A new Hungarian work in a production by the Opéra National de Bordeaux. This musical drama imported from the country of its setting to the composer’s country promises to be one of the most exciting adventures of the Spring Festival.

Tradition and renewal in the court of King Matthias
King Matthias is perhaps the only figure in Hungarian history whose cult has been continuous since his death. The historical paintings and graphic art of 19th century Historicism, book and newspaper illustrations, designs for monuments and statues only continued what had been started by his contemporaries immediately after his death.
In 2008 we are celebrating the 550th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Matthias Corvin I (1458-90), perhaps the best known Hungarian historical figure throughout Europe; the same year also marks the 500th anniversary of the death in 1508 of King Matthias’ second wife, Queen Beatrice of Aragon. The Budapest History Museum intends to pay tribute to the king’s memory with an exhibition forming part of the 2008 Renaissance Year proclaimed by the Hungarian government and especially of the series of four exhibitions opening in mid-March on the theme of “King Matthias and the heritage of the Renaissance in Hungary”.

“We see, hear, taste and smell on the basis of models received from poets. The world appears to us through these models. The poets created these models, they did not copy something that was unmodelled and existed in the raw: if we see colours it is through Van Gogh and Kodak, if we hear sounds it is through Bach and rock, if we taste flavours they are mediated by Brillat-Savarin and the hamburger.” (Vilém Flusser/1920-1991). According to the earliest dimensionist (N+1/1912), Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968) who dealt with the question of the fourth dimension “Taste is bad because it averts examination.”