Visions being realized – “Wagner in Budapest” Opera Festival 2010
2010. May 26.
On 26 May the Palace of Arts held a press conference on Budapest Wagner Days, specifically about the Tristan production jointly created with the Hungarian State Opera. The 29 May premier of Tristan and Isolde (and two additional performances on 1 June and 16 June), newly included as part of the repertoire of Wagner Days to be held between 29 May and 16 June, and the encore performance of The Ring of the Nibelung from 10-13 June are the main attractions of the event series. In connection to the 2010 festival the Wagner almanac, supplemented by a Tristan book, has been released.
On the eve of the fifth Budapest Wagner Days the visionary behind the grandiose undertaking General Manager of the Palace of Arts Imre Kiss expressed his thanks to all those - including several journalists - who from the very first moment supported the festival. He made special mention of those supporters and strategic partners who even in this tempestuous financial situation did not abandon the Palace of Arts, thus enabling the continuation for example of Budapest Wagner Days.
General Director Lajos Vass (Hungarian State Opera Budapest) considers the cooperation with the Palace of Arts an important station in the accelerated process of the past several years of opening towards other institutions, which enables those opera visitors who yearn for more of Wagner’s works to pay homage in performances at a new venue and of a commendable standard to their adoration of the German composer.
Deputy General Manager of the Palace of Arts András Csonka emphasized the importance and power of the teamwork involved in the performances, which pertains not only to the interpreting ensembles and soloists, but to the Palace of Arts crew working behind the scenes as well. He saluted the success of the returning singers, and the fact that on every occasion a “team” enhancing rejuvenation of roles takes place. The fully staged series of performances created without flies and the usual stage machinery, and pushing the limits of the concert podium is unique even on a European level. He highlighted the role of the Hungarian Radio Musical Ensembles in the vocalization of the Ring.
Ádám Fischer, the conductor of the productions once again emphasized the role of Imre Kiss, without the help of whom it would not have been possible to turn the vision conceived years ago into reality. In the designation of the new pieces of Budapest Wagner Days and in the selection of the works scheduled for the festival he identified technical factors as an important element, that is which scenery could be changed relatively smoothly, and what the optimal arrangement is from the standpoint of singers’ voices.
Magdolna Parditka and Alexandra Szemerédy, the two directors of Tristan and Isolde spoke primarily of the importance of space, which also defined their first highly successful directing efforts of Parsifal back in 2006. They wanted to dispel the misnomer according to which Tristan is a love story; Tristan is about what underlies love, that is death.
In 2011 the presentation of Lohengrin will convey the novelty, which next year, in the company of Parsifal and Tristan and Isolde will comprise Budapest Wagner Days.