The series spanning several seasons in which Zoltán Kocsis and the Hungarian National Philharmonic perform rarely heard stage works of Richard Strauss in the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall arrives at its latest station. The interesting aspect of this latest concert, besides the rarity of the works, is that it features two operas the composer wrote in 1938 that were originally intended to be performed side by side on the same programme. Although Friedenstag achieved extraordinary success in the years following its première, today it is one of the most rarely performed operas in the repertoire. First staged in the Opera House in Budapest in the 1939/40 season, Daphne appears somewhat more often on the world’s opera stages. The performance of one of Strauss’s most lyrical works – subtitled a “Bucolic Tragedy in One Act” – is nevertheless still a cause for celebration for both Strauss fans and lovers of quality music in general.
Both works will now be brought to life by an international cast, with set design by the Swiss Gilles Gubelmann and costumes by Gianpiera Bühlmann, both exceptional theatre specialists. Director Csaba Némedi is artistic director of the Kirchstetten Festival, where he has staged numerous operas to great success.

A joint production of the Hungarian National Philharmonic and Müpa.

Presented by: Hungarian National Philharmonic, Müpa Budapest