Szaffi / MATINECONCERTS

Szaffi
on the basis of Mór Jókai's novel
Age: 10-14 year

Also playing important parts in this exciting story brought to life with the melodies of Strauss are a treasure hidden during the decades of the Turkish occupation and the love between the charming title character and the penniless Jónás Botsinkay. But there's no reason to worry: everything turns out fine in the end.

In 1985, the Pannonia Film Studio celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the première of The Gypsy Baron with a major animated film: directed by Attila Dargay, Szaffi was watched by nearly a million viewers after its release and still retains its popularity to this day. Its universal success can be attributed to several factors. The opulent script credited to József Nepp and József Romhányi along with the director gave an integral role to the tunes of Johann Strauss Jr, and not just from his operetta The Gypsy Baron. Also making this intricate story worthy of Mór Jókai a success were the inclusion of animal characters elevated to the level of equality with the humans and having giants of the acting profession supply their voices. The story takes place in 18th-century Hungary, where Jónás Botsinkay, raised by nomadic gypsies, returns to the land of his ancestors as a treasure hunter, but instead of fabulous wealth (at least at first) he finds an old mother and her beautiful daughter, Szaffi, living near the ruined castle. Attila Toronykőy's musical production relies heavily on Strauss's timeless melodies, as well as on the script to the cult animated film. Helping him in this treasure hunt full of twists and turns will be conductor Péter Oberfrank and the Erudita Sinfonietta group.

Before the performance, between 9.45 and 10.30, we will be running a free (and playful) interactive session for children entitled Tune-up. We look forward to welcoming both school groups and individual school-age youngsters attending the subsequent performance. Please register via csip@mupa.hu by midnight on the Wednesday before the performance, specifying the number of participating children and their ages. The activity is recommended for children aged 6 and over, and will take place with a minimum of six children.

Conductor: Péter Oberfrank

Featuring:
Sinfonietta Erudita (artistic director: Krisztina Tötös)

Creators:
Script: Based on the script by Attila Dargay, József Nepp and József Romhányi
Music_ J. Strauss Jr
Director: Attila Toronykőy

Presented by: Müpa Budapest