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The Fountain of Bakhchisarai
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October 2026  | ||||||
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Mo | Tu | We | Th | Fr | Sa | Su |
The Fountain of Bakhchisarai – Rostislav Zakharov / Boris Asafyev
Classical ballet
Running time: 2 hours 40 minutes including two intervals
While the Fountain of Tears bubbles before him, Giray, khan of the Tatars, is lost in brooding. Just as the flow from the marble fount cannot be exhausted, his own sorrow will never diminish, either. The story of the Fountain of Bakhchisarai is set in motion by a romance recounting the reason for the khan's gloom. This work is one of the cornerstones of Russian ballet history, and since its premiere has enjoyed unbroken success as a representative of the genre of ballet drama, in which a dramatic performance is closely intertwined with the use of the classical language of dance and character dances. The choreographer of the work, Rotislav Zakharov, was powerfully drawn to Russian literary sources, making Pushkin's poem of the same title an obvious choice for his work, for which Boris Asafyev composed the music. The subject is a truly dramatic one: a story of jealous love. Giray, khan of the tatars has fallen wildly into love with Maria, whom he and his Tatars have abducted and forced into his harem just as she was preparing for her wedding. Zarema, the khan's first wife, does not take kindly to this situation. Tragedy is inevitable...
Parental guidance: The performance is not recommended for children under 12 years of age.
Program and cast
Conductor: Paul Connelly, Sámuel Csaba Tóth
Maria, the Prince's daughter: Tatyjana Melnyik, Ellina Pohodnih, Lili Felméry, Soobin Lee
Waclav, Maria’s fiancé: Viachaslau Hnedchyk, Gergő Ármin Balázsi, Louis Scrivener, Boris Zhurilov
Khan Giray: Iurii Kekalo, Mikalai Radziush, Vlagyiszlav Melnyik
Nurali, the Khan's Commander: András Rónai, Motomi Kiyota, Vince Topolánszky, Yago Guerra
Zarema, the Khan’s favourite wife: Maria Yakovleva, Lea Földi, Jessica Leon Carulla, Maria Beck
Featuring the Hungarian National Ballet and the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra.
Choreographer: Rostislav Vladimirovich Zakharov
Set designer: Szilárd Kerekes, Zoltán Fülöp
Costume designer: Tivadar Márk, Nóra Rományi
Assistant choreographer: Irén Hamala
Staging balletmaster: Daria Pavlenko
Company répétiteur: Stanislav Beliaevskii, Anastasia Dunets, James Forbat, Gergely Leblanc, Ildikó Pongor, Győrgy Szirb
Composer: Boris Asafyev
Librettist: Nikolai Volkov
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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