The final premiere of the 2016/17 of the Hungarian State Opera is an exciting world premiere. Tennessee Williams' most acclaimed work, A Streetcar Named Desire is transformed into a modern dance drama on the stage of the Erkel Theatre. It is also principal ballet master Marianna Venekei’s first full-length choreography.
As part of the HungarianFest organised by the Hungarian State Opera, the new production entitled Bartók DanceTriptych promises to be a unique treat for our dance-loving viewers. Three one-act dance pieces composed by Béla Bartók are presented in one evening, each of them choreographed by a different artist. The Bartók DanceTriptych therefore will be a trio in terms of not only the number of works, but of the featured dance styles as well.
At the end of the Hungarian Season, over the course of four weeks, between 10 May and 10 June, 2017, two centuries of Hungarian opera will be presented in a grand series that includes works by composers as early as József Ruzitska, as recent as Judit Varga and Levente Gyöngyösi, and all major Hungarian opera composers in between, as well as several indispensable choreographic works.
For the first time in the programme of the Hungarian State Opera, Le corsaire hits the stage of the Budapest Opera House. Internationally acclaimed choreographer Anna-Marie Holmes Has joined forces with ballet director Tamás Solymosi to create a new version for the Hungarian National Ballet.
With the coming of spring, for the fifth time, the Erkel Theatre presents the panorama of premieres from Hungarian opera companies between 4 and 9 April at the Primavera ‘17 Festival. Afterwards, performances at both venues of the Hungarian State Opera are dedicated to the Easter celebrations with works by Bach, Mascagni and Wagner.
On 24 March 2017, the Hungarian State Opera presents Der Zigeunerbaron, the grand operetta by Johann Strauss, Jr. at the Erkel Theatre. Directed by accomplished Hungarian director, Miklós Szinetár, the new production promises a real spectacle.
The Hungarian State Opera’s 2017/18 season will get off to an unusual start, since the Opera House will not be opening its doors in September. The modernisation means that the season will start at the Erkel Theatre, and while there will be fewer programmes than usual, their diversity will match that of previous years: In this season inspired by Wagner’s Ring cycle, there will be 28 opera and ballet premieres, along with countless repertoire pieces, musicals, grand operettas, concerts, concert-format productions and family and children’s programmes.
On 19 March 2017, the Hungarian State Opera gets one step closer to having a new complete Ring production. Once again, Siegfried is directed by Balázs Béla Prize-winning and Oscar nominee animated film director Géza M. Tóth.
In the first half of March 2017, the Opera celebrates three outstanding Hungarian artists whose careers surpassed the borders of their homeland, and contributed so much to the international reputation of Hungarian opera, ballet and classical music.
The first new production of the Hungarian State Opera in the New Year is the Hungarian premiere of Love and Other Demons by Péter Eötvös. With new music composed for it by Eötvös himself, this will be the birth of the opera’s Budapest version.
The final premiere at the Hungarian State Opera in the year 2016 is a piece that has never been performed at the Budapest Opera. Dialogues des Carmélites by Francis Poulenc is put on stage by artistic director Ferenc Anger with musical direction by internationally renowned conductor Christian Badea.
The Hungarian National Ballet presents their first grand premiere of the 2016/17 season at the Hungarian State Opera. Don Quixote primarily focuses on a humorous love story taken from the novel by Cervantes: the tale of Kitri and Basil, who – despite all adversity – live happily ever after through the intervention of the title character. Michael Messerer’s version is staged in Hungary for the first time.
The 60th anniversary of the 1956 Revolution is commemorated by a series of events at the Hungarian State Opera. Beside opera world premieres, ballet performances and symphonic concerts, exhibitions, international guest performances and an open day at the Opera House awaits audiences.
“A people can best be known through their folk songs,” claimed Zoltán Kodály, one of the crucial proponents of Hungarian music, whose main ambition as a composer, collector of folk songs and music teacher was to inculcate a love for Hungarian folk song and to cultivate a knowledgeable audience.
The only classical ballet company of Hungary, the Hungarian National Ballet (resident at the Hungarian State Opera) is proud to announce its 2016/17 season. With over 120 performances throughout the season, fans of classical balett and contemporary dance performances are offered a wide selection in popular repertoire pieces and new productions at the Opera House and the Erkel Theatre.
The Hungarian State Opera announced it in Februray 2015 that the musical by Lee Hall and Grammy Award winner Sir Elton John would be included in the repertoire. The piece is based on the three times Oscar-nominated film Billy Elliot, which tells the story of a talented boy born into a poor family who are against his wish to become a ballet dancer.
The Hungarian State Opera is again offering more than 2000 programmes in the new season. The Hungarian Season will feature pieces by countless major Hungarian composers, choreographers and directors, while over the course of a few weeks, the May Festival will showcase two centuries of Hungarian opera history, from József Ruzitska to Levente Gyöngyösi. In addition to the 28 opera and ballet premieres being added to the enormous classical repertoire, the season will also include a steady stream of musicals, grand operettas, concerts, talk programmes as well as interactive family and children's programmes.
Fans of early music can hardly wait for the end of the Opera’s season each year. Little wonder, either, for true to our tradition of the last three years, we are again closing it out with a Baroque opera. The final premiere in the Shakespeare Season of the Hungarian State Opera is Henry Purcell’s semi-opera, The Fairy Queen turned into opera noir spiced by jazz by director András Almási-Tóth.
Starting with an international ballet gala, the next month offers various programmes for dance fans at the Hungarian State Opera: two new contemporary dance productions and a panorama of the Hungarian dance scene await audiences at the Erkel Theatre, whereas lovers of classical ballet can see Sir Peter Wright’s version of The Sleeping Beauty at the Opera House.
The new production of the Hungarian State Opera, Il trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi directed by renowned director Judit Galgóczy premieres at the Erkel Theatre on 18 March 2016.