# Opera in Budapest



## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

I'm back home from my four night visit. Rather than add further to the opera reviews or trip reports I thought it might work well to gather any reviews, comments and questions concerning Budapest in a specific thread. We'll see how it goes here, but it might work for other opera cities too.

My brief reviews are coming shortly. I expect dongiovanni may have something to say too as he was also there for a couple of nights. With our ongoing comments on the various singers and scenes we were in danger of becoming the new Stadler and Waldorf.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

I commenced my four nights in Budapest with Giordano's *Andrea Chenier* (1896) at the State Opera. Like most productions here it's traditional and lavish. Oh my, those pre-revolutionary costumes in the first act are a visual delight; making Maddelena (_Szilvia Ralik_) quite loveable even before she sings. _Chanev Kamen_ is a rather portly middle-aged Chenier. Vocally adequate but topped by _Na Gunyong_'s elegant Gerard. Ralik's passionately sung La Mamma Morta was the highlight of the night.

I'm back for a front row seat as the State Opera the following night for *Madama Butterfly* (or Pillangó-Kissasszony as they unnecessarily have it.) Another traditionally styled production. Pinkerton (_Istvan Kovakshazi_) was suitably caddish but not exactly silken voiced. Cio-Cio-San was sung by a local favourite _Gabriella Letay Kiss_. Her stature is hardly that of a young geisha but she acts well and sings with a broad and generous tone which has a Callas-like wobble to it. I'd seen her earlier in the year as Margherita in Mefistofele, where she moved me greatly, so I guess I'm now a fan. Alas she couldn't move me again as Butterfly as the 2 intervals and dubious directing choices took the emotional momentum out of the work. Last time I saw Butterfly it was a two act version, which feels so much better, and is how Puccini first presented it. (i.e. Un Bel Di at the tail end of the first act.)

Now I have company! Fellow forumite dongiovanni has flown in for the weekend.

The next two performances take place at Budapest's second opera house, The Erkel Theatre, This is a 70's built large two-tier theatre. Unfussy but pleasant. Terrazzo flooring instead of marble, I observe. But it's nice to be amongst Hungarian opera fans instead of the texting, talking, selfie-taking tourists that too often populate the stalls of the State Opera house.

Dongiovanni is in the stalls with me for *Don Carlos*, one of my favourite operas. We get the four act version (or the version without act 1 as it is may also be described). Fair enough, however a cut of some grand Auto-da-fe music annoys me. _Attila B. Kiss_ as Don Carlos struggles throughout, his voice weedy and wayward, any legato crumbling away. Philip's Ella giammai m'amo is done more as an actor's soliliquy, subtly acted rather than fully sung. _Bernadette Wiedemann_ was Eboli. As you can guess, I was looking forward to her big aria. Alas, despite her generally good tone she was unable to hit and hold the top notes in each of the 3 sections of O Don Fatale. The polite and knowledgeable audience was not wowed.

So, who else was there? Ah yes... Elizabetta. The Czech, Csilla Boross, was absolutely superb. It was obvious early on that she's a class act. Dongiovanni and I agreed at the interval that Tu Che La Vanita should be good. When the time came, it was stunning. Power and great control and tone over those long legato lines in the first passage and then delightful subtlety and nuance in every phrase of the middle section. It was literally a show stopper, leading to an extended period of applause. Easily the musical highlight of the trip, and a singer I'll be eager to see and hear again. She's a regular with some American opera companies too. Do check her out if you get a chance.

The fourth night, and *Tosca*. I commented to dongiovanni on the dearth of decent tenors in this region. Would this night be different? Thankfully yes. Mexican _Hector Lopez Mendoza_, now resident in Bucharest, was the one to deliver. Perhaps not world-class, but still elegant and secure in tone. He's nice looking and likeable in personality. Local diva _Gyongyi Lukacs_ is ideally cast as Tosca. She plays the diva so well, including the affected modesty in the curtain calls. _Alexandru Agache_ is a solid and experienced Scarpia. The Scarpia/Tosca chemistry was good, not afraid to grapple with each other. It's Budapest, so the production was fully orthodox, with excellent falling from Cavaradossi when he's shot, and likewise from Tosca as she leaps from the parapet. As dongiovanni said to me, follow Puccini's explicit stage directions and it all works great.

We also got the chance to meet another forumite, perempe, on the Tosca night, so that's another for my friends list - forumites I've met in real life.

In summary, there's plenty of operas to see in Budapest, often with the kind of old-school productions that many elsewhere don't get to see. Accommodation and ticket costs are very reasonable. If you're trying to avoid Calixto Bieito and Casper Holten productions, this is where you should head.


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

It sounds like you had a great trip and excellent write up.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

sospiro said:


> It sounds like you had a great trip and excellent write up.


Such a shame you couldn't have been there with us. You'd have loved it. We enjoyed walking around Budapest, and had good food and drinks too. No doubt I'll be back again next year at some point.

I'll leave it to dongiovanni to give his perspective on things.


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## Dongiovanni (Jul 30, 2012)

Good times in Budapest ! The city has the grandeur of cities like Vienna, also their state opera looks a lot like the Vienna state opera, only smaller. Our tourguide informed us this was intentional, as the major funders would not allow this. Prices for accommodation, transport and food are low, as are the opera tickets, the most expensive ones are 15 Euro's - which is a total bargain.

Don Fatale and I agreed most of the times on the performances. In Don Carlo both Rodrigo and the King sounded very promising, but both did no live up to the expectations I had for their signature aria's, still those were more than average, which we can't say about Carlo... Elisabetta was fantastic, I loved her voice timbre, dynamics, phrasing: it all added up. Her final aria was the highlight of the evening, and the total trip. The final duet of Elisabetta and Carlo would have been first rate if the tenor could have matched Elisabetta.

In Tosca the roles were in balance, and the opening of the Vissi d'Arte sounded very promising - the sound was beautifully soft and the colours were great, very contrasting to those fierce scenes that precede it. We were suddenly in another place. Too bad she couldn't hold that and towards the end the aria went off track. We were happy that this tenor was up to the part. The final scene was very well acted out.

We saw how effective a simple and traditional production can be, even at a low budget. The sets are flimsy and wobble when someone opens or closes a door, the illusion of opera makes it into a wonderful experience. As Don Fatale writes, if you want to see some very traditional opera, go to Budapest !

Some pictures:













Don Carlo cast and Tosca and Cavaradossi


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## Belowpar (Jan 14, 2015)

We visited in June 2012 sadly there was no Opera, but we did the tour of the house. 

But it is a wonderful city to wisit with it's own proud history. Both Buda and Pest. Also for swimmers the hot spa's that are everywhere, added unique flavour to the City's life. I know an American who lives there and the first night we dined out with them. I confessed how litte I knew and once he'd heard me say that I thought Tokaji was only a desert wine, he ordered a different example with each course to prove that was not true. All in all the food and drink we had were excellent and as you say prices are very keen.


I hope this thread thrives and with a few similar ones perhaps even a new sub folder. Operatic Culture doesn't change that quickly and an invaluable picture of each city could be built up. I also enjoy reading about the non operatic highlights as well. Thank you Don F and Don G.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

Don Fatale said:


> Local diva _Gyongyi Lukacs_ is ideally cast as Tosca. She plays the diva so well, including the affected modesty in the curtain calls. _Alexandru Agache_ is a solid and experienced Scarpia. The Scarpia/Tosca chemistry was good, not afraid to grapple with each other.


they live together (in real life).


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Thanks, that would explain a lot! :lol:


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## Barelytenor (Nov 19, 2011)

Thanks for the excellent report. It has been too long since I have been in Budapest (half a life ago).


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Digging out this thread! I'm back in Budapest next week for 5 nights, 6 operas & 1 piano recital in 4 venues. Trip report to come.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

is there an opera bloopers thread?

Dragana Radakovic was our guest Tosca two months ago. At the final scene, she didn't wait for Spoletta, Sciarrone and the guards, she went up to the place of the stage wher she would jump. they arrived, she sang her high note and jumped.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Perempe, I guess you've seen The Rakes Progress. Last night when Baba Turk and Sellem got in the box together he didn't close the door properly at first so the box couldn't descend. He suffered Baba Turk's reproach with some playful slaps as they finally descended. At least they made it funny.


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## Diminuendo (May 5, 2015)

perempe said:


> is there an opera bloopers thread?
> 
> Dragana Radakovic was our guest Tosca two months ago. At the final scene, she didn't wait for Spoletta, Sciarrone and the guards, she went up to the place of the stage wher she would jump. they arrived, she sang her high note and jumped.


She has nothing on Renata Tebaldi who in one performance just calmly walked of the stage for everyone's amazement.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

Der Freischutz in Budapest tonight is an early candidate for my 'Weirdest production of the year' award. Meanwhile back at the hotel, the best thing on TV is German celebrity Dodgeball. Oh What a World!


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

. I wish I could have been in Budapest to hear the young, ravishing, stentorian voiced Eva Marton at her prime sing Santo di patria from Verdi's Giovanni D'arco. Listen and be amazed!!!!!! I went to Budapest before the fall of the Wall and I'll never, ever forget it.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

China National Opera is giving two performances of Turandot in Erkel Theatre (yesterday and today). Were you there, Don Fatale?


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

No, although I was tempted. Did you go?

I'll try to complete my write-up of my 5 day trip tomorrow. I enjoyed it very much. Actually, half of it is already on my blog.


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## perempe (Feb 27, 2014)

yes, Tuesday. it was part of the Budapest Spring Festival program. only the children choir was from Budapest. it was a fantastic performance, many singers sing in the MET from that company. we have ok singers, but since this performance I know what we lack.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

perempe said:


> yes, Tuesday. it was part of the Budapest Spring Festival program. only the children choir was from Budapest. it was a fantastic performance, many singers sing in the MET from that company. we have ok singers, but since this performance I know what we lack.


What do you lack? I'd say tenors mostly.

This month I enjoyed Bulgarian Kamen Chanev in Cav/Pag, Russian Vladimir Galouzine in Queen of Spades. There are some very good Hungarian sopranos, particularly Csilla Boross and Gabriella Letay Kiss (in my opinion). Mostly the orchestras sound good. It's a marvellous place to live and see operas.


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## Don Fatale (Aug 31, 2009)

5 days in Budapest
13-17 April 2016

The Queen of Spades
The Rakes Progress
Der Freischutz
Cavalleria Rusticana
I Pagliacci
Orontea

This trip was a day or two longer than I wanted but the flights don't go every day of the week. Luckily there was something to see every evening. I found a small hotel around the back of the Corinthia, which makes it equidistant between the two opera houses, and very convenient for the other two venues in this trip.

A delayed flight together with a 6pm kick off means I have to go straight from the airport to the State Opera's *The Queen of Spades*. I discover why it's an early start - we're being treated to an uncut version, making Act II a ravishing spectacle of song and ballet. _Vladimir Galouzine_ (that rare thing - a Russian tenor) is Hermann, the elegant dramatic soprano _Szilvia Ralik_ as Lisa. Both are more than capable in their roles, and with a lush period production I'm pretty happy with this opera experience. Alas, the orchestra sounded a little ragged and brassy to these ears, I wanted a more silvery tone.

Just an aside - At the second interval (on the elegant front balcony overlooking Andrassy Avenue) I was in the company of a rather chic French lady. We'd given each other the eye in the first interval and both of us seemed to know we'd meet up at the second. "I'm with Hermann" she says nonchalantly, offering me a cigarette from a silver case. The first time in my life I've regretted being a non-smoker! We mainly talk about opera in Paris. A most charming interval. BTW, she wasn't the tenor's wife, who was elsewhere.

On the second night I'm back at the State Opera for *The Rake's Progress*. I've seen this modern and clear production before. It's very good, at least as good as Stravinsky´s score in my view. (Oh why couldn't he write operas like his ballets?)

Day three is a Saturday and my research tells me of a chamber concert at the Liszt museum (his former residence on Andrassy Avenue). The recital concludes with Liszt's monumental b-flat piano sonata. What a perfect place to experience this. If you're in Budapest on a Saturday morning, look out for these concerts. It's a very small hall, really just a large lounge, so booking is advised. Afterwards I visited the Liszt museum on my combined concert and museum ticket. It's rather small but filled with interesting things and well worth the modest entry fee.

That evening finds me at the Erkel Theatre, and gives me a box tick - my first *Der Freischutz*. This is a low budget, modern update, much derided in reviews. An early contender for my weirdest production of the year award. I can't even begin to describe it, other than having some of the worst dancing (sort of deliberate) I've ever seen. I'm still not sure if I've seen Der Freischutz! On the plus side, the music and singing were excellent. Musically it's really a fine work that deserves to be more widely performed.

Day four, and I'm back at the Erkel for opera's most famous double bill - *Cavalleria Rusticana* & *Pagliacci*. In the 28 years since my first opera, I've always been in the wrong place at the wrong time, now I finally have a live Cav & Pag. It's a good one. Both operas use elements of the same production which was fairly low on budget but perfectly acceptable. It still featured a live horse. Musically this was the best evening of the trip. Bulgarian_ Kamen Chanev _takes on both main roles, and is in fine voice. While it's wonderful to hear the world's top tenors and sopranos when the chance comes, I appreciate seeing mainstream opera singers giving a first rate performance, and this was the case tonight.

My fifth and final evening gives me a first visit to the Liszt academy and the Solti Hall. This is a small theatre with a stage and pit suitable for chamber operas. The opera is* Orontea*, by _Antonio Cesti_, a very popular work in the late 17th century, i.e. in the period between Monteverdi and Bach. It is part of the Budapest Spring Festival, partly cast with students. but also some excellent principals. Inevitably it's a modern setting, set in a sports bra shop I think! Modern cliches of selfies and text messages abound. The theme of removing bras (from underneath baggy sweatshirts) was entertaining enough, but alas the meaning of the story was largely lost on me with only Hungarian surtitles and my brief synopsis. Don Fatale's singer of the night was _Emőke Baráth_ in the title role; warm and flexible, with great breath control, a Bartoli-lite. She's already had some good gigs around Europe and is definitely on the way up. It was a pretty entertaining evening for a flat price of around €5!

So that's it; 6 operas and a concert in 5 days, and a lot of walking the city too, with warm and sunny weather thoughout. Highly recommended.


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