A mizantróp

Giacomo Puccini MADAMA BUTTERFLY Opera in three acts, in Italian with Hungarian, English, and Italian subtitles

The tale of Leander the goblin and Princess Linseed, brimming with magic and a seemingly unbreakable curse, not to mention a wealth of twists and turns, is a genuinely good yarn. Set to a libretto by Barnabás Szöllősi that is based on Andor Szilágyi's fable for the theatre and written at the OPERA's request in the 2014/15 season, Erkel Prize-winning composer Zsófia Tallér's masterful, expressive and entertaining music makes this Hungarian fairy tale opera an enjoyable experience for children and adults alike, and, we hope, a possible future classic.

As it is a latent Kodály season, it seems only fitting that the concert at the OPERA honouring the events of 1956 should feature works by the composer. In that same year, the short-lived Revolutionary Council of Hungarian Intellectuals elected him as its president. Throughout his entire oeuvre, Kodály consistently reinforced Hungarian national identity. The programme gains both colour and a ceremonial character from the hymn-like and dance-infused compositions of his middle and later years.