Oldal 67 [67]
IMRE APÁTHY: ORPHEUS, 1952
the most of both satire and plot and “demonstrating the internal conflicts of
two imperialist powers, struggling for sources of raw materials, and forming
an alliance nevertheless against the country of Prometheus and peace”.?*°
The ending was found outstanding too, since not only did Orpheus get his lover
back, but “the far-sounding peace song of the people also swept away the high
justice, which condemned lovers to death, and made the underworld tremble.
The finale beautifully and poetically stood for the overwhelming power of
ordinary people fighting for peace and defeating pro-war attitude.””*!
However, the list of defects was much longer, and although Orpheus was
an operetta, the lack of depth stood in the first place.** Superficiality and the
underestimated danger of the enemy was mainly pointed out in some figures,
such as Jupiter, whose “hypocritical willingness for peace” is exposed in the
play, but “the overall image of this hostile chief deity is not deep and typical
enough. He resembles a cranky, slightly senile old gentleman instead of a
resolute and perilous tyrant. Mars, the god of war is a bellicose drunkard,
and Venus is a swinging, tipsy baroness.””** Satire was widely welcome, but
overpoliticization?®* and the misinterpretation of humor were considered as
mistakes. Although the humor of Orphee aux Enfers had always come from
anachronisms, and Hämos “only” refreshed them, critics found it disturbing
that the humor “primarily stemmed from jokes and witty remarks instead
of satirical characters and situations”,# and “the author took some of the
anachronisms from our phraseology”.”** At the same time, they considered
some of the elements aimed at laughter too sophisticated for a spectator “who
is not an expert but wants to learn and have fun.”*’ The weakness of the
280 Ibid.
281 Ibid.
282 Cf. "György Hámos makes a successful attempt at the beginning to unfold the problem of art
striving for the happiness of the people from Orpheus’ tale, but unfortunately he does not go
deep enough in the subject.” Antal: Orfeusz, 7.
Bacsó: Orfeusz, 5.
Cf. “The effect of persiflage is weakened because the author often unduly overpoliticizes
what he intends to say. Satire achieves its goal when it reveals types and relationships, not
when the author unnecessarily expresses his views on his figures by means of journalism.”
Ibid.
“The main source of verbal humor is the all too many anachronisms in the play. [...] Jupiter
has acid reflux, [...] another god is preparing for unpaid leave, and old Kronos is installing a
dynamo engine on the wheel of time as an innovation.” Ibid.
“The drunken Mars, for example, drinks neither nectar nor Coca Cola, he drinks extra
profit. Jupiter talks about schematism and mass songs, [...] Styx, the ex-king, moved into
the underworld, has his throne in the commission store [...]. Sometimes the gods call their
fellows ‘rogues’, discuss ‘doing in’ and the like.” Ibid.
Antal: Orfeusz, 7. - “Gyérgy Hamos’s play seeks to use the most characteristic motifs of
Offenbach’s operetta. [...] Anyone who knows Greek mythology and the libretto of the old
operetta appreciates the writer’s skill at matching things that don’t fit together. [...] But
despite some truly beautiful poetic scenes, the play is full of failed, vague hints”. Ibid.
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