„Brevity is the Courtesy of Ballet Poets”

Ujvári, Hedvig (2024) „Brevity is the Courtesy of Ballet Poets”. HUNGARIAN STUDIES: A JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR HUNGARIAN STUDIES AND BALASSI INSTITUTE, 38 (2). pp. 206-223. ISSN 0236-6568

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Abstract

The study examines the critical reception of Josef Bayer’s ballets Die Puppenfee [The Fairy Doll] and Sonne und Erde [Sun and Earth], focusing on their premieres in Vienna and Budapest. In the late 19th century, the German-language press in Budapest delivered scathing reviews of Die Puppenfee, drawing parallels with Handel’s contemporary criticisms, which condemned the prevalence of dull works and fairy-tale productions on the stage. Despite these critiques, the ballet was far from dismissed, as Die Puppenfee was performed over 800 times in Vienna until 1999. However, music critics, while not entirely ignoring the ballet, remained distant towards the genre. Eduard Hanslick provided a possible explanation for this, asserting that in the reception of musical works—an idea applicable to ballet as well—the aesthetic aspect is merely one factor, and often not the most significant: the success of a work often lies in how it reflects the spirit of the times. The study further explores the contrasting ballet critiques in the Viennese and Budapest press, highlighting the visual-centric nature of Hungarian ballet and the lack of literary-driven, high aesthetic quality librettos that could inspire more sophisticated ballet music.

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