Székely Mihály
voice - bass
Place of Birth
Jászberény
Date of Birth
1901
May 8, 1901, Jászberény - March 6, 1963, Budapest
Mihály Székely was born in Jászberény, studied singing with Géza László and made his début in the Budapest Municipal Theatre in 1923 as the Hermit (Der Freischütz).
Same year he joined the Budapest Opera House, and his first role was Ferrando in Il trovatore. Two years later Franz Schalk, then Music Director of the Vienna State Opera, offered him a contract but Székely remained here and gradually became the leading bass of the ensemble, while guest-appearances took him to Berlin, Vienna, Barcelona and Florence. The culmination of this period was the 1936 revival of Bluebeards Castle. (Bartók supervised the rehearsals and in certain places adjusted the part to Székely's vocal range.) Had it not been for World War II, Székely would have traveled to New York at the invitation of Metropolitan Opera manager Edward Johnson. As a person exempted from the anti-Semitic laws, Székely regularly appeared at the Budapest opera up to the German occupation of Hungary in 1944; moreover, early in that year Der Barbier von Bagdad, a comic opera by Cornelius with a brilliant bass lead, was revived for his benefit. During the occupation and the reign of terror of the German and Hungarian Nazis Székely was hidden in the Kispest parsonage and thus his life was saved by the parish priest.
In 1945 he was appointed a member of the triumvirate managing the Opera but he soon resigned, and at Antal Doráti's invitation left the country for the US, where Johnson renewed his offer. Székely joined the Metropolitan Company, making his debut as Hunding in Die Walküre (17 January, 1947). He remained with them till the end of the 1949/50 season, meanwhile fulfilling his duties in his home theatre, Budapest (by this time Aladár Tóth was the General Manager). At the Met Székely inherited roles from two world-renowned Stimmkollegen, Alexander Kipnis and Ezio Pinza, 9-10 years his senior. The new Met Manager Rudolf Bing expected him to sing on his first opening-night Don Carlos (December, 1950) but the Stalinist regime did not allow Székely (and Alexander Svéd) to cross the frontier (the so-called Iron Curtain) any more.
He could appear in the West only after the 1956 Hungarian revolution, mostly in the part of Duke Bluebeard. From 1957 on Székely was a regular member of the Glyndebourne Festival ensemble. When he was over sixty a fatal illness attacked him. He was applauded for the last time a Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra (5 March 1963, Budapest). The next day he was taken to hospital but died on the operating table.
Székely's repertoire in the theatre amounted to a total of 84 roles, half of them major ones, including the "one-aria" roles of Marke, Gremin and Konchak as well as central figures in 20 operas. Though the discography is not particularly rich, his vocal legacy is most amply represented in the great roles he mostly studied with outstanding conductors and directors.
The Mozart excerpts were among Székely's favorite pieces and could not be left out of his concert programs. He had refined them over many decades of experiences when he re-rehearsed and sang these parts under the guidance of Klemperer. (They had 25 joint performances in Budapest between 1947 and 1950; Rocco, Pogner and Ochs, in addition to the Mozart parts.) Székely was first cast as Osmin in 1931, scoring a great success at once, but the full shaping of the character owed much to the 1935 Entführung revival. Osmin was also given ovations in Glyndebourne through five seasons. He also appeared at Glyndebourne and elsewhere as Sarastro. After his début in the role in 1925 reviewers spoke highly of his continuous develepoment in it. Literally millions recognized his bass voice through the radio broadcasts of this recording.
Leporello entered the register of his roles in 1941. The production and casting of the wartime Don Giovanni revival were not generally well-received, except for the singing of Székely and Koloman von Pataky. His definitive portrayal matured during the co-operation with Klemperer. A formidably comical Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Székely had already been swaggering on stage for 25 years when in an open-air concert performance (Budapest, 1949) he excelled in the role once again, this time partnered by Tito Schipa, Mária Gyurkovics and Svéd.
Generations of Hungarian opera-goers can vividly racall Székely's portrayal of Philip II. In his Verdi collection Sparafucile, Ramfis and the Guardian preceded Fiesco and Philip, the two greatest of them all. Don Carlos was first presented in the Budapest Opera only in 1934 (the last-century premiere took place in the National Theatre). Székely studied and developed these monumental figures with two brilliant directors, Kálmán Nádasdy and Gusztáv Oláh, and with the Italian conductor of genius, Sergio Failoni, who had been working here since 1928. For Fiesco Székely was the obvious choice at the Hungarian premiere of Simon Boccanegra (1937). He was a great success again, and also had a good press in the 1949-50 season on the Metropolitan stage and the company's tours.
Székely's participation in the workshop formed around the Russian conductor-director Issay Dobrowen resulted in a moving Dosifey (Khovanshchina, 1936) and a superb Konchak (Prince Igor, 1938). No record survives of the former but his Konchak brought the house down with his aria from Dallas to Moscow, and also in concerts. He made a perfectly polished Prince Gremin (first sung in 1932) for the 1951 Eugene Onegin revival, partnering Osváth, Svéd and Tibor Udvardy. His greatest achievement in the Russian repertoire, however, was the title role in Boris Godunov. He had sung Pimen since 1930, but in the 1948 new presentation (staged by the Nádasdy-Oláh duo and conducted by János Ferencsik) Székely-Boris and Fodor-Varlam were acclaimed the heroes.
Székely was one of the greatest figures in the history of Hungarian opera, with a voice of intrinsically beautiful quality and wide range (his lowest notes were of particularly powerful 'black' timbre), and outstanding acting ability in many parts. His work was honoured by the Hungarian state with the Kossuth Prize in 1950 and 1955 and the title Excellent Artist in 1950.
Mihály Székely was born in Jászberény, studied singing with Géza László and made his début in the Budapest Municipal Theatre in 1923 as the Hermit (Der Freischütz).
Same year he joined the Budapest Opera House, and his first role was Ferrando in Il trovatore. Two years later Franz Schalk, then Music Director of the Vienna State Opera, offered him a contract but Székely remained here and gradually became the leading bass of the ensemble, while guest-appearances took him to Berlin, Vienna, Barcelona and Florence. The culmination of this period was the 1936 revival of Bluebeards Castle. (Bartók supervised the rehearsals and in certain places adjusted the part to Székely's vocal range.) Had it not been for World War II, Székely would have traveled to New York at the invitation of Metropolitan Opera manager Edward Johnson. As a person exempted from the anti-Semitic laws, Székely regularly appeared at the Budapest opera up to the German occupation of Hungary in 1944; moreover, early in that year Der Barbier von Bagdad, a comic opera by Cornelius with a brilliant bass lead, was revived for his benefit. During the occupation and the reign of terror of the German and Hungarian Nazis Székely was hidden in the Kispest parsonage and thus his life was saved by the parish priest.
In 1945 he was appointed a member of the triumvirate managing the Opera but he soon resigned, and at Antal Doráti's invitation left the country for the US, where Johnson renewed his offer. Székely joined the Metropolitan Company, making his debut as Hunding in Die Walküre (17 January, 1947). He remained with them till the end of the 1949/50 season, meanwhile fulfilling his duties in his home theatre, Budapest (by this time Aladár Tóth was the General Manager). At the Met Székely inherited roles from two world-renowned Stimmkollegen, Alexander Kipnis and Ezio Pinza, 9-10 years his senior. The new Met Manager Rudolf Bing expected him to sing on his first opening-night Don Carlos (December, 1950) but the Stalinist regime did not allow Székely (and Alexander Svéd) to cross the frontier (the so-called Iron Curtain) any more.
He could appear in the West only after the 1956 Hungarian revolution, mostly in the part of Duke Bluebeard. From 1957 on Székely was a regular member of the Glyndebourne Festival ensemble. When he was over sixty a fatal illness attacked him. He was applauded for the last time a Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra (5 March 1963, Budapest). The next day he was taken to hospital but died on the operating table.
Székely's repertoire in the theatre amounted to a total of 84 roles, half of them major ones, including the "one-aria" roles of Marke, Gremin and Konchak as well as central figures in 20 operas. Though the discography is not particularly rich, his vocal legacy is most amply represented in the great roles he mostly studied with outstanding conductors and directors.
The Mozart excerpts were among Székely's favorite pieces and could not be left out of his concert programs. He had refined them over many decades of experiences when he re-rehearsed and sang these parts under the guidance of Klemperer. (They had 25 joint performances in Budapest between 1947 and 1950; Rocco, Pogner and Ochs, in addition to the Mozart parts.) Székely was first cast as Osmin in 1931, scoring a great success at once, but the full shaping of the character owed much to the 1935 Entführung revival. Osmin was also given ovations in Glyndebourne through five seasons. He also appeared at Glyndebourne and elsewhere as Sarastro. After his début in the role in 1925 reviewers spoke highly of his continuous develepoment in it. Literally millions recognized his bass voice through the radio broadcasts of this recording.
Leporello entered the register of his roles in 1941. The production and casting of the wartime Don Giovanni revival were not generally well-received, except for the singing of Székely and Koloman von Pataky. His definitive portrayal matured during the co-operation with Klemperer. A formidably comical Basilio in Il barbiere di Siviglia, Székely had already been swaggering on stage for 25 years when in an open-air concert performance (Budapest, 1949) he excelled in the role once again, this time partnered by Tito Schipa, Mária Gyurkovics and Svéd.
Generations of Hungarian opera-goers can vividly racall Székely's portrayal of Philip II. In his Verdi collection Sparafucile, Ramfis and the Guardian preceded Fiesco and Philip, the two greatest of them all. Don Carlos was first presented in the Budapest Opera only in 1934 (the last-century premiere took place in the National Theatre). Székely studied and developed these monumental figures with two brilliant directors, Kálmán Nádasdy and Gusztáv Oláh, and with the Italian conductor of genius, Sergio Failoni, who had been working here since 1928. For Fiesco Székely was the obvious choice at the Hungarian premiere of Simon Boccanegra (1937). He was a great success again, and also had a good press in the 1949-50 season on the Metropolitan stage and the company's tours.
Székely's participation in the workshop formed around the Russian conductor-director Issay Dobrowen resulted in a moving Dosifey (Khovanshchina, 1936) and a superb Konchak (Prince Igor, 1938). No record survives of the former but his Konchak brought the house down with his aria from Dallas to Moscow, and also in concerts. He made a perfectly polished Prince Gremin (first sung in 1932) for the 1951 Eugene Onegin revival, partnering Osváth, Svéd and Tibor Udvardy. His greatest achievement in the Russian repertoire, however, was the title role in Boris Godunov. He had sung Pimen since 1930, but in the 1948 new presentation (staged by the Nádasdy-Oláh duo and conducted by János Ferencsik) Székely-Boris and Fodor-Varlam were acclaimed the heroes.
Székely was one of the greatest figures in the history of Hungarian opera, with a voice of intrinsically beautiful quality and wide range (his lowest notes were of particularly powerful 'black' timbre), and outstanding acting ability in many parts. His work was honoured by the Hungarian state with the Kossuth Prize in 1950 and 1955 and the title Excellent Artist in 1950.
| Year | Title | Publisher | Code | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 |
Bartók Béla: A kékszakállú herceg vára
(Bartók, Béla: Bluebeard's Castle) |
Hungaroton | HCD 11001 |
Own |
| 1995 |
Bartók felvételek magángyűjteményekből,
Bartók hangja és zongorajátéka (1910-1944)
(Recordings From Private Collections) |
Hungaroton | HCD 12334 | 4 CDs |
| 1998 |
Rossini, Gioacchino: A sevillai borbély
(Rossini, Gioacchino: Il barbiere di Siviglia) |
Hungaroton | HCD 12625-26 | |
| 2001 |
50 éves a Hungaroton - Énekművészek (1951-2001)
(Fifty Years of Hungaroton - Singers) |
Hungaroton | HCD 32096-98 | 3 CDs |