The Career Paths of Composer Béla Szabados (1867–1936)

There are artists – quite a few – whose names disappear from public consciousness in the decades following their death for a variety of reasons. Béla Szabados, the master of romantic Hungarian music, is indeed on this list, as his name and works sound familiar to only a few people.

However, his rich and quite well-rounded career as a composer includes songwriting competition victories, overwhelming operetta successes in the people’s theater and many notable positions that he occupied, including the directorial position of the Budapest “Nemzeti Zenede” (National Conservatoire). In the present article [1], the main stages of his life and authorial activity are reviewed, both coinciding with the rising popularity of the Népszínház (Pest People’s Theatre) and, with it, the writing of stage works catering to the public’s taste.

The Talented Szabados Brothers – Youth

From an article published in the newspaper Rádióélet in 1942 [2], readers can learn that Béla Szabados (1867–1936) [3] was not intended by his parents to be a musician, but to become a painter. The motive is not at all surprising, since his father, Lukács Szvoboda (Béla took the surname Szabados in the 1890s) was a sculptor and painter, as well as a tombstone dealer. He and his wife, Lilla Szoboszlay, raised two sons – Károly and Béla – in Pest, who both were introduced to playing the piano by their musically receptive father. “Lukács was a versatile artist, mentioned in the baptismal register as a sculptor, yet he was not only a professional painter, but also an enthusiastic music lover: he had a reputation as an excellent violinist who loved art and was a ‘shareholder’ of the National ‘Zenede’” [4], recalled Major Ervin in the Yearbook of “Zenede”.

The younger Szabados brother played “after Dussek and Kuhlau’s sonatinas, Bach’s little preludes and one lighter Mozart sonata movement” [5], and this was enough for his father to support Béla Szabados, from the age of fourteen, in attending the Academy of Music besides high school. “I was still a child when September 11, 1881 became a notable date in my young life. On this day, I auditioned in front of the prestigious admissions committee[6] of the Orsz. M. Kir. Zeneakadémia” [7] – recalls Béla Szabados the defining stage of his music studies in the columns of the magazine A Zene in 1925.

He himself writes at length about his admission day. As he remarked, at that time, the subjects at the institute were not so-called core and compulsory subjects, but the students studied both the piano and musical composition, and acquired knowledge of music history and musical aesthetics on the side. In his memoirs, he also talks about the complexity of his admission: Ferenc Erkel (the director of the institute at the time), Gyula Erkel and Róbert Volkmann were in the exam committee, and then he studied with Volkmann for a longer period of time [8]. “Us, Volkmann students, were greeted by unexpected sadness and grief at the beginning of the school year. On October 29, our beloved master died, and we were temporarily orphaned. […] the board assigned me to teacher János Koessler. I then continued my composition studies with this excellent master.” [9] He completed his composition studies with Sándor Nikolits.

Károly Szabados (1860–1891) [10] – given that one is to believe the newspapers of the time – proved to be a talented author. In 1884, the then only twenty-year-old Károly became the ballet conductor of the Royal Hungarian Opera House [11]. He wrote a three-act ballet, titled Vióra [12], the story of which was based on Mór Jókai’s work A tengerszem tündére (The Fairy of the Lakelet). However, Károly died early, in his thirties, of cerebral palsy, and his younger brother began to take his own career as a composer more and more seriously.

Turning to Béla Szabados’s personal life: he married Irén Balczár on May 16, 1891 [13], and their son, Béla Szabados (1894–1970) is known as a sculptor [14], like his grandfather. Incidentally, the composer lost his then forty-two-year-old wife after nineteenth years of marriage, in October 1910. [15]

From Concert Halls to Lecture Halls

It is also worth focusing on some of Szabados’s very first works as a composer [16]. In his second year at the Academy of Music (1882/1883), the author had already composed a string quartet, and he also tried his hand at songwriting, in which he quickly achieved success. In 1885, he won a songwriting competition, to which Ervin Major also drew attention: it was the competition of the paper, Magyar Szalon in the Hungarian folk song category, in which he won with his two compositions – Nem engedik azt az egek (Heavens Shall Nott Allow); Felszántottam kertem alatt a mesgyét (I Plowed up the Mere Under my Garden) [17] –, he earned the top spot on the podium. He found joy in composing songs until the end of his life: his songbooks were published in Germany, and his musical compositions were regularly awarded at competitions.

“At the end-of-the-year concert on June 24, 1885, two of his orchestral movements (andante-scherzo) were presented, conducted by Gyula Erkel.” [18] As a university student, he aroused the interest of professionals[19] with his tragic overtures and symphonies, and since it was customary to report – not only in the industry press – about the concerts of the upcoming talents of the Academy of Music, some criticisms also survived of Béla Szabados’s works made during his university days. An example of this is the concert of the Academy of Music organized in June 1884 in the small hall of Vigadó, where Szabados performed with two other fellow students.

“The work of the young Béla Szabados shows the most talent. Most of all, he has independence and originality, although of course his talent has not yet matured. He has a surprising flair for orchestral effects and already shows remarkable skill in orchestration. The young author is the student of F. Koessler and Károly Zeillinger (student of Nikolics), and he used a rather large apparatus for his subject. He elaborated a simple little lyrical poem like a ballad. Why do you shoot sparrows with a cannon? Otherwise, the elaboration is quite careful” [20], sounds the praise that does not ignore the critical edge. His professional development was greatly influenced by study trips abroad: he visited cities in Austria and Northern Italy. As an author who was a fan of Wagner, he was also lucky enough to travel to Bayreuth.

In the fall of 1888, he started working as a vocal tutor in the acting department of the temporarily connected Academy of Music and Drama, “then in 1893, when the opera department was permanently taken over by the Academy of Music, he continued teaching vocal role practice here, and later also the minor piano department.” [21] The National “Zenede” became an important institution in his life, of which he held the directorial position from 1927 until his death. He was a member of several organizations, such as the Irodalmi és Művészeti Tanács (Literature and Arts Council) and the Rádió Zenei Tanácsa (Radio Music Council), but he was also a board member of the Zeneszerzők Szövetkezete (Composers’ Cooperative).

As a teacher, he also wrote theoretical works: together with his colleague at the József Sík Academy of Music [22], he published a series entitled Elméleti és gyakorlati énekiskola (Theoretical and Practical Singing School). In 1910, he wrote a Kariskolai Kézikönyv (Choir Faculty Handbook) for high school music teacher candidates studying at the Academy of Music. Then, in 1921, he published a two-volume publication entitled Solfége for the training of musical hearing and the practical teaching of musical basics.

As a composer, he soon got new opportunities, as he found the world of theater. The environment that was actually only an arm’s length away from Szabados when he wrote the songs. However, authorial motivation alone is not enough, for this, the Pest show business had to develop to such a degree that young, talented composers who did not disdain the so-called easy muse were needed. The first such place in the life of Béla Szabados was none other than the Pest People’s Theatre.

“Courting his old lover, the muse of operetta” [23]

It is quite common to regard the Pest People’s Theater as one of the new theater enterprises of the second half of the 19th century. In the beginning, a member of the Rákosi dynasty, journalist and writer Jenő Rákosi (1842–1929) [24] ran the theater from its opening, i.e. from 1875 until 1881. After that, Lajos Evva (1851–1912)[25] took over the directorial position until 1897. The Népszínház became one of the homes of folk plays and operettas, and Béla Szabados was soon referred to as one of the operetta composers of the theatre by both the newspapers and the audience. It was Jenő Rákosi who found him with the libretto he wrote, titled A négy király (The Four Kings), the operetta premiered in January 1890 at the Népszínház. [26]

Critics liked Szabados’s first operetta venture, the following appeared in the columns of the Budapesti Hírlap about the premiere: “The music of The Four Kings was written by an outstandingly talented young man, Béla Szabados. This is his first attempt, and he surprises me not only with melodiousness, but also with his developed sense of form, taste, and musical knowledge in the elaboration and arrangement. His individuality is still developing and it seems that he is rather inclined towards more serious, emotional, lyrical and melodramatic music than comedic art. What he offered today is fine and classy, ​​his cheerfulness is lovely, he plays, but we lack the piquant element, the sloppiness, the blazing fire of his temperament and the sparks of his ideas. Some numbers testify to a true poet, and the duo of the first act […] occupies an excellent place in our music literature – however, the effect of such idyllic moods cannot be enhanced even with the noisier instruments: it does not have, so to speak, its demon. However, we heard greatness from him, and he promised further greatness today, thus, we can honestly wish him luck for the truly exceptional success of his first attempt.” [27]

Soon after, he returned to the People’s Theater: an operetta based on Eugène Labiche’s (1815–1888) comedy, Az első és második (The First and Second), the text of which was written by Jenő Rákosi, and the music of which was composed by Szabados. Critics praised the music less than the work of Szabados, moreover, a Pesti Napló journalist even compared Szabados to his late brother, claiming that, “[o]n the other hand, the music that Béla Szabados made could not quite win over the audience. It has very little variety, and the poverty of invention is striking. There are hardly any really melodic details, but instead, there are more reminiscences. Even the audience could have accompanied one of the waltzes. Still, these were applauded and repeated. The audience likes to make sure that they have indeed seen an old acquaintance, and in this case, they need to ‘see’ it again and again. In music, instrumentation is the most successful. In this, Béla Szabados beats his brother.” [28]

It is impossible to know for sure, yet it can only be guessed, while the composer worked a lot in the field of education and songwriting, that he composed an operetta again only after a few years because of this less successful invitation to the People’s Theater. He returned to the Népszínház on November 23, 1895, with success, and with the operetta, titled Rika – A szép cigányleány (Rika – The Lovely Zingara)[29] – its text was written by József Márkus (1864–1911) [30]. This was followed in January 1896 at the Népszínház by the singing farce, A három kázmér (The Three Casimirs) [31], and then in the following season by another singing farce, A kuktakisasszony (Little Miss Betty), written to the text of József Márkus, which also won the audience’s approval.

“Béla Szabados rushed to the librettists’ aid with catchy music” [32] – claims a journalist in the Pesti Hírlap. However, a Zenelap journalist was less convinced by the play, although he had a less devastating opinion of the musical material, than of the libretto: “We have quite a little to say about the play; all in all, it is a rather feeble contrivance, which cannot be taken seriously; there are a couple of incoherent scenes in it, which only set the laughing nerves of the audience, and even here, the gallery audience in motion. The music was written by the well-known composer Szabados who has so far been successful; there are a couple of songs in the piece that simply deserve better lyrics.” [33]

In 1901, Szabados landed another theater job: he wrote the accompanying music for Géza Gárdonyi’s Karácsonyi álom (Christmas Dream), a three-act Nativity play, which was staged at the National Theater on December 13, 1901.

In 1904 (and till 1906), Pál Vidor (1846–1906)[34] became director of the Népszínház, and the first show of the “new era” is also connected to Szabados. The grand operetta, which was finally titled Felsőbb asszonyok (Upper-Class Women), was ordered by the previous management [35] from Szabados and Károly Lovik (1874–1905) [36] and József Pakots (1877–1933) [37], so this can even be counted as a success for Evva.

The premiere of the play took place on March 26, 1904 [38]. If one reads the reviews of the time with sufficient criticism[39], one shall remark that the ‘subtle’ lines do not reveal much about the true face of the music, but they reveal a lot – as in the other cases – about the position Szabados was in the domestic music and theater sphere, and of criticism as a genre and its current development stage. In this case, an excerpt from an Ország-Világ article should be included here, which clearly shows that Béla Szabados was present in Hungarian musical life as a recognized artist, not only as an operetta composer: “Szabados is also one of our most serious artists who makes music with mirth and devotedness and cultivates it with knowledge, and who from time to time makes a small trip to the field of comedy, erotic, and light music, in order to delight his audience with charming, catchy and sweet melodies.The music of the Felsőbb asszonyok is not your ordinary operetta music. This work is a succession of finely crafted, charmingly sounding, sweetly melodic arias, which will only make Béla Szabados’s nationally famous name even more popular and respected.” [40]

One Szabados operetta was produced after another. On April 9, for instance, the operetta A múmia (The Mummy), written to the text of Vilmos Kaczér (1878–1953)[41], was staged at the Magyar Theater [42]. The majority of newspapers reviewed the work, which had been completed for a long time but was finally presented in 1904, as a success (the authors were invited to the stage several times, etc.), yet, there was an article published in Pesti Napló on April 10, which in turn reported that the audience interest was low and they criticized the less “enthusiastic” performance: “We have heard a text that was a hundred times worse than that of today’s and heard music a thousand times worse, which was announced to the audience in advance with an advertising trombone. Tonight, the half-empty boxes and the gaping ground floor showed that the theater took the whole play lightly. This does not work, especially against Hungarian authors. Either they consider a play to be bad and then not accept it, or if it has already been accepted, they perform it conscientiously. Since, considering today’s half-hearted performance, it would be ruthless to draw conclusions about the authors of the operetta, they did their part, you cannot ask more from them.” [43]

It is not possible to know what was really going on in the background, but it is incomprehensible from the point of view that Szabados had previously debuted successfully at the Hungarian Theater with the legend A bolond (The Fool) – the lyrics were written by Jenő Rákosi – on December 29, 1898 [44], and then in 1902 [45], with a renovated version.

In 1898, László Beöthy became head of the Magyar Színház, which operated as an operetta theater, and this play brought his breakthrough along with Ferenc Herczeg’s play, A Gyurkovics Lányok (The Gyurkovics Girls). The first three works of Szabados, the text of which was written by Rákosi, debuted at the Népszínház, “The Fourth, The Fool, on Izabella Square.” [46] This piece is one of the most popular works of Szabados’s career: it was adapted into a folk song at the request of the Opera House [47], which premiered on March 14, 1911 [48], and became a great success on the opera stage as well. A newspaper of the time remembered the rewriting as follows: “Rákosi eliminated the prose from his plot, abandoned apparitions from the original script, and then replaced them with scenes that fit into the new framework. Of course, Szabados had a more difficult task in the conversion work, as he could hardly use anything from the old score, only periods of four to eight bars, and also one typical motif, the inclusion of which in the new revision could not bring down the operatic level of the work.” [49]

On October 20, 1906, Szabados joined the Király Theater for the singspiel Szép Ilonka [50], and after years in the people’s theater, he wrote a work based on texts by Géza Vágó (1882–1942) [51] and Gyula Szávay (1861–1935) [52], which did not receive positive reviews. “Of course, one must start with the fact that the authors of Szép Ilonka, encouraged by the unprecedented success of János vitéz, began working on Mihály Vörösmarty’s wonderfully beautiful, deeply felt and well-known poem. However, the result was not very proportionate to their ambitions. The authors gave very little of themselves to their songwriting during the covering; they merely dramatized the poem and as if they were just trying not to somehow add something new to Vörösmarty’s poem,” [53] stated in the Pesti Hírlap.

However, among other platforms, a journalist of Az Újság did not spare the authors either, claiming that “[t]he lyricist easily becomes banal, the composer even more so. Lots of lyrics, little action. Is it enough for three acts? Vörösmarty’s poetry triumphed tonight.” [54]

This bad review kept Szabados away – as the author put it – from writing music for “lighter genres” for almost two decades. In 1922 and 1923, a folk play and then an operetta was staged in the Városi Színház (City Theatre). The text of the Bolond Istók folk play was written by Ede Sas (1869–1928) [55] and Ákos Bihari (1873–1924) [56] based on Sándor Petőfi’s work of the same title. The date of its premiere fell onto December 22, 1922. The play created for the Petőfi centenary also received sufficient praise in terms of its music, stating that

Béla Szabados [...] is an inspired apostle of artistic Hungarian music. In this score as well, he remained faithful to his previous aspirations, which this time were inspired by the importance of Petőfi’s memory and his greatness in world literature. In the piece, many musical works of independent value highlight the monumentality of Hungarian music, which never loses its original character, even in the finale, which is also united by Hungarian motifs. [57]

This was followed by the operetta Menyasszonyháború (Bride War), written to the text of Ede Sas, which also premiered at the Városi Színház, on December 7, 1923 [58]. The reason for the creation of this piece becomes finally evident reading very first source, notes from the author: “In part, my pedagogic preoccupation, but even more so the direction of modern operetta in a direction that is incompatible with my artistic principles and convictions, makes me think that, in 1904, after the staging of Szép Ilonka [59], I turned away from lighter genres of music. In the meantime, I wrote a four-act opera with an essentially Hungarian theme, which will be staged at the Opera in the 1924 season. Last summer, quite unexpectedly, I was asked to compose music for the musical play Bolond Istók. The Petőfi centenary and the pure Hungarianness of the proposed text shook my old decision: I undertook to write the music for Bolond Istók. Although the management of the theater did not have much hope for the play, the enthusiasm of the actors beyond all praise helped the work to be a great success.” [60]

Career at the Opera House

In connection with his opera, The Fool (that opened at the Opera House in 1911), Szabados’s debut is also worth our attention: the premiere of Béla Szabados’s one-act comedy, Alszik a nagynéni (Auntie is Asleep), was held on November 6, 1895 [61]. And since before that he only wrote “lighter” stage works, his new work was surrounded by some mistrust, however, it seems from the critics that he took the obstacles quite well, as “[i]t takes a certain amount of courage for someone to write a comedy opera these days and perform it in Budapest. Béla Szabados did it, and the best proof of the value of the work presented today is that he was able to overcome the bias of most of the students. Every time I heard one of Szabados’s operettas, I always regret that the highly talented young author wastes so much invention, art and grace on a genre where none of this really belongs. Szabados’s operetta music is better than it should have been, perhaps that is why it never became popular. I was sincerely happy when I found out that he writes comedy operas and is finally in the circle to which he belongs due to his talent. I was even more surprised when I heard the work itself and saw its development, the refinement and maturation of its style,”[62] noted a Budapesti Hírlap journalist. Szabados continued writing operas with one of the works of the national direction of the Pest Opera House. “In the first decades of the century, he continued the national direction only five years after the Tetemrehívás (Summons to the Tomb) with another performance of the theatre, Szendy and Szabados’s Mária (Maria).” [63]

The premiere of the work written with Árpád Szendy and Géza Béri (Marovcsik) was on February 28, 1905, and according to the newspapers of the time, it was too long (4 hours) [64], while most of them still praise the work along the lines of “Hungarian and some kind of national feeling permeating almost every detail’ [65] and similar adjectives, which seemed to agree with Szabados’s goal, namely, to promote Hungarian music.

Szabados returned to the opera stage on February 16, 1927 [66], composing a four-act lyrical piece entitled Fanni (Fanny) to the lyrics of Jenő Mohácsi, he also mentioned this in the above statement. However, the work was completed earlier, as it was prepared for the 1912 opera text competition of the Opera House. At that time, Mohácsi came second in the competition, with praise, but fortunately, Szabados – as a respected member of the musical world – got to know Fanni as a member of the judging committee. The music for Fanni was completed in the summer of 1918[67]. Before the premiere, he gave an interview together with Mohácsi, where the composer talked about the lyrics and his relationship to it, remarking that

The lyrics of the piece, Fanni, is devoid of overpowering, noisy, emotional accents, and this low-key tone of feelings is primarily found in Jenő Mohácsi’s successful lyrics. I would like to succeed in the endeavour of finding the musical expression of Hungarian life at the end of the eighteenth century. Ányos Dayka’s and Batsányi’s poetry show traces of Verseghy-Lavotta’s musical style. I followed his footsteps, especially in the third act, which is set in the Buda palace of Baron Torday, on a ball night. When the dance stops, Fanni is asked to sing a song. Something modern! They are about to say what they mean by modern. Egy boldogtalan panaszai a halovány Holdnál! (Complaints of an unhappy man at the pale moonlight!), Fortuna szekerén okosan ülj! (Sit wisely on Fortune’s chariot!), Egy hív szívnek keserve kedvese sírjánál! (At the grave of a faithful heart’s bitter lover!), A sirhalom! (The mourning pile!) These were the modern songs then. However, Fanni sings her lovely song, to a beautiful poem by János Batsányi, which has since been undeservedly forgotten: ‘Let’s pick the flowers of our lives, now, while they still smell, while the breezes of the cheerful spring sway and play!’ I cannot admit that this poem by Batsányi, although it cannot be said to be modern at all, has now grown close to my soul. Yet, I also claim that Fanni’s kind, fragile figure, with which I have dealt so much, belongs to me.[68]

Béla Szabados left a rich artistic portfolio (songs, stage works, etc.) to posterity, in addition to being one of the defining figures of Hungarian musical life at the time when he was the head of the National “Zenede” until his death in 1936. He continued the legacy of his older brother, Károly Szabados, who died early, and thanks to his wide-ranging activities, he quickly stepped out of his brother’s shadow, despite various media outlets mixing their first names up for many decades.

You can listen to a historic recording of a song from his operetta hit Szép Ilonka here.

[1] The Hungarian version of the article was published in the quarterly music magazine Gramofon, in the series of articles in which Emese Lengyel presents the careers of famous operetta composers.

[2] F.J. “Szabados Béla emlékezete” [In Memory of Béla Szabados]. Rádióélet [Radio Life], vol. XIV, no. 17, 24 Apr. 1942, p. 4.

[3] “Szabados Béla.” Schöpflin, Aladár, editor. Magyar Színművészeti Lexikon [Hungarian Theater Encyclopedia], Országos Színészegyesület és Nyugdíjintézete, 1931, p. 155. Diettrichné Dittva, Zsuzsánna, and Tamás Zelinka, editors. 1143 Magyar Zenepedagógus-Zeneművész [1143 Hungarian Music Educators and Musicians]. Parlando, 2017, www.parlando.hu/2017/2017-1/2017-es_kerek_szuletesnaposok.pdf. Accessed 3 Mar. 2024.

[4] Major, Ervin. Szabados Béla. Nodesa, Károly, editor. A Nemzeti Zenede Évkönyve 1936/1937 [The Yearbook of the National Conservatory 1936/1937], Nemzeti Zenede, 1937, p. 3-8.

[5] Major, Ervin. Szabados Béla. Cited in Papp, Viktor. ibid., p. 3.

[6] Országos Magyar Királyi Zeneakadémia [Royal Hungarian Academy of Music].

[7] Szabados, Béla. Visszaemlékezés [Reminiscence]. A Zene [Music], vol. VII, no. 4, 1925, p. 91.

[8] ibid., p. 91-96.

[9] ibid., p. 96.

[10] “Szabados Károly.” Schöpflin, Aladár, editor. Magyar Színművészeti Lexikon [Hungarian Theater Encyclopaedia], Országos Színészegyesület és Nyugdíjintézete, 1930, p. 155. Szabados Károly. In: Schöpflin Aladár ed. (1930): Magyar… i.m., p. 155.

[11] Zöldi, Márton. “Szabados Károly.” Vasárnapi Újság [The Sunday Paper], vol. XXXIX, no. 10, 6 Mar. 1892, p. 175.

[12] Ábrányi, Kornél. “XXIV. – Emlékezés a Vióra szerzőjére” [“XXIV – In Memory of the Composer of Vióra”]. In: Életemből és emlékeimből [From My Life and Memories], Franklin Társulat, 1897, p. 299-307.

[13] Contemporary newspapers reported the marriage that took place in the Calvinist Church on Kálvin Square, where Szabados Balczár Rázmán, a landowner, escorted his daughter to the altar. See, among others: Sz.n.: “Szabados Béla, the well-known young…”]. Budapesti Hírlap [Budapest News], vol. XI, no. 133, 15 May 1891, p. 7.

[14] For a more detailed biography of the composer’s son, see: Szolláth, György. “Szabados Béla.” Artportal.hu. www.artportal.hu/lexikon-muvesz/szabados-bela-6300/. Accessed 10 Mar. 2024.

[15] Major, Ervin. “Szabados Béla…” Cited in ibid., p. 5.

[16] See: Major, Ervin. He points out that it is almost impossible to compile a complete list of Szabados’s works: “The composer—due to his well-known humility—did not only fail to collect articles and reviews about him, but also did not think to preserve all of his compositions, nor to create an accurate catalogue of them,” he stated. Major, Ervin. Szabados Béla… 1937, p. 3–8. Furthermore, the scope of this article would be exhausted if I were to discuss all of Szabados’s works in similar detail.

[17] n.d. “Pályázati jelentés” [“Application Report”]. Magyar Salon [Hungarian Salon], vol. II, no. 4, 1885, p. 111. Szabados Béla: Magyar népdalok [Béla Szabados: Hungarian Folk Songs]. Magyar Salon [Hungarian Salon], vol. II, no. 4, 1885, pp. 208–209.

[18] Major, Ervin. “Szabados…” 1937. ibid., p. 3–8.

[19] n.d. “Szabados Béla meghalt” [“Béla Szabados has died”]. Nemzeti Újság [National News], vol. XVIII, no. 211, 16 Sept. 1936, p. 11.

[20] n.d. “Az orsz. kir. zeneakadémia ma délelőtt…” [“This morning, The Royal Hungarian Academy of Music…”]. Pesti Hírlap [Pest News], vol. VI, no. 179, 30 June 1884, p. 9.

[21] Major, Ervin. “Szabados Béla…” ibid., p. 5.

[22] “The development of vocal education, one sign of which was the writing/development of curricula. The great singers of the generation between the two world wars primarily came from the students of the Academy of Music, and during this time, thanks to figures like Georg Anthes, Bianka Maleczky, Ferenc Székelyhidy, opera house artists, and József Sík and Béla Szabados, significant vocal education took place in Budapest, recognized globally.”] Szabó Ferenc János. A magyar komolyzenei előadóművészet – intézmények, iskolák, egyéniségek [Hungarian Classical Music Performance – Institutions, Schools, Individuals], 2013, https://zti.hu/index.php/hu/mza/mz-20/103-szabo-a-magyar-komolyzenei-eloadomuveszet. Accessed 2 Mar. 2024.

[23] “Szabados Béla.” A Hét [The Week], vol. X, no. 1, 1 Jan. 1899, p. 13.

[24] Rákosi, Jenő. In: Székely György, editor. Magyar Színházművészeti Lexikon [Hungarian Theater Encyclopaedia], Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994, p. 638.

[25] Evva, Lajos. ibid. p. 196.

[26] Berczeli, Károlyné. A Népszínház műsora (Adattár) – Színháztörténeti Füzetek 20 [The Program of the People’s Theater (Database) – Theater History Notebooks 20]. Színháztudományi és Filmtudományi Intézet – Országos Színháztörténeti Múzeum, 1957, p. 36.

[27] “A négy király” [“The Four Kings”]. Budapesti Hírlap [Budapest News], vol. X, no. 10, 11 Jan. 1890, p. 3.

[28] n.d. Népszínház [People’s Theater]. Pesti Napló [Pest Journal], vol. 42, no. 97, 9 Apr. 1891, n. p.

[29] Berczeli A. Károlyné (1957): A Népszínház műsora (Adattár) – Színháztörténeti Füzetek 20. Budapest: Színháztudományi és Filmtudományi Intézet – Országos Színháztörténeti Múzeum. 41. o.; n.d. “Rika és a szerzők” [“Rika and the authors”]. Magyar Géniusz [Hungarian Genius], vol. V, no. 3, 12 Jan. 1896, p. 34. The piece was created at the request of Klára Küry, the prima donna of the People’s Theater, who “had long nurtured the desire to create a so-called gypsy role,” as explained in Pesti Hírlap.] See: “D’Artaganan: A Rika szerzője” [“D’Artagnan: The Author of Rika”]. Pesti Hírlap [Pest News], vol. XVII, no. 322, 23 Nov. 1895, p. 6.

[30] “Márkus József.” In: Székely György, editor. Magyar Színházművészeti Lexikon [Hungarian Theater Encyclopaedia], Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994, p. 489.

[31] n.d. “Három kázmér” [“The Three Casimirs”]. Pesti Napló [Pest Journal], vol. XLVII, no. 25, 26 Jan. 1896, p. 9.

[32] n.d. “A kuktakisasszony” [“Little Miss Betty”]. Pesti Hírlap [Pest News], vol. XIX, no. 325, 24 Nov. 1897, p. 6.

[33] “A Népszínházban…” [At the People’s Theater...”]. Zenelap [Music Journal], vol. XI, no. 27, 5 Dec. 1897, p. 4.

[34] “Vidor Pál.” In: Székely György, editor. Magyar Színházművészeti Lexikon [Hungarian Theater Encyclopedia], Akadémiai Kiadó, 1994, p. 859.

[35] n.d.“Felsőbb asszonyok” [“Upper-Class Women”]. Ország–Világ [Nation-World], vol. XXV, no. 14, 3 Apr. 1904, p. 276.

[36] “Lovik Károly.” In: Schöpflin Aladár, editor. Magyar Színházművészeti Lexikon [Hungarian Theater Encyclopaedia], Országos Színészegyesület és Nyugdíjintézete, 1931, p. 147. (Note: The encyclopedia mistakenly lists the composer of the operetta Felsőbb asszonyok, but Szabados Károly was already deceased by the time of the creation of the piece.)

[37] “Pakots József.” In: Kenyeres Ágnes, editor. Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon – Második kötet L–Z [Hungarian Biographical Encyclopaedia – Volume Two, L–Z], 2nd ed., Akadémiai Kiadó, 1982, pp. 338–339.

[38] Berczeli, Károlyné. A Népszínház műsora (Adattár) – Színháztörténeti Füzetek 20 [The Program of the People’s Theater (Database) – Theater History Notebooks 20]. Színháztudományi és Filmtudományi Intézet – Országos Színháztörténeti Múzeum, 1957, p. 49.

[39] See also (r.): “Felsőbb asszonyok” [“Upper-Class Women”]. A Hét [The Week], vol. XV, no. 13, 27 Mar. 1904, p. 207; Fáy, Nándor. “Felsőbb asszonyok” [“Upper-Class Women”]. Független Magyarország [Independent Hungary], vol. III, no. 729, 27 Mar. 1904, p. 27.

[40] n.d.“Felsőbb asszonyok” [“Upper-Class Women”]. Ország–Világ [Nation-World], vol. XXV, no. 14, 3 Apr. 1904, p. 276.

[41] “Kaczér Vilmos.” In: Schöpflin Aladár, editor. Magyar Színházművészeti Lexikon [Hungarian Theater Encyclopaedia], Országos Színészegyesület és Nyugdíjintézete, 1931, p. 349.

[42] See, for example: “A múmia” [“The Mummy”]. Pesti Napló [Pest Journal], vol. LV, no. 100, 10 Apr. 1904, pp. 13–14; “A múmia” [“The Mummy”]. Budapesti Napló [Budapest Journal], vol. IX, no. 100, 10 Apr. 1904, n. p.

[43] n.d.“A múmia” [“The Mummy”]. Pesti Napló [Pest Journal], vol. LV, no. 100, 10 Apr. 1904, p. 13.

[44] F.J. “Szabados Béla emlékezete” [“In Memory of Béla Szabados”]. Rádióélet [Radio Life], vol. XIV, no. 17, 24 Apr. 1942, p. 4.

[45] Szomaházy, István. “A bolond” [“The Fool”]. Új Idők [New Times], vol. VIII, no. 3, 12 Jan. 1902, p. 59.

[46] Rajnai, Edit. “A budapesti Magyar Színház első tíz éve (1897–1907)” [“The First Ten Years of the Budapest Magyar Színház (1897–1907)]”. In: Földényi F., László, editor. Színháztudományi Szemle [Theatre Science Review], no. 16, Magyar Színház Intézet és Múzeum – Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, 1985, p. 143.

[47] Gajári, István. “Az Operaház új évadja” [“New Season at the Opera House”]. Az Újság [The Newspaper], vol. VII, no. 219, 16 Sept. 1909, p. 10.

[48] Bálint, Aladár. “Szabados Béla – Rákosi Jenő: A bolond” [“Béla Szabados – Jenő Rákosi: The Fool”]. Nyugat [West], vol. IV, no. 6, 1911, pp. 604–605; Steiner S., Rezső. “A bolond” [“The Fool”]. Egyetemi Lapok [University Papers], vol. XXIV, no. 5, 25 Mar. 1911, pp. 10–11; Szomory, Emil. “Főpróbán – A bolond” [“At the Dress Rehearsal – The Fool”]. Az Újság [The Newspaper], vol. IX, no. 62, 14 Mar. 1911, p. 14; Béldi, Izor. “A bolond” [“The Fool”]. Pesti Hírlap [Pest News], vol. XXXIII, no. 63, 15 Mar. 1911, p. 6–7.

[49] Merkler, Andor. “A bolond” [“The Fool”]. Magyarország – Reggeli Magyarország [Hungary – Morning Edition], vol. XVIII, no. 63, 15 Mar. 1911, p. 12.

[50] Kock, Lajos, editor. A Király Színház műsora (Adattár) – Színháztörténeti Füzetek 21 [The Program of the Király Theater (Database) – Theater History Notebooks 21]. Színháztudományi és Filmtudományi Intézet – Országos Színháztörténeti Múzeum, 1958, p. 11.

[51] “Vágó Géza” n.d. https://www.hangosfilm.hu/filmenciklopedia/vago-geza. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

[52] “Szávay Gyula.” In: Schöpflin Aladár, editor. Magyar Színházművészeti Lexikon [Hungarian Theater Encyclopaedia], Országos Színészegyesület és Nyugdíjintézete, 1931, p. 183.

[53] n.d. “Szép Ilonka.” Pesti Hírlap [Pest News], vol. XXVIII, no. 290, 21 Oct. 1906, n. p.

[54] n.d. “Szép Ilonka.” Az Újság [The Newspaper], vol. IV, no. 289, 21 Oct. 1906, p. 18–19.

[55] “Sas Ede.” In: Kenyeres Ágnes, editor. Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon – Második kötet L–Z [Hungarian Biographical Encyclopaedia – Volume Two, L–Z], 2nd ed., Akadémiai Kiadó, 1982, p. 576–577.

[56] “Bihari Ákos.” In: Kenyeres Ágnes, editor. Magyar Életrajzi Lexikon – Második kötet L–Z [Hungarian Biographical Encyclopaedia – Volume Two, L–Z], 2nd ed., Akadémiai Kiadó, 1982, p. 213.

[57] n.d.“Bolond Istók – A Városi Színház Petőfi-ünnepe” [“Bolond Istók – The Petőfi Celebration at the City Theater”]. Színházi Élet [Theater Life], vol. XI, no. 48, 26 Nov. 1922, p. 10.

[58] Alpár, Ágnes, editor. Oláh Gusztáv (1901–1956) tervezései – rendezései (Adattár) – Színháztörténeti Füzetek 58 [Gusztáv Oláh’s Designs – Directorial Works (Database) – Theater History Notebooks 58]. Magyar Színházi Intézet, 1975, p. 17.

[59] Note: The original text mistakenly lists the year as 1904; it should be 1906.

[60]n.d.“Az író, a zeneszerző, a rendező, a karmester nyilatkoznak a háborúról, mégpedig a Menyasszonyháborúról, a Városi Színház új operettjéről” [“Writer, composer, director, and conductor comment on the war, specifically, on Bride War, the new operetta of the City Theater”]. Színházi Élet [Theater Life], vol. XII, no. 49, 2 Dec. 1923, p. 24–25.

[61] Béldi, Izor. “Alszik a nagynéni” [“Auntie is Asleep”]. Pesti Hírlap [Pest News], vol. XVII, no. 306, 7 Nov. 1895, p. 3–4.

[62] n.d. “A nagynéni alszik” [“Auntie is Sleeping”]. Budapesti Hírlap [Budapest News], vol. XV, no. 305, 7 Nov. 1895, p. 6.

[63] Gelencsér, Ágnes, Körtvélyes, Géza, Staud, Géza, Székely, György, and Tallián, Tibor. A budapesti Operaház 100 éve [100 Years of the Budapest Opera House]. Zeneműkiadó, 1984, p. 146.

[64] Falk, Zsigmond. “Mária” [“Maria”]. Ország–Világ [Country-World], vol. XXVI, no. 10, 5 Mar. 1905, p. 195.

[65] n.d. “A Mária zenéje” [“The Music of Maria”]. Magyarország [Hungary], vol. XII, no. 55, 1 Mar. 1905, p. 11.

[66] “Floresztán.” Fanni – Szabados Béla operájának bemutatója a m. kir. Operaházban [“Fanni – The Premiere of Béla Szabados’s Opera at the Royal Hungarian Opera House”]. A Zene [Music], vol. VIII, no. 13, 1 Apr. 1927, p. 255–256.

[67] Papp, Viktor. “Zene – Fanni” [“Music – Fanni”]. Budapesti Szemle [Budapest Review], vol. 206, no. 596–598, 1927, p. 114.

[68] n.d.“Egy boldogtalan panaszai a halovány Holdnál…” [“Complaints of an unhappy man at the pale moonlight”]. Színházi Élet [Theater Life], vol. XVII, no. 7, 13 Feb. 1927, p. 36–37.