Háry János in Buenos Aires

The South American première of the Singspiel Háry János

(photos at the end)

The Ars Hungarica Association, active since 2004 in Argentina, attempted a difficult task in 2008: it was the only Argentine musical institution which presented two operas in first performance in Buenos Aires. In June the L'incontro improvviso of Franz Joseph Haydn, composed in Hungary and presented for the first time in 1775 in Esterháza. This opera was performed three times in June in the big hall of the beautiful Decorative Art Museum before sellout audiences, while the Háry János in the Auditorio Belgrano before a full house of nearly 1300 spectators, with texts in Spanish translation and the sung parts in original Hungarian, with projected Spanish translations.

This première has awoken a great interest in the musical world. Already in the week before we could read in the most influential daily newspaper, La Nación, from the pen oft the most famous music scholar, Pola Suárez Urtubey: "… At last the old and the young Háry will land next Monday! We will hear a fabulous orchestration, beautiful arias, see brilliant dances, no opera fan can miss this opportunity. Ars Hungarica, an organization that does so much to acquaint us with the pearls of the Hungarian music, promises to place 150 persons on stage, invited two Hungarian singers for this performance, the stage director will be Raquel Barbieri, the musical director Sylvia Leidemann. We will all meet there!”

In the cultural weekly supplement of La Nación, the highly praised ADN magazine, the musical critic, Pablo Gianera wrote: “… many times the suite Háry János has been performed in Buenos Aires. But it is the first time that, thanks to Ars Hungarica, we will be able to hear the complete opera, with the Hungarian mezzo, Victoria Avedikian and the baritone, Csaba Gaál, in the roles of Örzse and the young Háry. The action will be follow in two levels: the old Háry in the "csárda” (village inn), where he narrates his adventures, while in the musical parts the young Háry carries them out. Kodály represents the real Hungarian folk music and this Singspiel is its most remarkable demonstration”.

In the highbrow Sunday weekly, Perfil, we read the lines of Ramiro Albino, noted musician and critic: “The presentation of Háry János will familiarize us with the basic masterpiece of the Hungarian music, which we never heard, probably because nobody dared to perform this very difficult work. How big is then the merit of Ars Hungarica, that it undertook this task, we are looking forward with great expectation…” The Buenos Aires Herald, the English language daily newspaper published: “…Ars Hungarica embarked upon a heroic deed, bring together a big orchestra, a chorus of 50 persons, a children’s chorus, a group of dancers, actors, singers, all this will present a difficult task for the stage director Raquel Barbieri and the conductor, Sylvia Leidemann …” The director of the classical music radio station, Radio Cultura, Roberto Blanco Villalba, at the end of a one hour live interview with the president of Ars Hungarica, Miklós Székásy, stated: “This première will be the musical event of the year in Buenos Aires.” While Boris Laurès, the program manager of Radio Nacional Clásica in an interview carried out with Raquel Barbieri said: “This is the work which was expected by the whole musical world, every music fan will be there”.

Now a few excerpts from the reviews:

In the biggest daily of Argentina, the Clarín (with a Sunday circulation of nearly 2 million copies): from the pen of Federico Monjeaau: “… Jenõ Dombay performed the role of the old Háry, from the singers the Hungarian pair, the exquisitely refined mezzo Victoria Theresa Avedikian and the forceful baritone Csaba Gaál were outstanding. Raquel Barbieri created a stage full of imagination,, which gave the impression of a mixture of opera and Hungarian national feast, with many dances and typical dresses. The musical part was totally enchanting, coloured from the beginning to the end by magnificent “cimbalom” play of Viktória Herencsár end the performances of the vocal soloists. The folkloric inspiration of Kodály gave moments of enraptured beauty, the lamentation of the young Örzse (Victoria Avedikian), “I am poor, I was born poor” is an aria of such expression that few similar can be found in other operas”.

Eduardo Giorello in the -bito Financiero, the most important daily economic newspaper: “…In this case the orchestra, soloists, choruses, dancing group and the actors granted a joyful popular festival, which we could call a “tour de force”, originated in the enormous merit of Ars Hungarica. The musical direction was in the hands of Sylvia Leidemann, this temperamental and forceful director conducted very successfully with her personal style the musicians recruited from the best Argentine symphonic orchestras, playing on a high technical level. The mezzo, Victoria Avedikian, as Örzse, the baritone, Csaba Gaál, as the young Háry, Jenõ Dombay as the old Háry, Norberto Lara, Jorge Rabuffetti, Susana Moreno and Ana Larreategui completed the cast. Raquel Barbieri resolved with great ability the scenic movements of a numerous ensemble, where everything flowed in excellent form and where the Regös dancing group excelled, all according to the spirit of Kodály, acquainting us with one of the most beautiful works of his creation.”

Enrique Sirvén wrote in Ópera Hoy (Opera Today): “The organization looked at a difficult task, but it was really worthwhile that we could get to know in this manner this complete opera, which we could only enjoy up to now partially through the suite. The old Háry was represented very winningly by Jenõ Dombay, the young actors accompanied him in due form, as judge, student and peasant. Raquel Barbieri, responsible for the staging has resolved very skillfully the scenic distribution, the main roles were sung by Csaba Gaál and Victoria Theresa Avedikian, with an extremely attractive voice, well accompanied by excellent local singers. Perhaps the best part o the performance was due to the orchestra, with the attraction of the unique sound of Viktória Herencsár's cimbalom. And the participation of the choruses and the dance group gave the production its real festival character.”

Carlos Singer, one of the most noted critics of Argentina wrote in the Mundo Clásico (Classical World):: “It is a real heroic deed, carried out in 2008 by Ars Hungarica. In this Háry János an enormous orchestra, big chorus, children’s chorus, dance group, soloist singers and actors took part, succeeding to create a very high interaction among all of them. The main parts were sung by Csaba Gaál, with a beautifully full-toned timbre coupled with an excellent acting performance. Victoria Avedikian in the role of the beloved Örzse was an outstanding singer and as an actress she impressed with a nicely coloured voice and good pronunciation. The musical direction of Sylvia Leidemann gave an excellent impression, with the security which we are accustomed to and with ethereal conducting, making sound the orchestra with precision and forcefulness. There was a cooperation of the highest level among all elements, merit of the stage director, Raquel Barbieri, who reached a magnificent cast movement and individual works. The whole production was an unsurpassable result of the toilsome work of Ars Hungarica."

An abbreviated version of this review appeared in the Scherzo magazine of Madrid, while Eduardo Arnosi wrote in the Opera magazine of London: “Ars Hungarica presented the first ever South American performance of Háry János in the Auditorio Belgrano. The music is rich and colourful and was splendidly played by the orchestra under Sylvia Leidemann. It was a praiseworthy effort of the local Hungarian community, which allowed us to encounter a famous work for the first time.”

Last, but not least, it is noteworthy to emphasize that in the fully packed theatre the complete staff of the Hungarian Embassy was present: Mátyás Józsa, ambassador, András Drexler, chargé dˊaffaires, Zsolt Király, consul, Katalin Gál, office manager, with their spouses together with ambassadors or diplomats of 14 other countries, who expressed uniformly enthusiastic opinions. The endless applauses for each member of the cast also showed that the presentation of Háry János was not only an important musical event, but also the culminating point of the diffusion of the Hungarian musical culture in our continent. A total success!

Miklós Székásy - Ars Hungarica

Háry János, September 29, 20.30, Auditorio Belgrano, Buenos Aires,
South American première

Cast:
Singers:
Háry János              Csaba Gaál (*)
Örzse                     Victoria Theresa Avedikian (*)
Marci bácsi             Jorge Rabuffetti
Ebelasztin Baron     Norberto Lara
Empress                Susana Moreno
Mária Lujza            Ana Larreategui
Napoleon               Jorge Rabuffetti
Actors:
Old Háry                Jenõ Dombay
Judge                    Miklós Kerekes
Peasant                 Matías García
Student                 Nicolás Chávez
Napoleon               Réka Aguilar Gál

Regös dancing group, director            Ede Bonapartian
Jubal children’s chorus, conductor       Martín Caloustian
Ars Hungarica choir and orchestra
concertino                                        Oleg Pishénin
cimbalom soloist                               Viktória Herencsár (*)
Stage director                                   Raquel Barbieri
Musical director and conductor           Sylvia Leidemann

(*) Invited Hungarian artists, who traveled to Buenos Aires due to the grant of the Office of the Prime Minister of Hungary and the Balassi Bálint Institute.