Háry János
Encyclopedia
Háry János is a "Hungarian folk opera
" (that is, a spoken play with songs, in the manner of a Singspiel
) in four acts by Zoltán Kodály
to a Hungarian libretto
by Béla Paulini (1881-1945) and Zsolt Harsányi
, based on the comic epic The Veteran (Az obsitos) by János Garay
. The first performance was at the Royal Hungarian Opera House, Budapest
, 1926. The sub-title of the piece is Háry János kalandozásai Nagyabonytul a Burgváráig - János Háry: his Adventures from Nagyabony to the Vienna Burg. The UK stage premiere was at the Buxton Festival
in 1982 conducted by Anthony Hose with Alan Opie
in the title role.
in the Austrian army
in the first half of the 19th century who sits in the village inn regaling his listeners with fantastic tales of heroism (in the tradition of Miles Gloriosus
). His supposed exploits include winning the heart of the Empress Marie Louise
, the wife of Napoleon, and then single-handedly defeating Napoleon and his armies. Nevertheless, he finally renounces all riches in order to go back to his village with his sweetheart.
Kodály wrote in his preface to the score: "Háry is a peasant, a veteran soldier who day after day sits at the tavern spinning yarns about his heroic exploits... the stories released by his imagination are an inextricable mixture of realism and naivety, of comic humour and pathos." He also comments that "though superficially he appears to be merely a braggart, essentially he is a natural visionary and poet. That his stories are not true is irrelevant, for they are the fruit of a lively imagination, seeking to create, for himself and for others, a beautiful dream world." Háry János embodies the poetic power of folklore to go beyond political frustrations; Kodály intended to bring his national folk music to an operatic setting.
The opera, and the suite, begin with an orchestral 'musical sneeze', best explained in Kodály's own words: "According to Hungarian superstition, if a statement is followed by a sneeze of one of the hearers, it is regarded as confirmation of its truth. The Suite begins with a sneeze of this kind! One of Háry's group of faithful listeners … sneezes at the wildest assertions of the old tale-spinner."
Prologue - The Tale Begins
In the Hungarian village of Nagyabony
regulars gather at the tavern, to listen to the tales of the old soldier Háry János. With glass in hand they listen to his tales.
First Adventure - On the frontier near Moscow
A border crossing point; frost and ice on the Austrian side, sun shining on the Hungarian side. János and Örzse meet Mária Lujza the daughter of the Emperor Franz at the border crossing where she is not being allowed to cross. János pushes the border gate along the ground, so that she finds herself across the frontier; in gratitude the princess immediately rewards him with an offer to come to Vienna and enter the Imperial Guard. Örzse follows him.
Intermezzo
Second Adventure - In the Garden of Vienna Burg
Háry János enjoys the attentions of the princess and eventually becomes a general, to the fury of the envious the chamberlain Ebelasztin who then serves a declaration of war with Napoleon.
Third Adventure - A battlefield at Milan.
Háry János single-handedly wins the battle and has Napoleon kneeling for mercy. The emperor’s wife now wants to win his heart, to the consternation of Örzse.
Fourth Adventure – Vienna Burg.
The preparations for the wedding of Háry and the infatuated princess are underway. Örzse arrives to take leave of Háry but he is true to her and his homeland, so despite all the imperial trappings they leave the court.
Epilogue
Back at the inn in Nagyabony János concludes by saying that the condition of freeing Napoleon was that a gold watch should be sent to the headman of the village - who replies that he never got it. János states that the only person who can corroborate his story is Örzse – who is now dead.
Barcelona, on 24 March 1927, by the Pau Casals Orchester
conducted by Antal Fleischer.
The movements of the Háry János Suite are as follows:
People may assume that the title Háry János refers to a man named Harry.
In Hungarian, names are always presented in the order 'surname', 'first name' (as in Bartók Béla and Liszt
Ferenc). Therefore, the title refers to a man called János (a common first name in Hungary, equivalent to the English John), whose surname is Háry. The name was never 'anglicized' (i.e. with the names put in the more usual order) outside Hungary.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
" (that is, a spoken play with songs, in the manner of a Singspiel
Singspiel
A Singspiel is a form of German-language music drama, now regarded as a genre of opera...
) in four acts by Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....
to a Hungarian libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Béla Paulini (1881-1945) and Zsolt Harsányi
Zsolt Harsányi
Harsányi Zsolt , also Zsolt von Harsanyi or de Harsanyi, was a prolific and renowned Hungarian author, dramatist, translator, and writer....
, based on the comic epic The Veteran (Az obsitos) by János Garay
János Garay
János Garay was a Hungarian poet and author, was born in Szekszárd, Tolna County. From 1823 to 1828 he studied at Pécs, and subsequently, in 1829, at the University of Pest. In 1834 he brought out an heroic poem, in hexameters, under the title Csatár...
. The first performance was at the Royal Hungarian Opera House, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, 1926. The sub-title of the piece is Háry János kalandozásai Nagyabonytul a Burgváráig - János Háry: his Adventures from Nagyabony to the Vienna Burg. The UK stage premiere was at the Buxton Festival
Buxton Festival
The Buxton Festival is an annual summer festival of opera, music, and a literary series, held in Buxton, Derbyshire in England since it began in July 1979.-History:...
in 1982 conducted by Anthony Hose with Alan Opie
Alan Opie
Alan Opie is a Cornish baritone, primarily known as an opera singer.He attended Truro School and studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and the London Opera Centre before joining the Sadler's Wells Opera...
in the title role.
Background
The story is of a veteran hussarHussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
in the Austrian army
Army
An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...
in the first half of the 19th century who sits in the village inn regaling his listeners with fantastic tales of heroism (in the tradition of Miles Gloriosus
Miles Gloriosus
Miles Gloriosus is a stock character of a boastful soldier from the comic theatre of ancient Rome, and variations on this character have appeared in drama and fiction ever since. The character derives from the alazôn or "braggart" of the Greek Old Comedy...
). His supposed exploits include winning the heart of the Empress Marie Louise
Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma
Marie Louise of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma...
, the wife of Napoleon, and then single-handedly defeating Napoleon and his armies. Nevertheless, he finally renounces all riches in order to go back to his village with his sweetheart.
Kodály wrote in his preface to the score: "Háry is a peasant, a veteran soldier who day after day sits at the tavern spinning yarns about his heroic exploits... the stories released by his imagination are an inextricable mixture of realism and naivety, of comic humour and pathos." He also comments that "though superficially he appears to be merely a braggart, essentially he is a natural visionary and poet. That his stories are not true is irrelevant, for they are the fruit of a lively imagination, seeking to create, for himself and for others, a beautiful dream world." Háry János embodies the poetic power of folklore to go beyond political frustrations; Kodály intended to bring his national folk music to an operatic setting.
The opera, and the suite, begin with an orchestral 'musical sneeze', best explained in Kodály's own words: "According to Hungarian superstition, if a statement is followed by a sneeze of one of the hearers, it is regarded as confirmation of its truth. The Suite begins with a sneeze of this kind! One of Háry's group of faithful listeners … sneezes at the wildest assertions of the old tale-spinner."
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 16 October 1926 (Conductor: Nándor Rékai) |
|---|---|---|
| Háry János | baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
Imre Palló Imre Palló Imre Palló was a Hungarian baritone, and later opera house manager.Palló studied in Budapest with Georg Anthes and in Italy with Mario Sammarco.... |
| Örzse, his betrothed | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Izabella Nagy |
| Emperor Franz | spoken | Sándor Pusztai |
| Empress | soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Sári Sebeök |
| Emperor’s mother-in-law | Teréz Fazekas | |
| Napóleon | baritone | Viktor Dalnoki |
| Öreg Marci, emperor’s coachman | baritone | János Körmendy |
| Mária Lujza (wife of Napóleon) | spoken | Rózsi Marschalkó |
| Knight Ebelasztin | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Gyula Toronyi |
| Countess Melusina | spoken | Józsa Szabó |
| Baroness Estrella | spoken | Aranka Pállfy |
| General Krucifix | spoken | Rezsö Kornai |
| General Dufla | spoken | Zsigmond Hubai |
| A student | Kalmán Szügyi | |
| Generals, French and Hungarian soldiers, people at the borders and at court | ||
Synopsis
OverturePrologue - The Tale Begins
In the Hungarian village of Nagyabony
Velké Blahovo
Veľké Blahovo is a village and municipality in the Dunajská Streda District in the Trnava Region of south-west Slovakia.Until 1899 its Hungarian name was Nagy-Abony, then Nemesabony, but recently the Nagyabony form has come into usage. Its historical Slovakian name was Veľké Aboň)-History:It is...
regulars gather at the tavern, to listen to the tales of the old soldier Háry János. With glass in hand they listen to his tales.
First Adventure - On the frontier near Moscow
A border crossing point; frost and ice on the Austrian side, sun shining on the Hungarian side. János and Örzse meet Mária Lujza the daughter of the Emperor Franz at the border crossing where she is not being allowed to cross. János pushes the border gate along the ground, so that she finds herself across the frontier; in gratitude the princess immediately rewards him with an offer to come to Vienna and enter the Imperial Guard. Örzse follows him.
Intermezzo
Second Adventure - In the Garden of Vienna Burg
Háry János enjoys the attentions of the princess and eventually becomes a general, to the fury of the envious the chamberlain Ebelasztin who then serves a declaration of war with Napoleon.
Third Adventure - A battlefield at Milan.
Háry János single-handedly wins the battle and has Napoleon kneeling for mercy. The emperor’s wife now wants to win his heart, to the consternation of Örzse.
Fourth Adventure – Vienna Burg.
The preparations for the wedding of Háry and the infatuated princess are underway. Örzse arrives to take leave of Háry but he is true to her and his homeland, so despite all the imperial trappings they leave the court.
Epilogue
Back at the inn in Nagyabony János concludes by saying that the condition of freeing Napoleon was that a gold watch should be sent to the headman of the village - who replies that he never got it. János states that the only person who can corroborate his story is Örzse – who is now dead.
Suite
From the music of the opera, Kodály extracted the orchestral Háry János Suite, a popular piece in the classical repertoire. This notably includes the cimbalom, a traditional Hungarian variant of the hammer dulcimer. The world première of the suite was at the Gran Teatro del LiceoLiceu
The Gran Teatre del Liceu , or simply Liceu in Catalan and Liceo in Spanish, is an opera house on La Rambla in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain...
Barcelona, on 24 March 1927, by the Pau Casals Orchester
Pablo Casals Orchestra
The Orquestra Pau Casals was established by Pau "Pablo" Casals in the early 1920s in Barcelona, with the debut performance taking place October 13, 1920. There had been other orchestras in Barcelona, but none that played with any enduring success...
conducted by Antal Fleischer.
The movements of the Háry János Suite are as follows:
- Prelude; the Fairy Tale Begins
- Viennese Musical Clock
- Song
- The Battle and Defeat of Napoleon
- Intermezzo
- Entrance of the Emperor and His Court
People may assume that the title Háry János refers to a man named Harry.
In Hungarian, names are always presented in the order 'surname', 'first name' (as in Bartók Béla and Liszt
Liszt
Liszt is a Hungarian surname. Notable persons with that surname include:* Franz Liszt , Hungarian composer and pianist* Adam Liszt , father of Franz Liszt* Anna Liszt , mother of Franz Liszt...
Ferenc). Therefore, the title refers to a man called János (a common first name in Hungary, equivalent to the English John), whose surname is Háry. The name was never 'anglicized' (i.e. with the names put in the more usual order) outside Hungary.
Recordings
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sung in Hungarian, conducted by István Kertész, with English narration by Peter UstinovPeter UstinovPeter Alexander Ustinov CBE was an English actor, writer and dramatist. He was also renowned as a filmmaker, theatre and opera director, stage designer, author, screenwriter, comedian, humourist, newspaper and magazine columnist, radio broadcaster and television presenter...
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. Hungaroton - Háry JánosHáry JánosHáry János is a "Hungarian folk opera" in four acts by Zoltán Kodály to a Hungarian libretto by Béla Paulini and Zsolt Harsányi, based on the comic epic The Veteran by János Garay. The first performance was at the Royal Hungarian Opera House, Budapest, 1926...
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. Accord