A nagy négyes

Singspiel in two acts, in Hungarian, with Hungarian and English surtitles

There are evenings when our Opera House cannot perform because rehearsals are ongoing on stage until the evening. There are audience members who can only afford to hear their favourite pieces with a discount. And there are works that, although very popular, cannot be staged every season due to the congestion of productions.

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.