitsch, directors Sándor Hevesi, Kálmán the composer’s discursive temperament, mixed with a bit of opera composers, and works from as many choreographers affectation .” – all in a single season! János Richter, Egisto Tango, Nádasdy and András Békés; and designers Like Puccini, we too digress a bit: while our May festival, “It is possible to become disillusioned with Puccini. In fact, we Sergio Failoni, István Kerner, Gusztáv Oláh, Zoltán Fülöp, Attila uniquely in the world, will feature all 12 of Puccini’s must, because disappointments are the milestones on the path operas, plus a new drama and a Puccini song concert and to wisdom. But the memories of those almost bodily pleasures Otto Klemperer, Ferenc Fricsay, Csikós, Tivadar Márk and Nelly Vágó. oratorio, we would like to present the master from Lucca that we receive from Puccini remain inside us. Like youth’s in the context of his Italy of verismo. Ponchielli, Giordano, mystical dream, it is full of feminine forms, perfumes, incredible János Ferencsik, Lamberto Gardelli, And also in the footsteps of chief engineer and Alfano, Mascagni, Cilea, Boito and Leoncavallo all get their excitement and nameless desires.” Giuseppe Patané, Miklós Erdélyi, technical director Miklós Borsa. deserved attention, as of course does Verdi, without whom Puccini never would have found his way to our hearts. What pertinent lines... But we are far from disillusionment! Instead, this season is about a journey: in the temporary 2 2 CALENDAR INTRODUCTION 3 absence of Ybl’s great palace, the great tour of Hungarian “While at the opera two years ago, at the premiere of Madama opera and ballet culture is partly out of necessity, partly Butterfly, I saw people’s faces, red and burning with excitement, out of duty, and will feature performances in 20 cities in and their distracted eyes, and in the prudish shame of their Hungary and abroad. We’re also announcing programmes glances I observed the secrecy of emotion, but I really had to in ten of Hungary’s county seats, and we’ll pay a visit to realise that the bowing‚ ‘minstrel’ before the curtain was a great the Opera on Wheels before continuing on to Székely and rare artist. Today, he belongs among the greatest.” Land. And yes, during the two years the Opera house will be closed, we will tour through 64 cities in 18 foreign And so, we await you along with the best Hungarian countries, from Korea to Naples, New York to Japan, and conductors, directors, singers and dancers, with our Berlin to Berehove – and most of it in the company of collaborating guests from abroad, our contracted partners, Puccini! our children’s choir and youth ballet troupe. While we’re rather homeless without our Opera House building, our “Let us recall the first act of Madama Butterfly. The piece opens eyes are fixed on the Eiffel Art Studios, moving forward with a fugue. Not quite a fugue, but a fugato. But it sounds like toward completion, as well as on the preparations for the a fugue, and that’s the point. Grotesque, interesting, gleaming. Hajós Street Üzemház, and the trial run of the Ybl Palace No one ever wrote anything like this. (…) This is Japanese coming up this May. Then, Puccini can come again and figuration, it strives to be a Japanese gesture. Ethnographies and bow with us, before you all. travelogues can’t say as much about Japan as Puccini did in this first act, and he probably never even set foot there.” 15 March, 2018 Puccini’s female figures... Each of his eight opera titles refer to a woman. This season – in our own productions and in those conducted jointly with Müpa Budapest – the female vocalists receive extra attention. Netrebko, Gruberová, Garanča, Yoncheva, Sümegi, Rost, Miklósa, Kolonits... And Szilveszter Ókovács yet there will be no lack of tenors, who were so important General Director for Puccini: big-name guests include Flórez, Sartori, Hungarian State Opera Calleja, Eyvazova, Cura, Vargas and Grigolo. We’ll see stage direction from Barkhatov, the staging of a new Hungarian opera, choreography from Balanchine, Forsythe and Eyal- Behar, and the return of MacMillan’s famous Mayerling! 4 KALENDÁRUIM 18-19 BEVEZETŐ 5 Contents Contents Goldmark Die Königin von Saba 41 Weekend Sing-along Baby with Daddy 100 Premieres 11 Vajda Mario and the Magician 42 Ballet Repertoire 69 Enchanting Instruments at the Erkel Theatre 101 Bartók Bluebeard’s Castlee 43 Afternoon Jam at the Erkel Theatre 101 Donizetti L’elisir d’amore 12 Mozart The Magic Flute 43 Frenák/Bartók The Wooden Prince 70 Tutu 102 Orff Carmina Burana 13 Puccini La bohème 44 Seregi/Bartók The Miraculous Mandarin 71 Tales of Music 102 Forsythe/Schubert The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude 14 J. Strauss Jr. Die Fledermaus 44 Juhász/Bartók Dance Suitee 72 Opera Tour with Papageno – at the Erkel Theatre 103 Eyal/Behar/Lichtik Bedroom Folk 15 Verdi Nabucco 45 van Manen/Satie Trois Gnossiennes 73 OperaCommando 103 Puccini La fanciulla del West 16 Meyerbeer Les Huguenots 46 van Manen/Piazzolla Five Tangos 73 Great Recommendations 104 Mozart L’oca del Cairo 17 van Manen/Massenet/Mascagni/ OperaAdventure 7.1 104 Rossini L’italiana in Algeri 47 74 Stravinsky/Janáček/Tchaikovsky Ponchielli La Gioconda 18 Black Cake Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor 49 John/Hall Billy Elliot – The Musical 75 Kenessey The Gold and the Woman 19 Special Events 107 Mozart Così fan tutte 49 Hynd/Lehár 76 Tóth The Tót Family 20 The Merry Widow Bizet Carmen 50 North/Downes Troy Game 78 Balanchine/Delibes Sylvia Pas de Deux 21 V4 Opera Galas 108 Kacsóh János vitéz 51 Kylián/Reich Falling Angels 78 Puccini Manon Lescaut 22 Dance Triptych in Bratislava 108 Gershwin Porgy and Bess 52 Inger/Pärt/Ravel Walking Mad 80 Szálinger Chrysanthemums, or The Death of Liù 23 Barefoot on the Meadow 109 Purcell 53 The Fairy Queen van Dantzig/Schayk/Tchaikovsky Swan Lakee 81 Puccini Edgar 24 Best of Ring 109 Mascagni Cavalleria rusticana 54 Petipa/Gorsky/Golezovsky/Messerer/Minkus Puccini La rondine 25 Kádár’s (Very) Last Speech 110 Leoncavallo Pagliacci 54 Don Quixote 82 Monteverdi L’incoronazione di Poppea 26 Erkel125+ with an “Italian” Bánk Bán 110 Bach/Mendelssohn St Matthew Passion 56 Eagling/Solymosi/Tchaikovsky The Nutcracker 83 MacMillan/Liszt/Lanchberry Mayerling 27 Ballet in Brnó 111 Kodály Háry János 57 Lavrovsky/Adam Giselle 84 Cura and Vargas, Rost and Miklósa in Veszprém 111 Puccini Tosca 57 Zakharov/Asafiev The Fountain of Bakhchisarai 84 Programme Series 29 Aria Evening with Erwin Schrott 112 Puccini Il tabarro 58 Balanchine/Tchaikovsky Theme and Variations 86 Saaremaa Opera Festival 112 Puccini Suor Angelica 59 Lander/Czerny/Riisager Études 86 Tuning Series 30 An American in Paris