''Hunyadi László'' (''László Hunyadi'') is an

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

in three acts by the Hungarian composer

Ferenc Erkel Ferenc Erkel ( hu, Erkel Ferenc , german: link=no, Franz Erkel; November 7, 1810June 15, 1893) was a Hungarian composer, conductor and pianist. He was the father of Hungarian grand opera, written mainly on historical themes, which are still o ...

. The libretto, by

Béni Egressy Béni Egressy (; born Galambos Benjámin; 21 April 1814 – 17 July 1851 in Sajókazinc) was a Hungarian composer, librettist, translator and actor. He created a number of popular melodic compositions, including the one to Mihály Vörösmart ...

, is based on a play by Lőrinc Tóth. The opera was first performed at the Pesti Nemzeti Magyar Szinház,

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

on 27 January 1844. ''Hunyadi László'' is considered to be the first important Hungarian opera and Erkel's musical style draws on folk influences, particularly the dance known as the verbunkos.

Roles

Synopsis

The opera is based on events which took place in Hungary in 1456-7. The great military leader, János Hunyadi, who defended Hungary against the attacks of the Ottoman Turks is dead and power has passed to his enemies. The new king, László V, is weak and surrounded by evil advisers, who counsel him to kill Hunyadi's son, László, a leading figure in the Hungarian army. László is warned of the plot and survives. The king pretends friendship with the young man but his mother,

Erzsébet Erzsébet ( hr, Setržebet, german: Sandeschewe) is a village in Baranya county, Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the ...

, fears for the lives of her sons. The king falls in love with László's fiancée, Mária, and persuades her father to force her to marry him instead. He has László arrested, accusing him of being in a conspiracy. Mária fails in her bid to free László from prison and he is condemned to death, the executioner only succeeding in cutting off his head at the fourth attempt.

Recordings

* There exists a famous recording of the aria "Nagy ég ..." (known as the ''La Grange aria'', because it was written in honor of the soprano Anna de La Grange) made by the great American dramatic soprano Lillian Nordica in 1907, for Columbia Records. This particularly brilliant example of Nordica's singing has been reissued on CD by Marston Records (number 52027-2) and other labels. * Simándy József (''Hunyadi László''), Szabó Miklós, Faragó András, Szönyi Olga, Jámbor LásLó, Orosz Júlia, Déry Gabriella, Bódy József, Pálffy Endre, Petri Miklós, The Choir of the Hungarian Radio, The Choir of the Hungarian Army Central Ensemble, The Orchestra of the Budapest Philharmonic Society (recorded date: June 29-July 9, 1960, by Qualiton). * ''Hunyadi László'' András Molnár, Istvan Gáti, Sylvia Sass, Dénes Gulyás, Hungarian State Opera and Chorus, conducted by J. Kovács (Hungaroton, 1985).

Sources

* ''The Viking Opera Guide'' ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
Del Teatro (in Italian)
* * ''The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera'' ed. Parker (OUP, 1994) {{DEFAULTSORT:Hunyadi Laszlo (opera) Hungarian-language operas Operas by Ferenc Erkel 1844 operas Operas Operas based on plays Operas set in Hungary