The Taming of the Shrew at Hungarian State Oper

Sets: in Padova, in the XVI century

ACT I

Prelude

Inside the pub called Seamaid in London a lonely man is siitong and writing. We can hear nothing but only the scraping of his pen and as he writes line by line the imagined figures of his soul come to alive. The pub gets full slowly there are more and more people, the walls are almost pushed out, who are almost break out of anger and we find ourselves at the market of Pádua, where the fancy dress party goes on.

Scene 1

Among the disguised carnaval people Bianca (the daughter of the rich Baptist, her younger sister is Kata) appears surrounded with courters. This time Lucentio, a young student appears, who came to Pádua to learn, whose eyes met the beautiful Bianca and he can no more turn away from her, because he falls in love with her. Suitors arrive at the square, in front of the Baptist's house, for Bianca, though Baptist according to the old tradition does not marry his younger daughter until the elder, Kata, is not married. At the suitors murmuring the door opens and Kata, whom the whole Pádua is frightened of, appears. The people gathered at the market hit the suitors and she tosses her younger sister to the house. Petruchio, who is not a real Venecian nobleman appears with his servant called, Grumió. The valiant trencherman, drunkard Petruchio came just at the right moment for the people in Padua, whom they can persuade to marry a disobedient virgin, with a big dowry making it possible for Bianca to get married. Petruchio in hope of the offered dowry accepts it without thinking. Again Kata appears and chasing Bianca, though bumps into Petruchió, whom she has never seen before. Petruchio according to his resolution breaks the selfish girl for everyone's happiness, then takes the softened Kata into the Baptist's house.

Scene 2

Baptist's house. Lucentio, who behaves as a music teacher, teaches Bianca to play the harp without hiding his love desire. Kata rushes across the scene in the company of taylor women and revolts against trying on the bridal clothes for the near wedding. The two youth are going on admiring each other. Kata again crosses them and is not willing to try on her bridal clothes. Baptist arrives to take his daughter to the church, but she closed herself inside her room. Her father begs her to come out, because the wedding bells are ringing. The door opens, Kata appears in beautiful bridal clothes. The happy father accompanied by the house's folk and the shouting crowd leads his daughter to the stairs of the church. The vicar, the altar-boy, the whole town wait for the marriage excitedly. Though, the fiance does not arrive. He is waited, waited hours pass by at least trampling of hooves acn be heard; Petruchio comes, drunken and shabbily dressed. The wedding ceremony turns almost into a scandal, because Petruchio is again untractable as to his purposes: he has Kata say yes by the kiss. The relieved family, the father, the suitors cheer this forced marriage. On the main square they lay the tables for the wedding feast, but Petruchio grabs his Kata and takes her from Pádua into his own house.

ACT II

Scene 1

In pouring rain, wind, cold Petruchio takes the frozen Kata home.

Scene 2

Petruchio's house. The lazy housemaids jump at the arrival of the landlord. They try to make order in the house. Petruchio hits them and asks for some food for Kata.

The laid table offers peckish food, but the hungry Kata cannot eat it. Petruchio makes a mess of his house and wakes up the housemaids from their lazyness. He hits the servants saying that they spoiled the dinner, then chases everybody. Kata who got soaked, hungry sleeps in front of the fireplace on the floor.The next morning Kata together with the servants tidy up the house.

Kata after her night tornments relieved, made friends with the folk of the house and dresses up the shaiily dressed dirty servants. Petruchio when arrives finds clean and order, praises Kata, but mentions her undeserved clothes. He calls for his court chief taylor, who arrives with beautiful garments to dress Kata up. Though it is a trick as well because se tears off all the clothes. Kata gets a newer lesson and after her husband throws the chief taylor out she remains alone sadly. Petruchio is about to have a bath and asks Kata to wash him. She washes her husband and he now does nor reveal his love towards her. Kata also feels warm. The hours of mercy come, Kata gets something to eat and drink then Petruchio lies her in bed and says farewell to her with kind warm kiss promising that they will return to Pádua and celebrate the wedding.

Intermezzo

Baptist's house in Pádua. Celebrating the gathered crowd three new married couples arrive: Petruchio with Kata, Lucentio with Bianca and Hortensio with the widow. Trial wedding is celebrated. Suddenly the three wifes disappear. The husbands make bets whose wife is the nicest.They call in their wives. First Bianca, who cannot hear her husband's saying. Secondly Hortensio tries, but his fiancée does not deal with it. At least Kata comes at Petruchio's command. And what a wonder the obedient helpful, loving Kata comes for her husband's request.

Their love duo is the evidence of that they really find each other. They celebrate, dance like a hurricane and we are now again in Seamaid inn.

Postlude

Around the lonely poet there are scattered, written papers on the ground. He stretches his body satisfactorily. The work id done.