A Szépség és a Szörnyeteg

Bartók Béla’s two highly influential stage works explore the dynamics of the relationship between man and woman and the deeper layers of their personalities, as presented by creators who, through a fusion of tradition and innovation, reveal the possibilities inherent in these works for 21st-century audiences.

A 60-minute tour starts every day at 13:30, 15:00 and 16:30 in English. To request a tour in other languages (Italian, Spanish, German, French, Greece and Hungarian), please get in touch with the OperaTour team. Please note that the auditorium is closed for visits during rehearsals. Guided tours are not available during performances. For selected tour times, tickets are also available with the PreOpera Menu package. In addition to the guided tour of the Opera House, this option includes a themed set menu of your choice at OperaBistro, which can be enjoyed either before or after the tour.

A century ago, the world first encountered this remarkable opus, a work that soon became one of the cornerstones of twentieth-century musical innovation. Premiered in 1926, the singspiel is a milestone in Hungarian music history: its composer, Zoltán Kodály, fulfilled his aspiration to elevate Hungarian folk song of ancient origin to the same status as classical music, by virtue of its equivalent values, placing it on the stage of the nation’s Opera House.