Béla Környey
also Béla Környei
Birthplace: Český Krumlov, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary
Béla Környey was a Hungarian tenor, called Hungary's first major tenor of the modern era, who began as a bass in the Népszínház chorus in Budapest in 1896 before moving into operetta and provincial engagements at Debrecen and Temesvár. He joined the Hungarian Royal Opera in 1908, spent three seasons at the Vienna Court Opera from 1915, and returned to Budapest, where he remained until his death. He created Bacchus in the Vienna premiere of the revised Ariadne auf Naxos in 1916, and sang the role again at its Budapest premiere in 1919.
Creations
- Bacchus — Ariadne auf Naxos (Vienna, 1916)
Written from
- Wikipedia (2026) Környey Béla. (Accessed: August 2026).
- Forgotten Opera Singers (2014) Béla Környei (Tenor) (Krumau 1875 - Budapest 1925). (Accessed: August 2026).
- Várnai, P. P. (1992) 'Környei, Béla', in Sadie, S. (ed.) The New Grove Dictionary of Opera. London: Macmillan Reference, vol. 2, p. 1029.
- Státní oblastní archiv v Třeboni (n.d.) Matrika narozených, Český Krumlov, 1868–1874. Book 19, image 256. (Accessed: 29 September 2026).
- Kutsch, K.J. and Riemens, L. (1987) 'Koernyei, Béla', in Großes Sängerlexikon. Bern and Stuttgart: Francke, vol. 1, col. 1527.
- Schöpflin, A. (ed.) (1929-1931) 'Környei Béla', in Magyar Színművészeti Lexikon. Budapest, vol. 3, p. 40. (Accessed: 9 October 2026).