Magyar Hírek, 1984 (37. évfolyam, 2-26. szám)
1984-10-13 / 21. szám
ABOUT THIS ISSUE The reconstructed hundred-year old Budapest Opera-house I should first of all like to report on an event which is likely to gladden the hearts of all of us, who feel for the fortunes of millions of our countrymen scattered around the world. An international conference on the situation and problems of the Hungarian diaspora was held recently under the auspices of Hungarian Forum, a new body formed under the patronage of the World Federation of Hungarians. The conference, attended by scientists and scholars from Hungary and abroad, was organized by the History Institute of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and the National Széchényi Library. During the three days of the conference those present held discussions based on the thirty papers which were read. Great expectations preceded the discussions. There were also promising events leading up to the conference. The interest of those born abroad, who looked for their roots, has been experienced for decades. They would like to know what kind of lives their parents and grandparents led before their emigration. What is the old country like today? Policies of many countries of immigration have also stimulated this budding interest. They recognized that preservation of the traditional culture of various ethnic groups enriches the many-coloured cultural mosaic of the new country. Pursuers of many disciplines have begun to delve into the problems of the diaspora almost simultaneously, recognizing the need to harmonize research. The conference made it clear that the work done so far by enthusiastic scholars has already been far richer, than could be imagined. This is a heartening sign also for the future. As Professor József Bognár pointed out in his opening address: “The present and future of the Hungarian diaspora, its relation to Hungary is a major issue of our national existence and our history. It is impossible to develop these relations without sound knowledge, and this recognition demands the joint work of sociologists, statisticians, historians, linguists and philologists, and the joint efforts of those, who live in Hungary, and those who live abroad.” The conference concentrated on three fields. The first examined the vital statistics of Hungarians abroad. The second discussed the awareness of national identity of the Hungarian diaspora, the third on the institutions, communities and churches of Hungarians in other countries. Zoltán Szabó the president of Hungarian Forum, summed up the recommendations accepted by participants at the end of the conference. These included the suggestion that scholars engaged in the problems of the Hungarian diaspora should meet regularly every three or four years, that an international research basis should be established, that ethnographic objectives on permanent display of the Hungarian diaspora should be in Hungary, and that various publications and bibliographies should be issued. A far more detailed report on the conference appears in the Hungarian section; Miklós Szántó’s lecture introducing a discussion was published in full in Nos. 18-19 of Magyar Hírek, and details of other lectures will appear in Hungarian in later issues of the paper. * The Hungarian section of the previous issue includes a report on a Hungarian artist abroad, who became the intimate friend of many of us on his visits home. His art is rooted in Hungarian soil. Elemér Polony, once a student of Vilmos Aba-Novák and Gyula Rudnay, has been living in New York for many years. His first, modest exhibition was on display in Budapest in the exhibition rooms of the Institute of Cultural Relations in 1970. He presented a collection of his works in 1979, at the National Gallery, and recently his works were shown in a new gallery, the Budapest Exhibition Hall. Speaking about friendship, permit me to mention my own article, entitled Professor György Szekeres in Sydney, which appeared in the Hungarian section of the previous issue. He is an outstanding mathematician, splendid educator—and a true friend of the Hungarian culture. Another article in the Hungarian section recalls the figure of Dr. József Hollós (1876— 1947), who lived in New York: a warm-hearted, outstanding healer, an eminent humanist—and a man who fought devotedly for his principles. ZOLTÁN halász After a break for reconstruction of four years—during which time the Erkel Theatre was the sole home of the company—the State Opera-house of Budapest reopened its doors on 27th September, the centenary of its original opening. The festive programme consisted of Hungarian works: the overture to Ferenc Erkel's opera, László Hunyadi, followed by a scene of the second act of Bánk bán, then Bartók's The Wooden Prince and Kodály’s Psalmus Hungaricus. The programme was designed to demonstrate the prime intention of the Opera-house, to give a suitable home to Hungarian music, which it succeeded to do also in recent decades, when works by Sándor Szokolay, Emil Petrovics, Zsolt Durkó and others regularly resounded in its halls. There will be a Hungarian first performance once again this season in the reborne Opera-house: Attila Bozay composed an opera based on Vörösmarty’s play, Csongor és Tünde. Mahler, Failoni, Klemperer The neo-renaissance edifice built by Miklós Ybl on what is now called the Avenue of People s Democracy, Sugár út in its time, has been one of the centres of the Hungarian musical life ever since. Its first Generalmusikdirector was Ferenc Erkel, the father of Hungarian national opera; Gustav Mahler occupied the post between 1888 and 1891, followed by Arthur Nikisch. Miklós Radnai directed it between the two world wars, he was succeeded by László Márkus. Tango Egisto, whose name recalls the Hungarian first performance of Bartók’s stage works, and Sergio Failoni were the two conductors of decisive importance in their time. The eminent music critic Aladár Tóth was at the helm after the second world war. He succeeded in engaging Otto Klemperer. The world-famous German conductor was responsible for a whole series of marvellous operatic performances, besides many concerts. He realized one of the greatest ambitions of his life in Budapest: conducting all of Mozart’s operas. Wagner cycles, new Hungarian operas Kálmán Nádasdy became director after 1956, and Miklós Lukács after him. The Nádasdy-era in company with Gusztáv Oláh and the recently deceased János Ferencsik—was characterized by a series of beautifully designed performances at a high musical level. Miklós Lukács presented a number of new Hungarian operas and grandiose Wagner cycles. The present director of the Operahouse is András Mihály, and the company well-weathered the four years hardship of rejuvenation and rebuilding under his direction. Let me mention some at least of the great musicians whose art and names hallmarked the standard of this palace of music must be mentioned. Among the chief conductors were the already mentioned Ferenc Erkel, and his son Sándor Erkel, and János Ferencsik. Their list includes—besides Klemperer, Tango Egisto, and the brilliant Sergio Failoni— also Lamberto Gardelli, from the mid-sixties onwards, while more recently Giuseppe Patané enthralled buffs at gala performances, the fact that Massenet, Delibes, Leoncavallo, Puccini, but also Franz Lehár and others conducted their own works at the Budapest Opera-house is a matter of history. The building has now been restored with great care in it original beauty. The first floor level of the main fapade is decorated with effigies of famous composers. Three doors open into the ground-floor foyer. They are vaulted by Bertalan Székely’s allegoric frescoes, Carl Goldmark, Ferenc Doppler, Mihály Mosonyi and Johann Nepomuk Hummel appear above them. A double stairway leads from the foyer to the first floor, on the landings, statues of Miklós Ybl and Ferenc Erkel recall the past. Statues of Ferenc Liszt and Ferenc Erkel stand in niches on either side of the main entrance. The coffered ceiling of the foyer displays frescoes symbolizing music and the arts, the work of Mór Than and, Károly Lotz. The walls of the box of honour at the centre and the red salon behind it, are also decorated by Mór Than’s work. The ceiling of the auditorium displays the work of Károly Lotz around a huge bronze chandelier. A hundred years ago the building costs of the Opera-house exceeded 3.3 million forints. The recent rejuvenation, in the course of which the theatre was equipped with airconditioning and modern stage machinery, cost a total of nearly 1,500 million forints. Naturally, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly how the original compare with the present costs, but we are all aware that finding this sum w’as not easy in the present adverse circumstances of the national economy. istvAn Gábor PHOTOS: BELA MEZEY 28
