The Violin Maker of Cremona

The city of Cremona announces a competition to see who can craft a violin finer than any other. The stakes are high: aside from a golden necklace, the winner will also gain the hand in marriage of the beautiful daughter of the master craftsman Ferrari. Premiered in Budapest in 1894, Le luthier de Crémone is Jenő Hubay’s most popular opera. On special occasions, the composer himself would play its remarkable violin solo. The work received great acclaim both in Hungary and abroad, with runs in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and even New York, making it the second Hungarian opera, after Karl Goldmark’s Die Königin von Saba, to be staged on the other side of the Atlantic. Since being made into a television drama in 1987, it has not been performed for more than 30 years. Staging it now will be Bence Varga, who attracted notice for his production of Sancta Susanna.