The canteen of the Opera
How the management of the Hungarian State Opera wants to build on selling finger food
Carl Orff's Carmina Burana is a challenging piece that requires a good artistic concept and a sure-handed maestro for a successful rendition. While parts of it are featured in easy-listening classical playlists, other parts are…boring.
Tibor Bogányi's production at the Hungarian State Opera is highly regarded for its quality. The shows have been consistently sold out for years, indicating their popularity. However, in Hungary, if something is successful, it is often subject to change by a dumb superior.
The general manager of the Opera, Szilveszter Ókovács, has ordered a break during Carmina Burana. Although this version includes an introduction and is longer than the original one-hour piece, it is still considered an oratorio or a suite and cannot be broken into two acts.
Ókovács: big plans, mediocre means
Ókovács has been in charge for over a decade. His appointment was part of a larger effort by Orbán and his party, who believed that the mainstream culture in Hungary was being controlled and influenced by left-leaning liberals based in Budapest who did not adequately appreciate Hungarian culture. If your Eastern Europe-trained ears hear some dog-whistle antisemitism here, you are right.
It's worth noting that they were not entirely wrong. Many institutions, including the Opera, needed reform. Some places had too many old-timers whose claims to be leaders were based on their fame acquired in the 70s.
During the prosperous years of NER, new appointees like Ókovács were given a substantial budget. They renovated the Opera and the Erkel Theatre, a large theatre designed for popular opera, with thorough and expensive upgrades.
Ókovács's reforms had some success, with some shows receiving good reviews and decent audience numbers. However, the grand plans to make the Budapest Opera a competitor with leading German and Italian operas never came to fruition.
There are rumors that Ókovács, a classically trained but mediocre lyrical baritone before his career as a political appointee, demanded too much control in artistic matters. While international (and local) opera stars can have inflated egos, good managers can handle them. However, it seems that Ókovács is not that kind of manager.
Thorough search, political appointment
Eleven people applied for the position as the term of Ókovács was about to expire in 2023. After thorough consideration, a committee has selected three candidates for a shortlist. The shortlisted candidates were Gergely Kesselyák, principal conductor of the Opera, Erika Miklósa, an internationally acclaimed soprano, and Gergely Vajda, leader of Co-Opera, an independent opera company.
However, despite the challenges, János Csák, the Minister for Culture, reappointed Ókovács to his position. This put Ókovács in a problematic situation, especially considering the inflated egos of those around him. To make matters worse, the fat years of the NER ended, and the government began implementing heavy-handed cost-cutting measures - with culture being one of the first areas affected. As a result, Ókovács was no longer the proverbial "American Uncle"; he had to find ways to cut costs and generate income for the Opera.
In a magnificent display of his managerial skills, he ordered a break in the middle of the Carmina Burana. The crowd shall now go to the café and generate income. Said café is known for its menu of overpriced fine drinks and overpriced lousy food.
From mediocre to mignon
The opera-going crowd was outraged, but things got even worse when Hungarian humor, this edgy, vicious, and impious beast, found out.
Mr. Ókovács landed in memes with mock opera titles such as Brötchendämmerung, Mignon Lescaut, Zauberfladen, and Salami.
This story is typical in Hungary. Various negative events are happening, and yesterday, it was announced discreetly that many prestigious high schools would be given to foundations and churches backed by NER. Hungarians are likely to accept this decision silently, as long as they can have a laugh at someone who wants to fund a major Opera house using café income.
It also seems that while laughing, the country will lose all state owned universities. Public funding is severely cut there too. Managing people have the choice between going bankrupt due to missing state funding, or ask for getting out of state funding. In the latter case, there are large chunks of state owned assets that can go to the new financing body, and the public funding goes double or triple at this moment for the new body. Carry on, keep laughing on miserable clowns.
The students of the prestigious Tamási Áron high school and their parents have already stood up for their school, and its privatization has been cancelled.