Idiomatic Bluebeard's Castle from the Hungarians in New York

By Vishnu Bachani, 03 November 2018

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“András Palerdi and Ildikó Komlósi, as Bluebeard and Judith, delivered impressive performances”

Reviewed at Lincoln Center: David H Koch Theater, New York City on 1 November 2018

Bartók, Duke Bluebeard's Castle

Vajda, Mario és a varázsló (Mario and the Magician)

Hungarian State Opera

Balázs Kocsár, Conductor

Péter Galambos, Director, Set Designer

Enikő Kárpáti, Costume Designer

Ildikó Komlósi, Judith

András Palerdi, Bluebeard, Cipolla

Balázs Csémy, Mario

István Rácz, The woollen-shirted one

Orsolya Hajnalka Rőser, Mrs Angiolieri

Antal Cseh, Mr Angiolieri

Lajos Geiger, A Roman gentleman

All that glitters is not gold in Budapest's new Lohengrin

Orsolya Gyárfás, 16th November

Klára Kolonits's radiant Elsa proves the main attraction in the Hungarian State Opera's visually appealing but conceptually lacking new Lohengrin.

**111

A thrilling, opulent La Bayadère at Hungarian National Ballet

Gianmarco Segato, 14th June

Hungarian National Ballet's La Bayadère revitalizes tradition with a new reconstruction of its forgotten final act.

*****

Visually splendid, dramatically parched La Gioconda in Budapest

Gianmarco Segato, 11th June

Hungarian State Opera's cut-down, dramatically inert Gioconda fails to ignite the stage in Budapest, despite a solid musical foundation.

***11

Stumbling towards the chopping block: Maria Stuarda in Budapest

Orsolya Gyárfás, 14th May

Martin Rajna's energetic conducting and Gabriella Balga's glorious Elisabetta are the bright spots in this flashy but empty house premiere of Donizetti's classic.

**111

Hungarian National Ballet: a tremendously witty Merry Widow

Deborah Weiss, 12th February

Hungarian National Ballet strike a delightful balance between lighthearted comedy and technical assurance in Ronald Hynd's The Merry Widow.

****1

A promising class: 6th Éva Marton Competition grand final

Orsolya Gyárfás, 7th September

In its tenth year and going strong, the biennial Éva Marton International Singing Competition fields an even level of talent in an entertaining finale.

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Vishnu Bachani

Dividing his time between New York and London, Vishnu Bachani is a recent graduate of New York University in mathematics and music. Interested in tonal music theory and analysis, he has written for The Bruckner Journal and New York Classical Review and has completed analytical research on music ranging from Wagner and Bruckner to Radiohead and Massive Attack, which he regularly posts on his website. Some cherished musicians include J.S. Bach, Gustav Mahler, and Meshuggah.