Opera tonight: Laughing all the way to the bank, bank
OperaHunyadi László is a 19th century grand opera from Hungary streamed by Slippedisc, courtesy of OperaVision.
Rivalling Bánk Bán as Ferenc Erkel’s most popular work, premiered in 1844, nationalist crowds sang excerpts from the opera during the 1848 anti-Austrian revolution. Rooted in grand historical opera, the music has real individuality and Hungarian flavour, with orchestral rhythms reminiscent of Liszt’s Rhapsodies. This production was staged for the reopening of the magnificent opera house in Budapest in March 2022. Szilveszter Ókovács’s production comes complete with the original sumptuous costumes and authentic scenery, artfully combined with projections and the help of Hungarian State Opera’s brand new stage machinery. Conducted by Balázs Kocsár.
Lead singers are Dániel Pataky as King László V, Szabolcs Brickner as László Hunyadi, Klára Kolonits as Erzsébet Szilágyi and Erika Miklósa as Mária Gara.
The Plot: The epic covers the life and death of the 15th-century soldier and politician, Hunyadi László, son of János Hunyadi who defended Hungary against the attacks of the Ottoman Turks. When the new weak King, László V, takes a shine to Mária, László’s fiancée, the young man is arrested and his fate is sealed. The executioner’s axe falls – several times – on one of opera’s most grizzly finales.
Subtitles in Hungarian and English.
Available on 21 July 2023 at 1900 CET / 1800 London/ 1300 NY
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