15 Feb 2022 BTA
Georgi Gospodinov is part of the team of the upcoming premiere spectacle “Chatterers” at Sofia Opera, reported the Director Plamen Kartaloff.
“I am happy that he accepted to take part with a short additional text, which will direct the audience into each scene”, said Kartaloff. After his words, the text will be read by an actor and will direct the spectator to the place of action.
“With these texts Ivan Vazov will not be affected at all, but he will be a symbol and a bridge to the present, and his characters continue to develop themselves also in “Under the Yoke”. It is my right to involve in the concept one such genial contemporary like Georgi Gospodinov”, said further the Director of the Sofia Opera.
It is curious that the action takes place not in the Dzhakovoto café, described by Vazov, but in a luxury sanatorium for rehabilitation of the chatterers, who have retired themselves to chatter and gabble. “We want to ground our chatterers to the contemporary chatterers, and they are many among us”, explained Kartaloff.
“The premiere of “Chatterers” was inscribed in my mind as stage director in the 80’s of the past century, but one cannot make everything at once”, said further Plamen Kartaloff.
“Maybe then I wasn’t rife enough for this music. Maybe I was afraid and I didn’t feel like doing it. At that time, I had done just Pipkov, because I am a pipkovist. But Lazar Nikolov was telling me very delicately that he wanted to meet me – to see the scores. I don’t know what was rising before me, but I didn’t continue the conversation. Maestro, please excuse me. Now I am rife enough for your music. Thank you”, said Plamen Kartaloff.
In the production is included also a sonata for violin and piano by Lazar Nikolov – in one nightmare of the Selyamsaz and Varlaam Koprinarkata.
As BTA wrote, the Sofia Opera marks the 100th Anniversary of Lazar Nikolov (1922-2005) with first performance in Bulgaria of the opera “Chatterers” after Ivan Vazov’s short novel of the same name. The premiere spectacles are on 2, 4 and 6 March 2022.
Conductor is Zhorzh Dimitrov, stage director – Plamen Kartaloff. Set designer is Sven Jonke, and costume designer – Stanka Vauda. Chorus master is Violeta Dimitrova. Besides in Sofia, the spectacle will be presented in Burgas – the place of birth of the composer Lazar Nikolov, as well as in Sopot – Vazov’s place of birth.
The caricature by Boris Dimovski (1925-2007) shines on the poster of “Chatterers”. The drawing the great Bulgarian painter, graphic artist and caricaturist created in 1991, in the beginning of the democratic changes, 16 years before Bulgaria to become member of the EU. The caricature depicts a man, who “pushes” Bulgaria with a cart on an uneven road in direction Europe. /Daniel Dimitrov
