Donekle ukradena priča

Abstract

Michael Gyarmathy je došao na svet kao Miklós Ehrenfeld, u gradiću na severu Mađarske, Balassagyarmatu, tamo uz granicu sa Slovačkom, onda kad je i taj kraj pripadao austrougarskom carstvu. Njegove roditelje, Mariju i Saula su znali po proizvodnji sira. Imali su devetoro dece i mada je porodica bila toliko brojna, od dobro uhodanog posla se pristojno živelo. Toliko dobro da su za crtanje darovitog Miklósa posle mature poslali u Budapest, gde je u Visokoj školi za primenjenu umetnost otkrivao tajne keramike, grafike i na posletku scenografije. Ispite je na vreme polagao i pošto je diplomirao oprobao se u uglednim pozorišnim kućama prestonice, u Király Theater, Budapest Operetta Theater, Budai Színház társulata i Városi Színház. Konačno mu je u Pesti Színház ponuđena velika prilika, da radi scenografiju za operetu „Dínom-dánom“, za koju je muziku komponovao njegov manje-više vršnjak, Joseph Hajos, novosadski izbeglica radi školovanja u Wieni, posle žitelj Berlina, u kom je stekao evropsku slavu. Libretista operete je bio Imre Harmath. „Dínom-dánom“ je postigla izuzetan uspeh i nalazila se na repertoaru više od sto puta, a raskošna scenografija, postavljena na rotirajuću pozornicu je gledaocima pružala utisak da su u bioskopu i da prate kakav zvučni film.

Michael Gyarmathy was born as Miklós Ehrenfeld, in a small town in the north of Hungary, Balassagyarmat, along the border with Slovakia, when that region also belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His parents, Maria and Saul, were known for producing cheese. They had nine children and even though the family was so large, they made a decent living from their well-established business. So good that they sent the gifted Miklós to Budapest for drawing after graduation, where he discovered the secrets of ceramics and graphics, and finally set design at the College of Applied Arts. He passed his exams on time and after graduating, he tried out in the capital's prestigious theatres, the Király Theater, the Budapest Operetta Theater, the Budai Színház társulata and the Városi Színház. Finally, he was offered a great opportunity at Pesta Színház, to work on the scenery for the operetta "Dínom-dánom", for which the music was composed by his more or less peer, Joseph Hajos, a refugee from Novi Sad to study in Vienna, then a resident of Berlin, where he acquired European glory. The operetta's librettist was Imre Harmath. "Dínom-dánom" was an exceptional success and was in the repertoire more than a hundred times, and the lavish scenography, placed on a rotating stage, gave the audience the impression that they were in the cinema and watching a sound film.