Krieg und Frieden by Prokofiev, Fr. 31 Mai 2024, Ab (2024/2024), Unter der Regie von Calixto Bieito,, Dirigat Alan Buribayev, Hungarian State Opera House, Budapest, Ungarn

Prokofiev was inspired to compose a musical drama based on Leo Tolstoy’s colossal historical novel War and Peace by the invasion of Russia by Nazi Germany. The Peace in the first half of the opera is a series of Prokofiev’s most beautiful and intimate tableaus, and it forms a strong contrast with the tsarist (or Soviet) scenes of the second, War part. Prokofiev paints a masterful picture of the fight of the masses and the individual characters in it. He interweaves the plot into a gigantic tale of love and death. The opera featuring 72 characters is adapted and produced by Catalan director Calixto in co-production with the Geneva Grand Théâtre. General cast Conductor Alan Buribayev Andrei Bolkonsky Csaba Szegedi Natasha Rostova Andrea Brassói-Jőrös Pierre Bezukhov Szabolcs Brickner General Kutuzov Péter Fried Napoleon Zsolt Haja Count Ilya Rostov, Natasha’s father István Kovács Hélène Bezukhova, Pierre’s wife, Anatole’s sister Erika Gál Sonya Rostova, Natasha’s cousin Melinda Heiter Marya Dmitriyevna Akhrosimova, Natasha’s godmother / Mavra Kuzminishna, elderly servant of the Rostovs Andrea Szántó Lieutenant Dolokhov, Anatole’s friend / Jacquot, a French officer Géza Gábor Lieutenant Colonel Denisov András Kiss Platon Karataev, a peasant Péter Balczó Nikolai Bolkonsky, old prince, Andrei’s father / General Belliard Antal Cseh Anatole Kuragin, Hélène’s brother Zoltán Nyári Peronskaya, a relative of the Rostovs / Dunyasha, the Rostovs’ housemaid Dalma Süle Princess Marya Bolkonskaya, Andrei’s sister Anna Csenge Fürjes Matryosha, a gypsy / Marshal Murat’s adjutant Lusine Sahakyan Gavrila, Akhrosimova’s footman / Commander Berthier / General Davout Boldizsár Zajkás The Bolkonskys’ old footman / Tikhon Scherbaty, volunteering peasant / Matveev, a Muscovite militia leader Máté Fülep Fyodor, volunteering peasant / Prince Evgeny’s adjutant / Gérard, a French officer Benjámin Beeri Prince Andrei’s messenger / Ivanov, a Muscovite / Host of the ball Barna Bartos Footman at the ball / Kutuzov’s adjutant / A voice Gergely Biri The Bolkonskys’ valet / Napoleon’s adjutant / French officer Attila Dobák French abbot / Monsieur de Beausset, Napoleon’s cook Gergely Ujvári Princess Marya’s lady’s maid Zsuzsanna Kapi Métivier, French doctor Bence Pataki General Compans’s adjutant Róbert Zoltán Lakai Zapevala / A voice Miroslav Mladenov Mehandzhiev Featuring the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and Chorus Libretto based on the novel of Leo Tolstoy by Sergei Prokofiev, Mira Mendelson Director Calixto Bieito Set designer Rebecca Ringst Costume designer Ingo Krügler Lighting designer Michael Bauer Video Sarah Derendinger Dramaturg Beate Breidenbach Hungarian subtitles based on Katalin Alter’s rough translation by Minka Benkő English subtitles Richard Neel Chorus director Gábor Csiki