Down in the pit, Péter Halász directs the work, and the unswervingly focussed and motivated form of the orchestra is plain to hear. And from the musicians’ constant discipline, on occasions, passages of experiential beauty which are by no means limited to the popular orchestral sections emerge. The former music director has once again performed a work of value and it is reassuring to know that the second half of the Ring – Siegfried in 2017, and Götterdämmerung in 2018 – will also be conducted by him.
Read moreMusic director Péter Halász exploited the acoustic advantages of the Opera House and created plastically audible soundscapes, which in the third act even became moving, while never neglecting the singers during his concentration on the orchestra. The tempos had an excellent equilibrium and extremes were avoided.
Read moreSmetana’s work presented Péter Halász with the opportunity not only to prove what an intelligent and precise conductor he is, but also to demonstrate how lucidly he is able to communicate as an artist...
Read moreThe musical execution… was of a truly high standard. The overture resounded wonderfully… Under Péter Halász’s direction, the Opera House Orchestra played extremely well and the conductor supported the singers with an ideal ratio of sound.
Read moreWe saw a very traditional direction of the actors and heard a cultivated, special Wagnerian sound. The young music director strongly focussed on the melancholic parts (such as during the performance of the “love or power” theme). Notwithstanding this, together with the orchestra of the Opera House, he frequently also relieved the tension with vigorous, decidedly rhythmic sections.