A Herman Ottó Múzeum Évkönyve 42. (2003)

Békési Gábor: „Maradok szeretve tisztelő barátod...” Telepi György a dokumentumok tükrében

Pesti Napló, 225. sz., 1885, (nekrológ). Vasárnapi Újság, 14. sz., 1871, (arckép). Vasárnapi Újság, 33. sz., 1885. Vasárnapi Újság, 1903. évf., (Telepi színház-tervezete). „I REMAIN YOURS RESPECTFULLY..." GYÖRGY TELEPI IN THE MIRROR OF DOCUMENTS György Telepi (1801-1885) was one of the most important persons of the Hungarian theatre world in the 19

th century. He took part in bringing the National Theatre into existence, he was a general servant, a handyman at the companies, and through his abilities, he had been a leading figure at the theatre. He was an interesting, educated, versatile person and an excellent organizer and well-known expert. But in the first place he was a patriot, who could see the possibilities of forming the public opinion by the whole theatre: he didn't only work on spreading the highly cultivated Hungarian language, but also on obtaining political independence via the independent culture. His life interweaved with the history of the theatre. His profession began at various strolling companies in the early 1820s, then in Košice he appeared together with his whole family his wife and two little children in several plays. In the meantime he painted sceneries, pictures, he designed and built many stage-machineries. As one of the leading members he arrived to the Buda Castle Theatre then his talent could be fulfilled in the years passed at the Hungarian Theatre of Pest: he translated, arranged for the stage and played. He undertook a significant part of the organizing the National Theatre: among his other works he made a blueprint on the theatre that was refused then plagiarized by the later construction engineer. From its opening to 1855, he was a member of the theatre as a scenery-painter and as an actor. In comical roles he was a favourite with the audience. Toward the end of his profession he remained a youthful and useful person for the trade: in Subotica, Miskolc and Debrecen he was charged with serious and complicated works: making theatrical furnishing and painting curtains and scenes. Telepi's son, Károly became an outstanding figure of the Hungarian painting in the 19

th century and an industrious promoter of the world of the fine arts. Telepis' descendants are still living today and care for the remembrance of their famous ancestors. The author aspires to call attention to György Telepi, to the work arranged by him and his mentality: partly he wants to summarize the results achieved up to the present and partly, by publishing unknown lettertexts, to supply newer documents and data for the following research. The paper is divided into two main parts: an opening study and a text edition. The former one presents Telepi's life (summarizing the whole available facts and indicating the unsolved problems) and Telepi's complete (literary, theatrical and of the fine arts) works, in the end enumerates the specialized literature on him intended to be exhaustive. The text edition contains 54 pieces of letters, that are mostly first editions, concerning his life and work. Because of the letterby-letter edition the atmosphere of that world could come to life. A separate essay is attached to the edition analysing the texts from its phisical appearance to its novelty in the facts. Gábor Békési 461