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Today in History: Kodály's Háry János premieres at Budapest Opera

By Drooid · Oct 16, 2026, 10:36 AM UTC · How we work

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Zoltán Kodály’s folk opera Háry János premiered at Budapest’s Royal Hungarian Opera House on 16 October, presenting a four-act Singspiel based on János Garay’s comic poem about the boastful soldier Háry János. Libretto by Béla Paulini and Zsolt Harsányi, the work fused Hungarian folk motifs with operatic drama.

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Story summary

Zoltán Kodály’s folk opera Háry János premiered at Budapest’s Royal Hungarian Opera House on 16 October, presenting a four-act Singspiel based on János Garay’s comic poem about the boastful soldier Háry János. Libretto by Béla Paulini and Zsolt Harsányi, the work fused Hungarian folk motifs with operatic drama.