Sándor Kónya (1923-2002) was a sadly underrated Hungarian tenor whose career encompassed opera, operetta, recitals, recording and television. Born in Sarkad, Kónya began his musical life as a treble, singing in church choirs and on Budapest radio. His parents expected him to pursue a government job, but young Kónya aimed for a musical career instead. At 18, he won a scholarship to study at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. After working for two years with tenor Ferenc Székelyhidy, Kónya was drafted into the Hungarian army (then under German control). He was captured by British forces in 1944 and spent the next 18 months in a POW camp. To combat the boredom, Kónya sang, which caught the attention of his captors. They arranged concerts for the young tenor and saw to it that he received extra food and cigarette rations. Despite the friendly treatment he received, Kónya decided to escape and sought refuge with a local family who had enjoyed his camp concerts. They took pity on him and kept him hidden in their hayloft for four months. During this time, he shared his protectors’ provisions and began to learn German. When it was safe to emerge, Kónya registered (falsely) with authorities as a German born Hungarian, allowing him to move freely throughout West Germany. The family who had sheltered Kónya introduced him to music teachers who helped him resume his studies.
After moving to Steinhude, Kónya spent four years studying voice while working as a fishmonger and manual laborer. In 1951, after learning of auditions at a small opera company, Kónya and his wife hitchhiked the 60 miles from Steinhude to the opera house in Bielefeld. The company’s directors hired him on the spot. Kónya made his debut as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana later that season, leading to a three year stint with the company. He spent his summers in Milan, learning Italian and the Bel Canto style. Following his departure from Bielefeld, Kónya appeared throughout the German provinces and landed a contract with Stadtische Oper Berlin (now Deutsche Oper Berlin) in 1955. There he created the title role in Hense’s König Hirsch and sang Michele in the German premiere of Menotti’s The Saint of Bleecker Street.
Although Kónya had only a basic grasp of German (a Bavarian engagement proved challenging when the tenor found that a different dialect was spoken there!), he was asked by Wieland Wagner to undertake Lohengrin at Bayreuth in 1958. This successful engagement was followed by his La Scala debut as Parsifal and his American debut at San Francisco as Dick Johnson in Fanciulla del West, both in 1960. His Met debut occurred on October 28, 1961 as Lohengrin. Robert Sabin of Musical America described Kónya as, “…a striking stage figure, with a many-hued and flexible voice which he does not try to turn into a bellowing heldentenor.” Such reviews followed the tenor during his 14 season tenure with the company. Kónya sang nearly 300 performances of 22 roles, including the leads in Die Meistersinger, Tosca, Turandot, Aïda, Forza del Destino, La Traviata, Don Carlo, Martha, Der Freischütz, and Carmen. His last performance with the company was as Steva in Jenůfa on December 12, 1974.
Although he was only 51, Kónya was considered past his prime. Years of punishing roles have been blamed for his decline, but there may have been another factor. During an early ‘70s tour of Japan, Kónya contracted hepatitis. Although physically weakened, the tenor insisted on finishing the tour, possibly harming his voice in the process. Kónya continued singing with smaller companies for a couple of years, giving his final appearance as Otello with Hungarian State Opera in 1976. Kónya concentrated on coaching young singers and in 1988, moved to Ibiza, Spain. Here he founded Pro Arte, a company which promoted opera and the arts. Following a brief illness, Kónya passed away on May 20, 2002 at age 78.
For all his strengths as a performer, Sándor Kónya did have his flaws. Even in his prime, he was never comfortable with notes above the top Bb. He was often condemned for his overuse of the Italian “sob”. Despite a reputation (unfairly perpetuated by some critics) as a tenor whose poor technique cost him his voice, Kónya was a fine singer and a very effective actor. He appeared in most of the world’s major opera houses in such roles as Hoffmann, Don José, Pinkerton, Froh, Parsifal, Bacchus, and Edgardo. His lyrical approach to the works of Wagner was a welcome respite from the typical shouting one has become accustomed to hearing. The lack of a U.S. recording contract during his prime years, however, has led to Kónya being unjustly forgotten. His German LPs (sadly out of print), as well as many live recordings, can be found with a bit of searching, and are well worth a listen. Here, Kónya and soprano Dorothy Kirsten sing the love duet from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. This was recorded live at the Metropolitan Opera on March 30, 1974, with Serge Baudo conducting.