Publisher's Synopsis
The Háry János Suite is derived from Zoltán Kodály's (1882-1967) 1926 comic opera. The opera tells the fantastical tale of the title character's imagination, from having the wife of Napoleon, Empress Marie Louise, fall in love with him, to his single-handedly defeating Napoleon's army, to Háry's return home to Hungary on the realization that his happiness can only be found with his village sweetheart, Orzse. The suite, which premiered on March 3, 1927 in Barcelona with the Orquestra Pau Casals under Antal Fleischer, includes six movements depicting many of these outrageous stories from the opera: 1. Prelude. The Fairy Tale Begins, 2. Viennese Musical Clock, 3. Song, 4. The Battle and Defeat of Napoleon, 5. Intermezzo, and 6. Entrance of the Emperor and His Court. Instrumentation: 3(All dPicc).2.2(1st dECl,2nd dASax.2: 4.3+3Crnt.3.1: Timp.Perc(5-6): Clst.Pno.Cimbalon or Pno: Str (9-8-7-6-5 in set).
