Moltopera

Last updated

Moltopera Company
Origin Hungary
GenresOpera
Years active2011–present
Members László Ágoston
Janka Kulcsár
Renáta Burghardt
Csaba Tőri
Renáta Göncz
Past membersZoltán Gradsach
Dávid Dani
Katalin Vámosi
András Decsi
András Kiss
Marianna Sipos
Website moltopera.com

Moltopera Company is a Hungarian independent opera company. Moltopera targets mainly the young and those who dislike opera, inviting new audiences for the genre. In order to achieve this, Moltopera tries to dismiss the general opera stereotypes of the "fat, incomprehensible singers and unrealistic stories on stage." Apart from the stage performances, Moltopera also gives lectures in universities and secondary schools.

Contents

History

Foundation

Moltopera was founded by László Ágoston in August 2011. Their debut concert was on 15 February 2011. At this time, Moltopera had a constant company, gathering the most talented singers of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. In this introductory venue, the following artists stepped on stage: Renáta Göncz, Zoltán Gradsach, Dávid Dani, Katalin Vámosi, András Decsi, László Ágoston, András Kiss, Marianna Sipos and the pianist Janka Kulcsár, all of which are considered the founding members. Moltopera's first concert was so successful [1] that Moltopera was asked to perform again. [2] One month later, Moltopera was invited to perform in front of 400 international managers in the annual conference of the International Artist Managers' Association (IAMA) in one of the most renowned Hungarian concert halls, the Palace of Arts. [3]

Productions

Although the independent opera company received no monetary support, Moltopera's audience grew. After performing the sextet from Mozart's Don Giovanni in the IAMA congress, they received numerous invitations to perform in Hungary. [4]

In May, Moltopera's conductor, Csaba Tőri, gave a lecture for the inquiry of Da Vinci Learning TV channel in the Millenaris Park. This event was followed by 25 other occasions held by him and other Moltopera members (Lili Békéssy, László Ágoston). Moltopera was invited to perform on two nights at the Sziget Festival, one of the largest musical and cultural festivals in Europe. Moltopera put on stage Mozart's Magic Flute and a narrated, educational aria recital following they "opera in every venues" principle in a pop-rock festival. [5] The main attraction of Moltopera in the autumn season of 2012 was the Magic Flute, leading to a highly promoted, full house production in the Palace of Arts.

Magic Flute! I love it!

Most of Moltopera's stage directions are simple but traditional -Magic Flute! I love it! is their most controversial (contemporary set) performance. In an interview with the new stage director Olga Sára Kelenhegyi and dramaturg Eszter Diána Mátrai, they had boosted the expectations of the show when they announced the performance with László Ágoston: "this performance will hurt a lot of people". [6] After numerous successful traditional performances, Moltopera has chosen to put Magic Flute in a psychiatry, using own, self-written prosaic parts and a six-member ensemble instead of a symphonic orchestra transcribed by the young composer Kayamar. The critics disputed long about the direction, but the singers had three curtain calls and Moltopera became recognized nationwide, receiving publicity even from Serbia. [7] Moltopera featured numerous guest artists in this production, even involving singers from the Hungarian State Opera, which predicted the transformation of the opera company.

Moltopera in the 2013 season

Since January 2013, Moltopera Company works without a constant staff of singers, but with a constant technical crew (conductor, répétiteur, stage director, management). On 31 January 2013, in Moltopera's La Bohéme in the National Theater of Pécs, only Marianna Sipos, Janka Kulcsár, Zoltán Gradsach and László Ágoston were featured from the founding members beside acclaimed singers like Ildikó Szakács or András Hajdú. [8] Even with the change of the structure, Moltopera's priority remains the same: teach the everyday people how to like opera without taking solfege classes and google the plot of the upcoming opera.

Going international

In January 2014 Moltopera Germany has been launched with the presidency of Nils Matthiesen. The first sign of life from the German organization came in May, when Moltopera debuted in Germany with a short concert in the Parliament of Dresden in the presence of such excellencies as Matthias Theodor Vogt or "the second man of Germany" [9] Norbert Lammert. Soon after this Moltopera Germany accomplished an educational project in the Görlitz area, with the participation of both Hungarian and German members supported by the European Union. [10]

Debut in the Hungarian State Opera

From 23 November 2014 Moltopera is engaged to perform a series of Haydn's "L' isola disabitata" in the Hungarian State Opera in cooperation with the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest accompanied by the musicians of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. [11]

Twelve performances in the Hungarian State Opera in 2015/2016

After last year's very successful debut with Haydn's The desert island (L’isola disabitata), Moltopera will perform in Hungarian State Opera in the next season, too. The new premiere, The Hopping from the Seraglio, a children's opera is directed by János Novák. Moltopera debuted in the Hungarian State Opera on 23 November 2014 with the Zsófi Geréb-directed The desert island and was very successful not only according to critics, but also according to the Opera House's management. Hungarian State Opera has not only asked Moltopera to keep on performing The desert island during the next season, but also to present a new opera. The new piece is a children's version of the well-known opera of W. A. Mozart, The Abduction from the Seraglio. Although 'The Desert Island' aims also on teenagers, the new premiere is for children between 6 and 10 years. It is directed by the Jászai Mari Award-laureate János Novák, head of Kolibri Theatre, and conducted by the Lantos Rezső-prize awarded Csaba Tőri. The cast, as always, will be composed from young singers between the age of 20 and 35 who will have to face some extraordinary challenges. [12]

Education

Csaba Tori, the conductor of Moltopera Company gives a lecture to a young audience. Csaba Tori delivering a lecture to children.JPG
Csaba Töri, the conductor of Moltopera Company gives a lecture to a young audience.

Moltopera Company also puts great emphasis on giving lectures in schools, universities and other places. [13] These lectures are given by conductor Csaba Tőri, László Ágoston general manager, singer and stage director or invited young musicologists "telling in the language of young why does a young choose the classical musicians' life". [14] Beside the greatest Hungarian universities (Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Semmelweis University, Corvinus University of Budapest etc.) Moltopera also participated in the nationally known Hungarian Day of Songs [15] and worked for the Da Vinci Learning TV channel.

Mission

Interest in opera

Moltopera has stated on their website that their goal is to "face the widely known stereotypes of the opera and to demonstrate that opera can be a real alternative against movie theaters and discos even in the 21st century!" [16] Moltopera defines some of these stereotypes as:

Moltopera asserts that "In order to reach those people who are not likely to attend any opera performance, the company has to descend from the ivory tower of art and grab the initiative."

Performances

Taken in a countryside Magic Flute performance of the Moltopera Company. A performance optimized to mobility. (The Queen of the Night - Marianna Sipos; Pamina - Renata Goncz) Moltopera - The Queen of the Night and Pamina.JPG
Taken in a countryside Magic Flute performance of the Moltopera Company. A performance optimized to mobility. (The Queen of the Night – Marianna Sipos; Pamina – Renáta Göncz)

Moltopera performs in a multitude of venues, such as rock festivals, pubs, and countryside theaters where opera has never been shown. They work with minimal sets and props (usually with piano accompaniment ) creating "lightweight", easily portable productions. [ citation needed ]

Stage directing

Moltopera has stated its belief in giving vivid and rational directions[ citation needed ]. In an article by Tom Huizenga for Deceptive Cadence, it is pointed out that an opera has to compete with all the other 21st century possibilities of entertainment like 3D films or PlayStation, as their primary target group has easy and wide access to these other free time activities. [22] Moltopera believes the best example of this way of thinking is their Don Giovanni Sextet rendition, which is usually sung standing in a half circle around Leporello, but László Ágoston directing a full, moving episode from it. [23]

Youth involvement

Moltopera has played cut versions of operas for different university classes or colleges[ citation needed ]. They enhance understanding with narration in everyday language avoiding lexical information. The ratio of these two elements – and the length of the performance – varies according to the venue and the type of the audience. Moltopera believes that, just like in peer education, in opera, young people tend to listen closer when other young people are talking or singing. Moltopera asserts that it is even more important in an area where performers usually reach the better roles later in their career, in the age range of thirty to forty. Moltopera's average age of performance was 25 years in their beginnings[ citation needed ]. After the change of structure, this data became irrelevant, but Moltopera still holds this as a principle to employ as young singers as soon as possible, without the loss of overall quality of work[ citation needed ].

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emanuel Schikaneder</span> German actor and singer

Emanuel Schikaneder was a German impresario, dramatist, actor, singer, and composer. He wrote the libretto of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera The Magic Flute and was the builder of the Theater an der Wien. Peter Branscombe called him "one of the most talented theatre men of his era". Aside from Mozart, he worked with Salieri, Haydn and Beethoven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Müpa Budapest</span> Art museum and concert hall in Budapest, Hungary

Müpa Budapest is a building in Ferencváros, Budapest, Hungary, officially opened in March 2005. It is located near Rákóczi Bridge and was designed by Zoboky, Demeter and Partners Architectural Office. The National Theatre, which opened in 2002, is located next to it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bampton Classical Opera</span>

Bampton Classical Opera is an opera company based in Bampton, Oxfordshire and founded in 1993. It specialises in the production of lesser known opera from the Classical period. Performances are always sung in English. Opera today called the company 'ambitious, innovative and imaginative'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Magyar Theatre</span> Hungarian state-run theater in Budapest

The Magyar Theatre is a theatre operating in Budapest, Hungary. Its company started on August 22, 1837 as the first major Hungarian-language theatrical company in the city. They operated under this label until August 8, 1840, when the name was changed to National Theatre of Hungary. Switching homes two times, the company moved to its current building in 1966. The name Magyar Theatre was restored on September 1, 2000, with the opening of the new National Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iván Kamarás</span> Hungarian actor

Ivan Kamaras is a Hungarian actor who became first known worldwide for his role as Agent Steel in the 2008 superhero fantasy thriller Hellboy II: The Golden Army, directed by Guillermo del Toro. Kamaras voices the title character in the 2018 Hungarian animated feature Ruben Brandt, Collector.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mafilm</span> Hungarian film production company

Mafilm was established in 1948. It has been the largest and most significant film studio in Hungary and a strategic base for the Hungarian film industry. Mafilm's history has seen days of glory, just as it has survived severe agonies. The roots of its birth go back to Kolozsvár, and its ancestors include Europe's third-largest silent film factory. Ever since Korda Sándor founded the predecessor of Mafilm, film production has been going on uninterrupted. The importance of the place is also enhanced by the fact that there are almost no Hungarian filmmakers who have not learned the basics of film profession here. Mafilm's history with its predecessors covers more than 100 years of Hungarian film history.

Péter Halász is a Hungarian conductor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Csaba Káel</span> Hungarian film director and CEO

Csaba Káel is a Hungarian film director and CEO of Müpa Budapest. He was awarded the Kossuth Prize in 2020 and the Kálmán Nádasdy Prize in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">István Márta</span>

István Márta is a Hungarian composer, theater and festival director, manager of the Zsolnay Cultural Quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayamar</span> Hungarian singer and composer (born 1985)

Viktor Magyaróvári, known by his stage name Kayamar, is a Hungarian singer, jazz and classical composer. He has abilities in the areas of hearing, vocal range and improvisation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renáta Göncz</span> Musical artist

Renáta Göncz is a Hungarian lyric soprano, opera singer, founding member of the Moltopera Company, and regular partner of Kayamar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janka Kulcsár</span> Musical artist

Janka Kulcsár is a Hungarian pianist and répétiteur, and a founding member of the Moltopera Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Csaba Tőri</span> Musical artist

Csaba Tőri is a musical conductor, music teacher and founding member of the Moltopera Company. He is a winner of the Rezső Lantos-prize.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">László Ágoston</span> Hungarian baritone singer and director

László András Ágoston is a Hungarian baritone opera singer, cultural manager, the founder of Moltopera, music educator, marketing expert and one of the best-known bloggers in his native country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungarian Opera Day</span>

Hungarian Opera Day is a commemoration of the birth of Hungarian composer Ferenc Erkel and the reopening of the Erkel Theatre in Budapest. It was first held on 7 November 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoltán Zubornyák</span> Hungarian actor, theatre manager and director

Zoltán Zubornyák is a Hungarian actor, culture manager, theatre manager, director, volunteer, and art director.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Szabolcs Sándor</span> Musical artist

Szabolcs Sándor conductor, accompanist, pianist

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gyula Shakespeare Festival</span>

The Gyula Shakespeare Festival is a one-week to two-week long, international Festival organised annually since 2005 in Gyula, Hungary. Organizers of the Festival have been József Gedeon (2005–2016), Marianna Varga (2016–2017), and Tibor Elek (2017–present).

Paul Alexander Nyiri was a Hungarian opera singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Péter Dobszay</span> Hungarian organist and composer

Péter Dobszay Hungarian conductor and organist, winner of the Junior Prima award. He is the artistic director and lead conductor of the Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra, music director of the National Theatre of Szeged, and lecturer at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. He has conducted almost all professional Hungarian symphony orchestras in a wide variety of genres and has performed both as a church organist and as a concert organist throughout Europe and Asia.

References

  1. Botond, Józsa (17 February 2012). "A társulat, amely "nagyon opera"". fidelio (in Hungarian). Fidelio Média Kft. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  2. "A nagy érdeklődésre való tekintettel március 11-én újabb Moltopera koncert". zene.hu (in Hungarian). SirOesh. 16 February 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  3. "News: JM Hungary partners with Moltopera". Jeunesses Musicales International. Jeunesses Musicales International. 29 June 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  4. "Nemzetközi Menedzserek Előtt Szerepel Egy új Operatársulat". szinhaz.hu Magyar Színházi Portál (in Hungarian). 6 April 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  5. "Ötödszörre az igazi – Sziget 5. nap". fidelio (in Hungarian). Fidelio Média Kft. 13 August 2012. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  6. Dániel, Végh (20 October 2012). "Sokaknak fog ez az előadás fájni". fidelio (in Hungarian). Fidelio Média Kft. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  7. "Mozart Varázsfuvolájának receptje kb. 400 főre". Magyar Szó online (in Hungarian). Magyar Szó. 24 November 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  8. László, Ágoston. "Mesés Opera VIII: Bohémélet – hogy élünk mi?". pésci nemzeti színház (in Hungarian). Pésci Nemzeti Színház. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  9. "Zweiter Mann im Staat: Prof. Dr. Norbert Lammert". Deutscher Bundestag (in German). bundestag.de. Archived from the original on 18 June 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  10. "Zerlina rides Giovanni". Moltopera. moltopera.com. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  11. "Hungarian State Opera – l'Isola disabitata". Archived from the original on 11 August 2014. Retrieved 6 August 2014.
  12. "12 new Moltopera-performances in the Hungarian State Opera". Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  13. "Moltopera az iskolában". MoltOpera (in Hungarian). MoltOpera. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  14. "Lehet-e szeretni a komolyzenét?". fidelio (in Hungarian). Fidelio Média Kft. 20 December 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  15. "Moltopera". Magyar Dal Napja (in Hungarian). Magyar Dal Napja. 9 September 2012. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  16. "Who are we? – Moltopera Társulat". Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  17. Rivera, Jennifer (3 May 2012). "Shouldn't You Be Fatter (And Other Opera Singer Myths)". Huffpost Arts & Culture Canada. TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  18. Juan, Stephen (23 June 2006). "Why are opera singers fat?". The Register. The Register. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  19. "Ed Gardner Quotes, Quotations, and Sayings". World of Quotes: Quotes, Sayings, and Proverbs. WorldofQuotes.com. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  20. MacLeod, Alec (30 November 2010). "park and bark". The Canine in Conversation: Dogs in Metaphor & Idiom Illustrated. Alec MacLeod. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  21. "Topic: You Like Opera – You Must Be A Snob". Etiquette Hell – Where Civil People Meet. Simple Machines. 21 April 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
  22. Huizenga, Tom. "Is Opera Ailing? A Conversation About The State of the Art". Deceptive Cadence. NPR Classical. Retrieved 26 September 2013.
  23. Balázs, Csák. "Interjúk: "Én Álmokkal Üzletelek..."". Opera Portál (in Hungarian). Színház.hu. Retrieved 26 April 2013.