Oldal 57 [57]
KÁLMÁN NÁDASDY AND GÉZA PÁRTOS: FREE WIND, 1950
The Marquise. The audience made her repeat her song”, however, this fact,
the remnant of the “old” style of playing operettas that ignored realism was
strangely not reproached.
STAGE DESIGN AND SOUND
The richness of sound proved to raise more attention than the picturesque
stage setting. At the professional discussion of the production Endre Székely
considered the results achieved in the field of music to be the most important,”’
and Margit Gaspar’s recollections confirmed his opinion: “Free Wind was one
of our musically best shows”.””* The orchestra was significantly expanded and
László Várady oversaw its work “with precision worthy of his past as an opera
conductor” for a “surprisingly coherent production, gaining revolutionary
momentum”. The orchestra “expressed its gratitude for instruction with soft
tones” and its performance excelled not only in great ensembles and grandiose
finales, in which the choir, also augmented, took part, but in “moments full of
gentle sounds or fresh dynamics” as well.”*° Setting unreasonable demands in
every aspect, it was only the review of Szabad Nép that missed “some more
energy and passion” from Varady’s conducting, despite the fact that Varady
had been employed as an assistant by the most influential maestros of the era
(Bruno Walter and Wilhelm Furtwängler) about a decade earlier.”*' However,
the maximization of quasi-operatic sound caused problems in the balance of
the stage and the pit. The musicians tried to avoid "covering the stage",?? but
the orchestra was felt “too strong when accompanying songs” and “suppressing
the lyrics” attimes, the understanding of which would have been fundamental,
as “the lyrics were strictly united with the prosaic text” here.?*
Scenography, designed by the team of Students of Vienna, aimed at
representing the places required by the libretto, combining scenes revealed
by painted backdrops with built elements in front of them in a trompe l'oeil.
Namely, a small square of a southern port city with multi-storey houses on
its sides, a steep lane further away and a lamppost, a gas station and power
lines, which gave a realistic touch to the fairytale-like image, full of slanting
226 Alfonso, Szövetségi vita, 10. — Since Margit Gaspar wanted Maria Mezei to play The Marquise,
she had Tibor Polgär insert a song for her. However, during the rehearsal process, “when
posters had already been printed”, Mezei gave the role back so that she could go to Pécs
instead to play Anna Karenina. Cf. Banos: A színigazgató, 30.
Cf. Székely, Szövetségi vita, 5.
Bános: A színigazgató, 26.
Szenthegyi: A Szabad szél zenéje, 5.
Jemnitz: Szabad szél, 4.
L. J.: Szabad szél, 6.
Tóth: Szabad szél, 7.
Perényi, Szövetségi vita, 8.
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