Háború és béke
Sergei Prokofiev
BABY AND BAKE
Contemporary opera
Opera in thirteen scenes, in two parts, in Russian, with Hungarian, English and Russian subtitles
Schedule
The performance is not recommended for under 18s.
Prokofiev was inspired by the Nazi invasion of Russia to write this music drama from Lev Tolstoy's historical novel monstrosity War and Peace. The Peace section of the first half of the opera features some of Prokofiev's most beautiful and intimate tableaux, in stark contrast to the Tsarist (or Soviet) scenes of the second, War section. Prokofiev masterfully paints the struggle of the huge crowd and the individual characters in it. He weaves the plot into one gigantic tale of love and death. With 72 characters, the opera is directed by Catalan-born Calixto Bieito.
It is a co-production between the Hungarian State Opera and the Grand Theatre of Geneva.
Hungarian State Opera
The Hungarian State Opera House is the only theatre in Hungary with a large company, specialising in operas and ballets. The building is one of Budapest's most important 19th century monuments. It was built in neo-Renaissance style according to the plans of Miklós Ybl. The richly decorated interior was designed by renowned Hungarian artists, including Mór Than, Károly Lotz and Bertalan Székely.
