I pazzi per progette (Madmen by Design) on the Sphix Terrace of the Budapest Opera House, the 9th of September, 2017

The second free opera performed on the Sphix Terrace was also from Donizetti, that is I pazzi per progetto (Madmen by Design), which takes place in a mental hospital. This opera is a true farce, because in the opera a married couple, who haven’t seen each other for years, meet again. Both pretend to be crazy in their turn to test the other one’s love. To make the story more confusing there is also a young woman, who is in love with the husband (who is, by the way, a soldier) and whose guardian wants to put her in the metal hospital, since he wants her money, and a never-do-well soldier, who has deserted from the troops of the husband and who pretends to be a doctor. So, such a simple story line! The Hungarians had made the story truly over the top and there were cupids, a horse head, Napoleon, belly dancers and whatnot on the stage. In spite of all this, the story held and the audience had fun.

Orsolya Hajnalka Röser sung also in this opera in the role of the young wife Norina. And in this role she really had a chance to flaunt her stunning voice: magnificent coloratura melodies that were a pleasure to listen to.

But when you sing outdoors, anything can happen and it did. The wind had got stronger during the afternoon and suddenly it grabbed some sets and started moving them along the terrace. Blinval (the husband), who was sung by Tamás Busa, had to, in addition to singing, stop the set from hitting him and the others. He managed to do this as if it had been part of the script. The wind also started to buzz in the microphones of the singers, but that can happen when you sing outdoors.

By the way, the Hungarian State Opera will perform these operas also next weekend (the 16^th and 17^th of September), so if you happen to be in Budapest then, I recommend you go and see them yourself.

 

The orchestra

Blinval and Norina

The performers