Hunyadi László (opera)

Hunyadi László (László Hunyadi) is an opera in three acts by the Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel. The libretto, by Béni Egressy, is based on the play Két László by Lőrinc Tóth. The opera was first performed at the Pesti Nemzeti Magyar Szinház, Budapest on 27 January 1844. Hunyadi László is considered to be the first important Hungarian opera and Erkel's musical style draws on folk influences, particularly the dance known as the verbunkos.

1850s painting of Erkel by Alajos Györgyi Giergl

The opera was reworked in 1935 by Kálmán Nádasdy, Gusztáv Oláh and Miklós Radnai, which is what is usually performed today. The reworking changed the libretto almost completely, switched out and even removed some parts, shortening the piece by about 30-45 minutes.

Roles
Role Voice type Premiere Cast, 27 January 1844
(Conductor: - )
László V King of Hungary tenor Mihály Havi
Erzsébet Szilágyi widow of János Hunyadi soprano Rozália Klein Schodel
László Hunyadi her son tenor Adolf Pecz
Mátyás Hunyadi László's brother mezzo-soprano Lujza Éder
Miklós Gara the count palatine bass Miklós Udvarhelyi
Mária his daughter soprano Leopoldina Molnár
Ulrik Cillei the regent bass Mihály Füredy
Rozgonyi an army officer baritone Benjámin Egressy

Synopsis

The opera is based on events which took place in Hungary in 1456-7. The great military leader, János Hunyadi, who defended Hungary against the attacks of the Ottoman Turks is dead and power has passed to his enemies. The new king, László V, is weak. When László Hunyadi's soldiers do not let the king's foreign mercenaries into the castle, the king sends Cillei, his stepfather and acting king, to kill Hunyadi's son, László, a leading figure in the Hungarian army, by tricking him into attending a dinner. László is warned of the plot and survives, but his friends and Rozgonyi kill Cillei. The king, shocked by Cillei's death, pretends friendship with the young man, and seemingly excuses him for this murder, but László's mother, Erzsébet, fears for the lives of her sons and has a vision about them being killed. The king requests the presence of the two Hunyadis, so he can accept them as his brothers, Erzsébet as his mother and vow to not avenge Cillei's death. However, he falls in love with László's fiancée, Mária, and persuades her father to force her to marry him instead. Her father, Miklós Gara, agrees on one condition: László must be executed. The king has László arrested at the young man's wedding ball, accusing him of conspiracy. Mária fails in her bid to free László from prison as he trusts in the king's vow, but he is condemned to death. At the place of the execution, Erzsébet's horrifying vision returns. The executioner strikes three times to no avail, at which point László should be spared. Gara, however, instructs the executioner to strike again, and László's head falls to the ground.

Recordings
  • There exists a famous recording of the aria "Nagy ég ..." (known as the La Grange aria, because it was written in honor of the soprano Anna de La Grange) made by the great American dramatic soprano Lillian Nordica in 1907, for Columbia Records. This particularly brilliant example of Nordica's singing has been reissued on CD by Marston Records (number 52027-2) and other labels.
  • Simándy József (Hunyadi László), Szabó Miklós, Faragó András, Szönyi Olga, Jámbor LásLó, Orosz Júlia, Déry Gabriella, Bódy József, Pálffy Endre, Petri Miklós, The Choir of the Hungarian Radio, The Choir of the Hungarian Army Central Ensemble, The Orchestra of the Budapest Philharmonic Society (recorded date: June 29-July 9, 1960, by Qualiton).
  • Hunyadi László András Molnár, Istvan Gáti, Sylvia Sass, Dénes Gulyás, Hungarian State Opera and Chorus, conducted by J. Kovács (Hungaroton, 1985).
  • Hunyadi László (ősváltozat) Attila Fekete, Beatrix Fodor, Erika Miklósa, Gabriella Balga, Gábor Bretz, Dániel Pataky, Krisztián Cser, Károly Fekete, Honvéd Male Choir, Orchestra of the Hungarian State Opera, conducted by Domonkos Héja (2012). This is the "original" version (the final version that Erkel worked on, completed in 1860)

A slightly modified version of the original version, performed at the Hungarian State Opera in 2023, can be viewed on the OperaVision YouTube channel until 21 January 2024.

Sources
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