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Spoletta, symbol of Hungarian anti-communist resistance [ Author Michael Daniel Watson ] [ From category THE Articles ] [ Subcategory Budapesta Opera ] [ Article date: 2023-12-20 ] [ From city Budapesta ] [ Country Ungaria ]   Budapest Opera House was inaugurated in 1884 to be a competition for Vienna StaatsOper. It is localised in the center of the hungarian capital, just a few minutes behind St. Stefan cathedral, the bigest church of the city. In 2022 is was open again after a few years of renovation. In the same year it had the premier of Giacomo Puccini`s "Tosca". But that "Tosca" is not something expected. The caracters are not changed, but the atmosphere is moved 150 years later, kind of 1950. The director had in mind the heavy years after the WW2, with Hungary choosed the wrong side af the combatants and being defeted. And the winner takes all, but when it comes from Russia, specialy the comunist Russia, the winner takes all and more and more and more and more..... Yes, the insatiable Russia took full control over the Hungary and, when the local people wanted freedom, in October 1956, the Russians invaded Hungary with hundreds of thousands of soldiers and thousands of tanks! In 1991 the last Russian soldier left Hungary, "just" 46 years after the WW2! But it seems that they "forgot" one behind and that one was "captured" by Budapest National Opera House and used it.... in the second act of "Tosca"! Yes, Palazzo Farnese di Roma is Orszaghaz, the Hungarian Parliament (or any important building in Budapest) and the working desk and chair of Scarpia are in the front of that "peacemaker" machine. The first act keeps the secret for a while. But when Scarpia and the soldiers, dressed as communist soldiers, came, the spectator realise that it`s not 1800 year, but 1950. To be accurate, it`s 1956, the end of October and the start of November, when the Russians soldiers came with tanks to "visit" the beautiful capital of Hungary! The last part is the end of the Hungarian Revolution agains the Russian ocupation. There are dead bodies on the scene, left protection sand bags - some bodies are laiying on the bags - and the huge Palmieri`s feet hanging in the back of the scene over the red curtain which covers all the back wall of the scene. But the bigest "news" is Spoletta which kills the execution squad of Cavaradossi (after they killed Mario) and then reveals that he saved Angelotti`s life in the second part pf the show! Angelotti appears with his sister and a kid, all three showing the hope for freedom of the hungarian people. It took a long time, 35 years after those events, and the Russians were defetead. Is Tosca dead or alive? Go to Budapest Opera House and see the performance! Music - Giacomo Puccini Librettist - Giuseppe Giacosa, Luigi Illica Director - Szilveszter Ókovács DLA Set and costume designer - Krisztina Lisztopád Artistic consultant - András Almási-Tóth Lighting designer - Tamás Pillinger Animation designer - Zsombor Czeglédi Hungarian subtitles - Klára Lami English subtitles - Arthur Roger Crane Head of the Children`s Chorus - Nikolett Hajzer Chorus director - Gábor Csiki Conductor - Levente Török Floria Tosca - Zsuzsanna Ádám Mario Cavaradossi - Boldizsár László Scarpia - Péter Kálmán Cesare Angelotti - Géza Gábor Sacristan - András Kiss Spoletta - Tivadar Kiss Sciarrone - Attila Erdős Shepherd girl - Jázmin Kirsch-Veszeli

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30-09-2024: Aida storica 1913
"Aida" in Verona 100 + 1. A hundred emotions plus one, yours!

Arena di Verona, the most Italian place on Earth!

These are the slogans through which Arena di Verona has chosen this year, 2024, to promote the Opera Festiva
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[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

21-09-2024: Aida shines brightly at the Arena di Verona
The Arena di Verona is also presenting a modern version of Aida, in addition to the old but wonderful version from 1913. And it looks something like this!

The stage is tilted, and the floor is made of glass. In the center, a giant hand
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[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

11-09-2024: Tosca a Verona 2024
Mario`s painting is huge, but... it`s on the floor, lying on its side. Mario doesn`t actually paint it, but "works" on some sketches. In the center of the stage you can see some huge shapes/objects, covered with black cloths. There are also two canno
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[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

01-09-2024: “La boheme” at Arena di Verona
Arena di Verona. We arrive. We park. We get off. We take a few pictures with the Arena in the background, then ... a heavy rain starts! We take shelter under a tree. :-) I don`t think the show is happening anymore, but we can`t leave either, so we ju
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[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

20-12-2023: Spoletta, symbol of Hungarian anti-communist resistance
Budapest Opera House was inaugurated in 1884 to be a competition for Vienna StaatsOper. It is localised in the center of the hungarian capital, just a few minutes behind St. Stefan cathedral, the bigest church of the city. In 2022 is was open again a
... [ continuation ]
[ Author Michael Daniel Watson ]
From category THE Articles

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