It was of great significance for the people of England when, 250 years afterHenry Purcell, they were once again able to give the world a great composer. Born on 22 November 1913, Benjamin Britten achieved immortality primarily as an opera composer, which is why the Hungarian State Opera considers it altogether fitting and important that he is duly honoured.

While a number of his pieces have been staged in previous years (Albert Herring, The Little Sweep, Peter Grimesand The Turn of the Screw), we now have selected a work that has never appeared on the Opera House repertoire before. This remarkable piece will turn this celebration of Britten’s 100th birthday into a genuine evening of discovery.The participants of the concert performance: Krisztián Cser, Eszter Wierdl, Krisztina Simon, Róbert Rezsnyák, Éva Balatoni, Ildikó Jakab, Gábor Csiki, Zoltán Gradsach. The work will be included on the Hungarian State Opera House’s chamber repertoire the following year.

Performance starts at 7 p.m.

János Vajda / Béla Bartók: MARIO AND THE MAGICIAN / DUKE BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE

Operas in one act

Librettist: Béla Balázs (Bluebeard),Gábor Bókkon (Mario)

English subtitles: Péter Zollman (Bluebeard), Tamás Káldi (Mario)

Director & Set designer: Péter Galambos

Costume designer: Enikő Kárpáti

Conductor: Domonkos Héja

Cast: Viktória Mester, Gábor Bretz, Ervin Nagy, András Hábetler, Dániel Vadász,

Zoltán Bátki Fazekas

Over the course of nearly 100 years, the symbolist drama Bluebeard has been partnered with just as many other works, although it has never been played together with János Vajda’s Mario. In this unique interpretation, the two tragedies (Bluebeard and Mario) share an embodiment of the heady possibility of rising above the common man. The production has been staged on the occasion of the official grand reopening of Erkel Theatre, the second venue of the Hungarian State Opera in Budapestwith more than 2000 seats.

Source: Opera.hu