Nem fizetek!

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.

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.

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.