|
Born: July 2, 1923 - Szarvas, Austro-Hungary
Died: November 27, 2009 - Budapest, Hungary |
|
The Hungarian baritone, György Melis, studied from 1944 to 1949 at the Franz Liszt Music Academy of Budapest. His teachers there were Imre Molnár and Mrs. Ferenc Révhegyi.
In 1949, immediately when he finished his studies, György Melis was appointed immediately to the National Opera of Budapest, whose member he remained since that time. He could be heard there in an extensive repertoire, which contained baritone roles from the entire opera literature, whereby he appeared as outstanding actor. He had a great career also as concert and oratorio singer, in addition to being estimated as an interpreter of the songs of Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály. He appeared as a guest At the Festivals of Glyndebourne (1961 as Don Giovanni) and Edinburgh, at the state Staatsoper Berlin, at the Wiener Staatsoper, at the Théâtre de la Monnaie in Brussels and at other important European stages. In 1973 He made guest appearance at the Edinburgh Festival in "Blue-Beard Castle" by B. Bartók in the title role.
György Melis’ career lasted for a long time. In 1987 he appeared at the Wiesbaden Festival with the ensemble of the Budapest Opera as Don Giovanni. He still sang in 1989 at the Covent Garden Opera in London the title role in Blue-Beard Castle, in 1991 in Budapest as Zsupan in Zigeunerbaron by J. Strauss, in 1993 as Tiborc in Bánk Bán by F. Erkel.
Already in 1959 György Melis was appointed as Artist of the People's Republic of Hungary, and in 1962 received the Kossuth Prize for excellence.
Numerous Recordings on Qualiton Hungaroton, among them complete operas and oratorios (Háry János and Te Deum von Budavár by Z. Kodály, Don Giovanni, Rigoletto, Manon Lescaut by Puccini, Samson by Szokolay, Gianni Schicchi, Blue-Beard Castle and he sings songs of B. Bartók), on Decca in another rendition of Háry János. |
