The two works to be heard at this concert of the Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok are linked by the magical theme of transformation. The Beautiful Galatea is presented in staged form as a piece of costumed theatre, ‘updated' for the world of 21st century computers, telling the story of a statue that comes to life with her own independent feelings. The story of the wooden doll, which also comes alive and takes the place of the prince, is told here with the unique projected sand animation of Ferenc Cakó.
In the original operetta adaptation of the story of The Beautiful Galatea, the animated statue breaks from its creator, developing her own feelings, over which her creator no longer has control. Suppé's work is about letting go: we cannot make others accountable for our own dreams, or shape someone to be the way we want them to be. On this occasion, Suppé's operetta comes to life on the Müpa Budapest stage under the direction of Sylvie Gábor, placing the story's conceptual framework in the context of the fantasy world of 21st century computer games.
In the tale of The Wooden Prince, the wooden doll that the prince creates in his own image takes the place of its creator. The princess chooses the wooden puppet over the real, flesh-and-blood prince, failing to notice that it only outwardly resembles him. When she realises her mistake, the prince rejects her love - forcing the princess to humble herself and remove the shackles of superficial surface impressions. With Bartók, transformation also represents a kind of purification: the prince and the princess can only be united if they dispense with outward appearances and give each other their own unadorned selves. The ballet is now exactly one hundred years old.

Presented by: Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok, Müpa Budapest