Fine Budapest cast tears into lacerating Lear

By Jenny Camilleri, 01 February 2016

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“Szilvia Rálik... frighteningly spiky, from her bodkin-prick coloratura to her razor-sharp nails”

Reviewed at Hungarian State Opera: Auditorium, Budapest on 30 January 2016

Reimann, Lear

Hungarian State Opera

Stefan Soltész, Conductor

Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, Director

Gergely Zöldy Z, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Tómas Tómasson, Lear

Caroline Melzer, Cordelia

Éva Bátori, Goneril

Szilvia Rálik, Regan

Gergely Ujvári, Duke of Cornwall

István Kovácsházi, Earl of Kent

Frank van Aken, Edmund

Zsolt Haja, Duke of Albany

András Palerdi, Earl of Gloucester

István Kovács, King of France

Matthew Shaw, Edgar

András Hajdu, Servant

András Kiss, Fool

Ferenc Anger, Revival Director

Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra

Hungarian State Opera Chorus

Honvéd Male Choir

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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Jenny Camilleri

After completing her postgraduate studies in psychology at the University of Toronto, Jenny moved to Amsterdam, where she enjoys singing in amateur choirs. She loves all genres of classical vocal music, especially nineteenth and early twentieth century Italian and German opera and art songs.