In 1844, following on the heels of his triumph in the competition to set Ferenc Kölcsey's Himnusz – today the national anthem of Hungary – to music, Ferenc Erkel set about looking at the possibilities for using József Katona's much-attacked drama Bánk bán as the subject for an opera. History made the period of composition a lengthy one: first came the Hungarian War of Independence of 1848/49, and censorship by the dictatorship that followed meant that the audience would have to wait until 9 March 1861 before the work could be performed in its entirety at Pest's National Theatre. As a result of, or in spite of, the high-level additions and revisions, the remarkable aspect of the following performances of the ever-acclaimed Bánk bán is the fact that the text and musical material were created using both the work's original version and the 1939 revision – the one best know to the wider audience – credited to Kálmán Nádasdy. The storyline thus most closely mirrors the thinking of original playwright József Katona, without forcing us to dispense with the now-timeless grand aria "Hazám, hazám" ("My homeland, my homeland"). News About Bánk bán at Hungarian State Opera
Photo Flash: First Look at San Francisco Opera's THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO October 11, 2019 San Francisco Opera presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) in a new production by director Michael Cavanagh at the War Memorial Opera House, October 11–November 1. The production marks the beginning of a multi-year project to weave together Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte's three operas—Le Nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte and Don Giovanni—as a trilogy set within an American manor house during three time periods. Conductor Henrik Nánási leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and an international cast in this enduring comic masterpiece. San Francisco Opera Presents Mozart's THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO October 04, 2019 San Francisco Opera presents Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro (Le Nozze di Figaro) in a new production by director Michael Cavanagh at the War Memorial Opera House, October 11a?"November 1. The production marks the beginning of a multi-year project to weave together Mozart and librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte's three operasa?"Le Nozze di Figaro, Così fan tutte and Don Giovannia?"as a trilogy set within an American manor house during three time periods. Conductor Henrik Nánási leads the San Francisco Opera Orchestra and an international cast in this enduring comic masterpiece. San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock Announces 2019-20 Season Repertory And Casting
January 22, 2019 San Francisco Opera General Director Matthew Shilvock today announced repertory and casting for the Company's 97th Season, opening Friday, September 6, 2019, with a gala performance of Charles Gounod's Romeo and Juliet (Rom o et Juliette) starring tenor Bryan Hymel and soprano Nadine Sierra in Op ra de Monte-Carlo Director Jean-Louis Grinda's production. In keeping with the Company's time-honored tradition, the new season will be inaugurated with San Francisco Opera Guild's elegant, signature benefit and celebration, Opera Ball 2019.
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