ELŐTÉR Kooperáló Színházpedagógiai Alkotótér

Henry Purcell’s epic masterpiece, Dido and Aeneas has to do with the Trojan War. But what is even more important than the historical background of this hour-long little gem is love – as Dóra Barta, the director of the production highlights it, “Humanity has long known that if there is something you can die of, Love is certainly such a thing.

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.

What happens when the worst traits of a power-hungry prince incapable of resisting earthly pleasures, a morally corrupt, vengeful, manipulative woman, and a desire-driven but highly impressionable teenage girl all erupt at the same time upon the appearance of a holy man?