Gabriella Lakatos

The Soviet-Hungarian film version of the biography of one of the most talented composers of our time, the classic of the Vienna operetta - Imre Kálmán, known for all his music for operettas "The Csárdás Princess", "Countess Maritza", "The Circus Princess", "The Violet of Montmartre", "Die Bajadere" and many others. The music of Imre Kálmán has no equal in operetta for its festivity, “elegance”, and the refinement of melodics and orchestration.

This concert film stages a never-realized gala at Budapest’s Opera House, stringing together eleven diverse numbers - from operetta and folk dance to popular songs - introduced by Vera Sennyei’s tongue-in-cheek on-stage announcements. Though framed as a live opening night, most performances were in fact shot in television studios, creating a playful pastiche of televised spectacle rather than a traditional concert film.