Deeply human - Wagner in Budapest Opera Festival 2011

2011. May 26.

On 26th May a press conference was held by the Palace of Arts about the Wagner in Budapest Opera Festival. Some of the highlights of the festival, held between 4th and 19th June, is the premiere of Lohengrin on 9th June (and further two performances on 12th and 18th June), which was recently added to the repertoire and staged jointly with the Hungarian State Opera, as well as the adaptation of the musical piece for children entitled The Swan Knight, with its world premiere on 4th June and another performance on 5th June.

The programme of the 2011 Wagner in Budapest Opera Festival also includes last year’s resounding successes, Tristan and Isolde on 10th and 13th June, as well as Parsifal on 17th and 19th June.
On the eve of the 6th Wagner in Budapest Opera Festival, Csaba Káel General Manager (Palace of Arts) emphasised the powerful message of the three Wagner operas that can only be conveyed to people through music exclusively (the purity of Lohengrin, the transcendent love that determines Tristan and Isolde and the strong faith manifested in Parsifal). With its unique Wagnerian concept and world-famous artists, the undertaking, unrivalled on the international cultural stage, is an important element of the efforts that steer the Palace of Arts towards cultural tourism.
Ministerial Commissioner Ádám Horváth (Hungarian State Opera) spoke about his professional commitment to the Wagner in Budapest Opera Festival. He would like to envisage the future of the two institutions along similar cooperation and strategic partnership, whenever possible.
Ádám Fischer, conductor of the productions, talked about the responsibility imposed upon the creators of the Wagner performances by what the potentials of the venue. By keeping stage equipment to the minimum and bringing the music to the forefront, the projection of Wagner’s heroes in their very own fallibility almost seems predetermined by the intimacy and acoustics of the room, offering a special alternative to various Wagner workshops around the world.
László Marton, the director of Lohengrin, recounted the experiences he got from the spaces of the Palace of Arts; about how various theatrical forms, staged here, help him create the Lohengrin he’s got in his mind.
Deputy General Manager András Csonka (Palace of Arts) explained the development of the “Wagner for children” concept. It was through foreign experiences that the idea of having an own production came about and it luckily coincided with the premier scheduled for this year’s festival.
Zsolt Hamar, the composer and conductor of The Swan Knight, did not opt for a shortened version of the original work; instead he combined Wagnerian elements with new ones in a certain logical and dramaturgic order. The 32-33 strong (Mozart) orchestra had a major role in this effort, an important part of which was to achieve that little Elsa’s Mozartian voice turns into the Wagnerian tone of the main character in her womanhood.
Director János Novák looks to put on a real theatrical performance by exploiting the potentials of the Festival Theatre, in which the spectators will be able to follow Elsa’s sad and yet sublime way to adulthood.
The premier of Tannhäuser will be the festival’s new element in 2012 and along with the four episodes of Der Ring des Nibelungen will comprise the programme of the Wagner in Budapest Opera Festival next year.

26.5.2011