The Hungarian State Opera is under fire for its recent revival of Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess.” After performing a controversial production last season with an all-white cast, the house revived the production, again with an all-white cast, intentionally going against the Gershwin estates stipulations which indicate that the work should be performed by an all-black cast. However, according to Hungarian news, {…}
The Hungarian State Opera is set to present a new production of Ponchielli’s ‘La Gioconda.” The rarely performed work is part of a season dedicated to Puccini’s Italy. The work by Puccini’s master Amilcare Ponchielli returns to the Erkel Theatre after a hiatus of 20 years. The new production will be directed by András Almási-Tóth and will star Eszter Sümegi as Gioconda, Bernadett {…}
Following a series of extensive tours, the Hungarian State Opera returns is set to return to the Erkel Theatre to begin its 135th season, which will be dedicated to Puccini and his contemporaries. As expected the company will kick off its brand new season with one of Puccini’s finest works, “La Fanciulla del West,” in a new production by Vasily {…}
On November 4, 2018, the Hungarian State Opera’s tour featured a gala celebrating the music and dance of their homeland. I was surprised to learn that the date chosen for this celebration marks the 68th year since the Soviet intervention of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, wherein a large number of Hungarians gave their lives for their country against the {…}
Friday night of the Hungarian State Opera’s New York tour saw the performance of Karl Goldmark’s opera “The Queen of Sheba.” This under-performed work is firmly entrenched in the spirit of Romanticism, as Goldmark was a contemporary of figures such as Wagner, Berlioz, Rossini, Chopin, Verdi, and more. Many aspects of the opera, such as the plot, and structure of {…}
As the Hungarian State Opera continues its New York tour at Lincoln Center, the second night saw a double feature of performances from Hungarian composers: “Mario and the Magician” by Janos Vajda, and “Bluebeard’s Castle” by Bela Bartok. What followed was an enthralling showcase of the talents of the company, wherein the artists powerfully brought to life the methods, and {…}
Ferenc Erkel’s “Bánk Bán,” which took the stage at the David H. Koch Theater on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, as part of the Hungarian State Opera’s New York Tour, is a fascinating study in the operatic canon. For Hungarians, Erkel’s piece is their national opera. Outside of the country, it would be surprising to find many that have heard it {…}
It’s not every day that New York audiences will get a chance to experience the Hungarian State Opera without heading across the pond. But in just a few weeks, starting on Oct. 30, 2018, they will get that very opportunity at the David H. Koch Theater in Lincoln Center as the company comes on tour with a number of operatic {…}
OperaVision will showcase Erkel’s “Bánk Bán” live from the Hungarian State Opera on September 7, 2018 starting at 7 p.m. local time. The Hungarian work will star Marcell Bakonyi, Ildikó Komlósi, Péter Balczó, Levente Molnár, Kolos Kováts, Zsolt Haja, Lajos Geiger, Gergely Irlanda, and Zita Szemere. Balázs Kocsár will conduct while Attila Vidnyánszky directs. The production will be available to {…}
The Hungarian State Opera has announced its 2018-19 season which is slated to includes a whopping 60 repertoire pieces and 16 premieres. The company has stated that the main theme of the season is taking audiences to Puccini’s Italy. There are also a series of concerts with some of opera’s biggest stars. Let’s break it down. Premieres (in order of {…}
The Hungarian State Opera has announced its first tour to the United States this fall. During a press conference in New York, general director Szilvester Okovacs was joined by artistic director Ferenc Anger to present the company’s tour. Heralded as the biggest endeavor by the opera company, the tour will showcase 350 musicians, four important Hungarian operas, and three ballet productions. {…}