Smaller Ballet Performances at the Hungarian Royal Opera House During Gustav Mahler’s Tenure

Abstract

The scholarly examination of Gustav Mahler’s tenure in Budapest (October 1888–March 1891) has primarily focused on his roles as artistic director and conductor as well as the compositional history of his Symphony No. 1. However, following the inauguration of the Hungarian Royal Opera House in 1884, the ballet repertoire, along with operas, was transferred from the National Theatre to the Hungarian Royal Opera House, warranting further investigation into this aspect of his directorship. This study aims to shed light on the reception history of two lesser-known ballets, A négy kérő (The Four Suitors) and A párisi festők (The Parisian Painters), which have so far remained on the periphery of academic discourse. The analysis relies exclusively on reports and reviews published in contemporary Hungarian and Germanlanguage press in Budapest.