For six months beginning with 21 July 2023, Hunyadi László, one of Ferenc Erkel's most popular operas is available on OperaVision, a project is supported European Union’s Creative Europe programme. The production directed by Szilveszter Ókovács stars internationally renowned Szabolcs Brickner, Klára Kolonits, Dániel Pataky, Erika Miklósa and Gábor Bretz.
The production that reopened the historic Opera House in Budapest following an extensive restoration of almost five years is based on Hunyadi László’s 2006 critical edition published by the Institute for Musicology of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Katalin Szacsvai Kim. The restored piece authentically reflects the elements characteristic of bel canto and French grand operas, which were also present in the original piece, while the text prepared by the director Szilveszter Ókovács with the involvement of the singers is also based on the original text by Béni Egressy – with the improvement of outdated parts that have lost their meaning or are difficult to sing by using solutions of his own as well as taking inspiration from Nádasdy’s version that had been performed for eight decades. The piece is set in an authentic scenery fitting the original version, the costumes and set of which were designed by Krisztina Lisztopád. The production also makes use of modern technology in the form of projections (animation design by Zsombor Czeglédi) and cutting-edge stage system solutions.
The performance recorded on 27 March 2022 features Szabolcs Brickner in the title role alongside Klára Kolonits (Erzsébet Szilágyi), Dániel Pataky (King László V), Erika Miklósa (Mária Gara), Gábor Bretz (Palatine Gara), András Palerdi (Ulrik Cillei), Melinda Heiter (Mátyás Hunyadi), and Attila Erdős (Rozgonyi) as well as the Hungarian National Ballet (artistic director: Tamás Solymosi), the Hungarian National Ballet Institute (artistic director: Dace Radina), the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, Chorus (chorus director: Gábor Csiki), and Children's Chorus (chorus master: Nikolett Hajzer) conducted by Balázs Kocsár. The director of the recording is László Kecskés G.
The OperaVision platform offered by Opera Europa, the European association of opera companies and festivals started in autumn 2017 to promote the genre among opera lovers and novices. Supported by the European Union's Creative Europe programme, OperaVision brings together 30 partners from 17 countries and invites you to travel and discover the diversity of opera from wherever you want, whenever you want. Previous contributions by the Hungarian State Opera included Hänsel und Gretel by Humperdinck, Bánk Bán (The Viceroy Bánk) by Erkel, L'oca del Cairo, ossia Lo sposo deluso by Mozart, Andrea Chénier by Giordano, The Imaginary Invalid, or The Cabal of Hypocrites by János Vajda, and Parsifal by Wagner, which was the fifth most watched production on OperaVision in 2022. Hunyadi László is available to watch until 21 January 2024 HERE.
