The production of ?Don Giovanni? features an international cast, including Croatian, Bulgarian, Italian and Finnish singers. The production?s stage designer is a Ukrainian, Alexandr Belozub. It was staged in Diocletian?s Palace, around which the city of Split was built.
Vidnyányszky, who is the artistic director of the Csokonai Theatre in Debrecen, in the east of Hungary, received his first invitation to the festival after Split Opera director Peter Selem saw his production of Wagner?s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in Budapest as well as a tape of his production of Janácek?s Jenufa
For next year?s festival Vidnyányszky said he would prepare a Greek tragedy or one of Shakespeare?s works. The production will be staged at the medieval fortress of Klis, 11 kilometres north of Split. The fortress, which was first mentioned in 852 as the residence of a Croatian prince, has a Hungarian connection: it was used by Hungary?s King Béla IV to escape the Tartars in 1241. One of the king?s daughters died there, but another was born, in 1242: Saint Margaret of the House of Árpád.
Vidnyányszky hurried back to Debrecen after the performance to continue work on a film version of Transylvanian author Géza Szőcs?s play ?Liberté 56?. The production will feature the actor Károly Eperjes and singers László Földes, better known as Hobo, and Tamás Cseh. Vidnyányszky will also direct the stage production, which will premiere in Debrecen?s sister city of Lublin, Poland, in October.
Source: Hungarian Press Agency (MTI)
