Béla Bartók worked on his The Wooden Prince between 1914 and 1917. Thanks to the perseverance of Italian conductor Egisto Tango, the ballet received its world première on 12 May 1917 – however only on the condition that 30 orchestral rehearsals would be granted. Bartók’s reaction to this: “The fact that he will only take the project on if he is able to prepare it down to the very last detail is the best thing one can hear from a conductor”.

Today, on the day of the 100th anniversary of its world première, Bartók’s The Wooden Prince will be performed by the Hungarian National Ballet.

Find out more on the website of the Hungarian State Opera