Kodály belongs to the Hungarians. Háry János belongs to the Hungarians. This work is not about the imaginary heroic deeds of the big-talking military veteran, but rather the pains and joys and the hopes and desires of the Hungarian people, not to mention the failures and also the belief that has helped them recover from countless setbacks. The general public rarely consider the fact that Kodály himself wrote the opera while the country was left numbed by another unfortunate situation, in the years after the losses from the Treaty of Trianon.
The work, which consists of four different adventures, is considered by many to be the apotheosis of Hungarian folk music. When creating the music for the work, Kodály selected the finest gems from Hungarian folklore and gave them centre stage. Playfulness and humour are both key elements of Háry János. In the music and singing studies of the Marczibányi Square Kodály School Choir, the members are in close daily contact with folk music in an environment where playfulness simply cannot be avoided. A key element of Attila Toronykőy's production is for the children to play an active part in the creation of the performance, making Háry truly their own. This - the joy of singing together - is also serviced by the group that provides the symphonic background for the vocals, the MÁV Symphony Orchestra, with Péter Oberfrank as conductor.

Before the performance, between 9.45 and 10.30, we will be running a free (and playful) interactive session for children entitled Tune-up. We look forward to welcoming both school groups and individual school-age youngsters attending the subsequent performance. Please register via csip@mupa.hu by midnight on the Wednesday before the performance, specifying the number of participating children and their ages. The activity is recommended for children aged 6 and over, and will take place with a minimum of six children.

Age: 10-14 year
Presented by: Müpa Budapest