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Háry János
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 January 2029 | ||||||
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Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
Háry János – Zoltán Kodály
Singspiel | Mix
Running time: 2 hours 45 minutes including one interval
Language: Hungarian
Surtitle: Hungarian, English
A century ago, the world first encountered this remarkable opus, a work that soon became one of the cornerstones of twentieth-century musical innovation. Premiered in 1926, the singspiel is a milestone in Hungarian music history: its composer, Zoltán Kodály, fulfilled his aspiration to elevate Hungarian folk song of ancient origin to the same status as classical music, by virtue of its equivalent values, placing it on the stage of the nation’s Opera House. The Hungarian historical tale woven from folk songs blends elements of science fiction, the absurd, and at times painful historical reality, yet remains firmly grounded in love of homeland and pure love. The main roles of the hundred-year-old work are performed by two Hungarian artists from beyond our borders: Csaba Sándor from Transylvania and Gabriella Balga from Slovakia. It is staged by Transylvania-born Attila Béres, director of the Miskolc National Theatre, as his first production at the Opera House. His interpretation respects the spirit of the original while remaining open to the possibilities of the present. This centenary staging invites audiences to rediscover the opera’s timeless beauty, cultural significance, and extraordinary ability to build a bridge between past and present through the universal language of music. At the conductor’s podium stands Péter Halász, the OPERA’s principal guest conductor and former music director.
Parental guidance: The performance is not recommended for children under 6 years of age.
Program and cast
Conductor: Péter Halász
Háry János: Csaba Sándor
Örzse: Gabriella Balga
Old Marci: András Kiss
Emperor Franz: N. N.
The Empress: Szilvia Rálik
Baron Ebelasztin: Attila Erdős
Napoleon: János Szemenyei
Marie Louise: Zsófia Kálnay
Featuring the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Children's Chorus
Director: Attila Béres
Set designer: Hanna Erős
Costume designer: Ildi Tihanyi
Dramaturg: Barbara Ari-Nagy
Choreographer: Dénes Kovács
English translation by Arthur Roger Crane
Head of the Children's Chorus: Nikolett Hajzer
Chorus director: Gábor Csiki
Composer: Zoltán Kodály
Librettist: Béla Paulini, Zsolt Harsányi
Hungarian State Opera
STANDING ROOM TICKETS - INFORMATION IN CASE OF A FULL HOUSE!
If all the seats are sold out for the selected time, but you still want to see the production on that day, 84 of the extremely affordable standing seats will be sold at the theatre, 2 hours before the start of the performance, with which you can visit the gallery on the 3rd floor. Tickets can be purchased at the ticket office of the Budapest Opera House. We would like to draw your attention to the fact that the stage can only be seen to a limited extent from the standing places and the side seats, but at the same time, following the performance is also supported by television broadcasting on the spot.
The Opera House is not only one of the most significant art relic of Budapest, but the symbol of the Hungarian operatic tradition of more than three hundred years as well. The long-awaited moment in Hungarian opera life arrived on September 27, 1884, when, in the presence of Franz Joseph I. the Opera House was opened amid great pomp and ceremony. The event, however, erupted into a small scandal - the curious crowd broke into the entrance hall and overran the security guards in order to catch a glimpse of the splendid Palace on Sugar út. Designed by Mikós Ybl, a major figure of 19th century Hungarian architecture, the construction lived up to the highest expectations. Ornamentation included paintings and sculptures by leading figures of Hungarian art of the time: Károly Lotz, Bertalan Székely, Mór Than and Alajos Stróbl. The great bronze chandelier from Mainz and the stage machinery moda by the Asphaleia company of Vienna were both considered as cutting-edge technology at that time.
Many important artists were guests here including Gustav Mahler, the composer who was director in Budapest from 1887 to 1891. He founded the international prestige of the institution, performing Wagner operas as well as Magcagni’ Cavalleria Rusticana. The Hungarian State Opera has always maintained high professional standards, inviting international stars like Renée Fleming, Cecilia Bartoli, Monserrat Caballé, Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, José Cura, Thomas Hampson and Juan Diego Flórez to perform on its stage. The Hungarian cast include outstanding and renowed artists like Éva Marton, Ilona Tokody, Andrea Rost, Dénes Gulyás, Attila Fekete and Gábor Bretz.
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