This year?s production, which will be performed on several evenings, is directed by János Szikora and conducted by Gergely Kesselyák. Melinda, the opera?s female lead, will be sung by Bori Keszei and Ilona Tokody, who will alternate on different evenings.
Tokody praised the production for focusing on relations between the characters, and for using dancers to express the characters? emotions, much like those used in Japanese Bunraku puppet productions.
Conductor Kesselyák called work on the production ?the experience of a lifetime?.
?János Szikora uses the score as the starting point for staging the opera, and he remains faithful to the original concept of the music and the play. Together, our efforts have resulted in a creative cooperation, with Szikora expressing on stage all of the focal points of the music which I find important to emphasise when I conduct the opera,? Kesselyák said. He added that the two had made it priority for the libretto to be understandable to listeners.
For opera-goers who wish to return to Budapest the same evening of the performance, a special train will depart after the opera. Passengers on the train, which will make just three stops before arriving in the capital, may present their opera tickets in place of a train ticket.
For more information visit the Szeged Open-Air Festival homepage at http://www.szegediszabadteri.hu/index
