Bicentenary Verdi and Wagner Statues Unveiled

2013. December 17.

Located in the Záborszky Winery of Budafok, Wine City topped off the domestic events of the dual bicentenary by unveiling the bronze statues of Verdi and Wagner. The works by József Huber and István Pogáts were unveiled by Palace of Arts CEO Csaba Káel and Hungarian State Opera Director General Szilveszter Ókovács on Monday at the invitation of Imre Békési, the owner of Wine City.

“A cellar of history, a cellar of culture – we turn this slogan into our creed as it were, reinforcing culture in Wine City so that it may enrich the unique atmosphere of Budafok together with the wonderful trade of wine-making. The winery has sponsored fine arts for nearly two decades; the Záborszky Mansion hosts the works of close to a hundred professional and amateur artists”, said Imre Békési. Built on the premises of the Záborszky Winery, Wine City has the ambitious goal to present the wonder of wine in its entirety, together with all historical and cultural traditions that are so inseparable from it. Among the developments planned is one that would link Wine City with the Saint Stephen’s Crown Winery, which displays the world’s largest wooden fillable barrel. The yard of the Saint Stephen’s Crown Winery would host the stone theatre of Budafok, which has been temporarily inaugurated in recent years and would continue to offer diverse culture activities to 600-800 visitors in the future, including a symphonic concert, the Danube Carnival and a chamber opera performance. The statues of Wagner and Verdi will be erected at the future entrance of the stone theatre.

At the unveiling of the bronze portraits, in commemoration of the two composers, Csaba Káel said, “1813 was a really hectic year in the life of Europe. Not only was it a milestone marking the collapse of Napoleon’s plenary power, but it was also the year of birth of perhaps the two most important operatic geniuses of Romanticism, Verdi and Wagner. While the two composers never met in person, it is perhaps no coincidence that they played a similarly revolutionary role in renewing the art of Italian and German opera. The work of both composers hold particular relevance for the Palace of Arts. We are proud that Wagner in Budapest, in its eighth edition in the dual bicentenary, has today become a world-famous festival, praised as nothing less than a “little Bayreuth” by a New York Times columnist. He was right as the operatic festival created by Ádám Fischer features shows with top-tier international casts year after year. In commemoration of Verdi, this year we have held two premieres highly acclaimed by the press. For the bicentenary, we presented a lesser known gem of Verdi’s oeuvre, Attila, in Budapest in April and in China in November as a result of the close cooperation we established with the Shanghai Grand Theatre two years ago. This work marked the Verdi bicentenary beyond the Great Wall of China and the Shanghai Grand Theatre reopened with this performance.” Csaba Káel emphasised the close ties of the Palace of Arts to Verdi and Wagner at the inauguration ceremony, which was also attended by Attila Szabolcs, Mayor of Budafok, and Kálmán Záborszky, descendant of the Winery’s eponymous family, board member of the Winery, principal of the King Saint Stephen Vocational Secondary School of Music and conductor of its orchestra as well as an active organiser and participant of the first cultural event of the stone theatre.

Before unveiling the Wagner statue, Szilveszter Ókovács also mentioned that the two composers never actually met each other. “At one point, they even stayed within the same square kilometre in Venice but even then they did not meet face to face. As if their worlds had been so different! While as a peasant child Verdi was hardly taught, Wagner hardly let anyone teach him with his disordered family background. Two self-made geniuses – a common point. Verdi’s name is a byword for revolution and Wagner was a revolutionary himself. Again, no difference. Verdi composed for everyone, Rome and St. Petersburg alike. So did Wagner and both of them had a hard time in Paris, which always wanted something different than the original score. Wow! They hit it off well on the summit of Opera, high enough, and now in the cellar of Wine City, deep enough in understanding. And what the Hungarian State Opera did in the two-season jubilee year which marked the dual bicentenary was nothing but rest on both of its columns.”

With its rich past in viniculture, a cellar system wholly unique in Europe, excellent wines and champagnes and wine-making traditions that are still alive today, Budafok is a truly authentic scene for all activities related to wine and champagne. The cellar system in Budafok is one of the largest operating connected cellar systems in the world. Its overall length is estimated at 100 km, making it the largest connected cellar system in Central Europe. 20 of the 100 km are used by wine and champagne companies.

The unique conditions of the Záborszky Winery and the special atmosphere and different sizes and arrangements of its branches are fit for hosting various events. Situated on its premises, the lines of the historic barrels of Wine City display the different types of traditional barrels as they evolved over the centuries as well as the masterpieces of wood carvers. In the Museum of Trades, relics of former trades related to wine transport and barrel-making recount the creative process. The Plague Chapel offers a glimpse of religious life in the past as reflected by architectural history. The most emblematic place in Wine City is Wine Street, which merges the streets of Hungary’s 10 historic wine regions into a single street to give the most comprehensive image of Hungarian wine. As you wonder along a fictitious street among houses that evoke history, the press house facades that are located on the street side as in an open air museum represent the typical architectural traditions of Hungary’s 10 wine regions; thus, the street features Badacsony, Balatonboglár, Eger, Etyek, Mecsekalja, Somló, Sopron, Szekszárd, Tokaj-Hegyalja and Villány at the same time.

The development plan of the complex includes the opening of Budafok Wine City’s very own port to allow access to Wine City while going on a pleasant cruise.

The statues were created by members of the László Mészáros Association of Fine Arts. József Huber is an autonomous sculptor, founding member and artist-lecturer of the Department of Sculpture, and István Pogáts joined the László Mészáros Circle in 2008. Since then, he has studied under both József Huber and Rózsa Pató. József Huber has worked hard to enhance the prestige of Budafok and to enrich its values.

Opera Communication                                                  Palace of Arts Communication

Budapest, 16 December 2013