From January 2021, a new, paid stream service is presented by the Hungarian State Opera. The series of streams including popular repertoire pieces and new productions made necessary by the lockdown, can be viewed from 7:00 p.m. on Saturdays through jegy.hu. Beside the new paid stream service, the Opera continues to stream free performances as well on its Facebook page.
The first paid stream of the Hungarian State Opera – a 2016 live recording of The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell – can be seen from 7:00 p.m. on 9 January 2021. Director András Almási-Tóth incorporated the music into a new story by omitting the spoken parts. This version of A Midsummer Night's Dream takes place in an urban woodland, with lonely characters, crime, murder and love. The figure of the Fairy Queen here is a kind of femme fatale: a woman in search of herself and her own happiness and finding neither as she flees from one relationship to the next. The visual world of the production was created by set designer Sebastian Hannak, costume designer Krisztina Lisztopád and movement director Kristóf Widder. The title role is played by internationally acclaimed Emőke Baráth, her partners on stage are Péter Fried (The Poet), Gianluca Margheri (The Stranger) as well as Nóra Ducza, Zita Szemere, Zoltán Daragó, Gyula Rab and Tibor Szappanos. Featuring the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus (chorus master: Kálmán Strausz), and the Fekete-Kovács Quintet led by Kornél Fekete-Kovács. The performance is conducted by Benjamin Bayl.
On 16 January 2021, the recording of the critically acclaimed dance drama, A Streetcar Named Desire by Marianna Venekei and composer László Dés can be viewed online from 7:00 p.m. Using the means of modern ballet, its creators (including set designer Gergely Zöldy Z, costume designer Bianca Imelda Jeremias and lighting designer Balázs Csontos) evoke the atmosphere, sights and music of the New Orleans of the 1940s, in a production driven by the sheer variety of the musical and dance motifs, and the unique personalities of the characters. The story of the fall of Blanche DuBois is a drama of family bonds, unrequited love, acceptance and physical force that never loses its relevance. The two-act dance drama features soloists Cristina Balaban (Blanche), Balázs Majoros (Stanley), Kateryna Tarasova (Stella) and Levente Bajári (Mitch) as well as Dénes Darab, András Rónai, Mikalai Radziush, Carlos Taravillo, along with artists of the Hungarian National Ballet and students of the Hungarian National Ballet Institute.
On 23 January 2021, from 7:00 p.m., Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail can be seen online in a new production by Miklós H. Vecsei, a director of Mozartian youthfulness. The performance is sure to be fresh and sometimes a bit irreverent toward operatic traditions also thanks to video projection group Glowing Bulbs, costume designer Kinga Réta Vecsei, choreographer Adrienn Vetési and a new Hungarian translation by Dániel Varró. The main roles of the production are performed by József Wunderlich (Bassa Selim), Erika Miklósa (Konstanze), Péter Balczó (Belmonte), János Szerekován (Pedrillo) and Géza Gábor (Osmin). The Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus (chorus master: Gábor Csiki) are conducted by Péter Halász.
The last Saturday of January sees the premieres of once popular two Hungarian operas last seen a long time ago. In the Opera Stream series on 30 January 2021, new productions of Tante Simona by Ernst von Dohnányi and Le luthier de Crémone can be viewed online from 7:00 p.m. Ernst von (Ernő) Dohnányi is one of those Hungarian composers whose works are played much less frequently than they deserve to be. His comic opera takes places in Italy and follows the story of Aunt Simona, who was abandoned by her sweetheart long ago and, with her bitterness undiminished by the intervening years and now intent on protecting her niece, Beatrice, from the disappointments of love, attempts to shut out any and all men from her life – naturally, without success. The title role of this comic opera is performed by Lúcia Megyesi Schwartz, her partners on stage are Adrienn Miksch (Beatrice), Orsolya Sáfár (Giacinta), Donát Varga (Count Ghino), Antal Cseh (Count Florio) and Bence Pataki (Nuto, a housekeeper). In Jenő Hubay's opera, the city of Cremona announces a competition to see who can craft a violin finer than any other. The stakes are high: aside from a golden necklace, the winner will also gain the hand in marriage of the beautiful daughter of the master craftsman Ferrari. The catchy music – light and tuneful – and the famous slightly gloomy but heartfelt violin part remind one of both French elegance and operetta. The roles of thew opera are performed by Sándor Köpeczi (Master Ferrari), Orsolya Sáfár (Giannina), Ninh Duc Hoang Long (Sandro), Csaba Sándor (Filippo) and András Palerdi (The Mayor). Both operas are produced by director Bence Varga, set designer Anna Fekete, costume designer Nikolett Schütz and feature the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus (chorus master: Gábor Csiki) conducted by Oliver von Dohnányi.
For more information and tickets for the paid stream as well as the free streams CLICK HERE.
