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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. 8 28: a 284 285 28 a 28 S .65 +
