“Chatterers” of the Sofia Opera – key to the future

"Chatterers" of the Sofia Opera – key to the future
Photo: Софийска опера и балет

Published on 31.03.22 at 16:16 Bulgarian National Radio
Author: Rositsa Kavaldzhieva

For three years – from 2017 to 2019, I was following the opera festival “Bartók Plus” in the Hungarian city of Miskolc, where each time were presented contemporary operas, awarded at the international competition “Key to the Future”. The mission of the competition was to outline the way in which now easy to listen to and attractive to the public operas can be created. The contemporary operas I listened to and saw on the stage of the Miskolc Theatre ranged from pop and rock opera to “model work” by the great classical composers from before the second half of the twentieth century.

In the field of impossible or difficult to listen to contemporary opera music, after my student years at the Academy of Music I have watched a few works in Bulgaria and abroad, live and in cinema / internet screenings. With this baggage of knowledge and experience I went to the hall of the Sofia National Opera for the performance of the opera “Chatterers” by Lazar Nikolov based on the short novel of the same name by Ivan Vazov. Let me clarify that it also enters the boundaries of contemporary music – from the second half of the twentieth century, outlined by musicology.

In this production, the greatest achievement is the production team and that is why I want to highlight it, although it consists in creating a homogeneous overall product. The result is an attractive contemporary opera performance for the audience, as I talked about above. Lazar Nikolov’s libretto on the dramatization of Metodi Andonov of the short novel of the classic of Bulgarian literature Ivan Vazov is intelligently supplemented by “Text of the Contemporary”, created by one of the greatest Bulgarian writers of our time with world fame – Georgi Gospodinov. This text embraces the libretto in the best way, directing the audience to the parallels between the original era and modernity. Without edification or teaching, but quite naturally leads the spectator, maintains his interest at all times and provokes reflection. Thus, Vazov’s old text is like an inlaid jewel in a modern libretto, looking back at the past.

The same applies to the time of the action and the visual side of the spectacle. In the beginning, the stage director Acad. Kartaloff transferrs the action to a futuristic clinic, where we meet the characters and through their statements, gossip and ridicule in a theatre of the absurd – with the original action. In many opera productions such a transfer in time seems self-serving and ridiculous, but here it is masterfully done and I perceive it not as a dissonance with Vazov’s text, but as in tune with the music of Lazar Nikolov and the re-created libretto by Lazar Nikolov and Georgi Gospodinov.

Again, the team work of Acad. Kartaloff and the designers of the sets – Sven Jonke, the costumes – Stanka Vauda, ​​the lighting – Ivan Lushicic Leek, and the multimedia – ELEKTRICK.ME, is remarkable, as if all elements are created by the same creative force! The action is extremely dynamic, I would define it as cinematic, and this perception is significantly contributed by the sets, which seem to take them to the set, where lighting and multimedia are added and the film begins. Both in the visual part, as well as in the text, the modern and the original for the epoch of the Chatterers are skillfully dosed. What connects here are the added touches of the great Bulgarian graphic artist and cartoonist Boris Dimovski in the layout of the spectacle.

As we often repeat and it sounds like a cliché, the most important thing is how the singers will recreate the opera, whether they are convinced of the idea of a production and whether they will be able to convince the audience. In “Chatterers” of the Sofia National Opera, I had the feeling that all the singing artists, as well as the people and the orchestra, had accepted this project as their own, despite previous concerns that it was music difficult to perform and difficult to listen to. Without making an attempt for musical analysis, the basis of Lazar Nikolov’s musical fabric is the sonorous-aleatory technique, i.e. the impression is of a melodic recitation on sound combinations in which the ear does not distinguish the individual elements of the structure as in classical harmony. After two hours of such a sound, I was not overwhelmed or bored in any way, so the music director Maestro Zhorzh Dimitrov and his collaborators did a very good job.

Finally, although Vasov’s messages about the mentality of the Bulgarians leave a bitter taste, the performance of “Chatterers” of the Sofia National Opera remains in my mind as a highly deserving achievement.

https://bnr.bg/horizont/post/101625016

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TRAILER | PARSIFAL by Richard Wagner – Sofia Opera and Ballet

PARSIFAL by Richard Wagner

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TRAILER | ELEKTRA by Richard Strauss – Sofia Opera and Ballet

ELEKTRA by Richard Strauss

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Acad. Plamen Kartaloff: “Parsifal” is an accurate image of our connection with the spiritual world

Acad. Plamen Kartaloff: "Parsifal" is an accurate image of our connection with the spiritual world

28 Mar 2022 – Bulgarian Telegraph Agency / Daniel Stoyanov

The Sofia Opera presents on 1 and 3 April “Parsifal” – the last opera written by Wagner, which is considered the best. In this mythological drama of the musical genius, the main roles are again performed by Bulgarian performers, whom the audience already knows from “Der Ring des Nibelungen”.

The premiere of “Parsifal” was on 26 July 1882, at the Festspielhaus in Bayreuth. Wagner first read Wolfram von Eschenbach’s poem of the same name, written in the thirteenth century, in 1845, which inspired him for “Parsifal”. According to his own autobiographical confession, he created the first drafts only twelve years later, in 1857. The Bulgarian premiere was in 2017, the stage director was Acad. Plamen Kartaloff.

Especially for BTA, he tells why “Parsifal” is such a different work and what is the most impressive in directing the creation of the Bulgarian production, he also talks about the challenges and messages of this large-scale project.

Why is “Parsifal” such a different work, which Wagner himself calls a “festive stage mystery”?

- “Parsifal” is an image of a spiritual community, in which the ideas of brotherhood, humility, love to the neighbor are intertwined with divine radiation and spiritual healing.The stage mystery “Parsifal” is an exact image of our connection with the spiritual world – in it the music elevates the senses in the boundless spiritual temple of the soul.Privilegeofanyonewhocanvowtoit.

What is the most impressive thing about directing in the creation of the Bulgarian production?

- The most important is Richard Wagner’s music. Its mysticism and esoteric sensitivity are also my reverence in creating a stage image – the unearthly, divine burning in the spiritual and sparkling mysticism of the fantasy action of the legend, and philosophical messages, and their pursuit of final nirvana with a touch of the Holy Grail. An expression of this penetration is my response to the composer’s musical and poetic philosophy.

How did you choose to include “Parsifal” in the repertoire of the Sofia Opera?

- From 2010 to 2015, I staged the whole tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” and “Tristan und Isolde”. It was Parsifal’s turn – a new space flight into Wagner. This example of focusing on Wagner’s dramaturgy for seven years with six consecutive productions is truly revolutionary for the operatic art in Bulgaria. And also for the international authority of the Bulgarian Wagner tradition with a new face of the Sofia Opera and its international recognition. And not only by the special audience in Bulgaria from all over the world, mostly Wagnerians, but also on the stages, where the Sofia Opera is a guest on the most authoritative and prestigious stages and festivals – Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Festival Theater in Füssen (Germany), the festival in Ljubljana (Slovenia), the Bolshoi Theatre in Minsk. Our productions were also presented on video by the company “Dynamic” – Italy. With this, the Sofia Opera had the opportunity to show its great work on the world music market. But first of all, with admiration and gratitude for the ability of our artists, orchestra and chorus to maintain this repertoire for more than ten years.

There are only Bulgarian performers are in the cast …

Yes, and this is the unique. Dedicated entirely to their tasks, both vocal and acting. About fifty performers were involved in the preparation and implementation of the entire Wagner series. For “Parsifal” they are the same ones who, however, have not stopped singing Italian, French and Bulgarian operas from the current repertoire of the Sofia Opera. Next to Wagner’s operas were composers with different compositional styles and epochs – Verdi, Puccini, Mascagni, Bellini, Donizetti, Tchaikovsky, Delibes, Massenet, Pipkov, Vladigerov, Georgi Atanasov, Lazar Nikolov, Jivka Klinkova and others.

In “Parsifal” take part Konstantin Andreev, Martin Iliev, Radostina Nikolaeva, Gergana Rusekova, Angel Hristov, Atanas Mladenov, Veselin Mihaylov and many other Wagner Bulgarian singers, all of them most worthy members of the Sofia Opera.

But sacred is my homage to Maestro Richard Trimborn, the soul of the production. He is the man who musically prepared our singers and dedicated the last seven years of his life to the Sofia Opera, with its audacity to stage six Wagner operas under the musical direction of Richard Trimborn. Conductor is Constantin Trinks, the scenography is by Sven Jonke, the costumes are by Stanka Vauda, Assistant director is Vera Beleva, the lighting artist is Andrey Hajdinyak, Emil Dinkov. The orchestra and chorus of the Sofia Opera take part.

What is your biggest challenge as stage director of “Parsifal”?

- To be able to suggest that if people have a mission and inspiration, given by the heavenly protection, they will also have the power of Parsifal for holy communion, consecration and salvation. And this is the ability to serve with a pure soul.

What would you like to say to the audience before entering the Sofia Opera on 1 and 3 April at the spectacle?

- The action in this sacred drama, which is set outside the time and place of the specificity of the legend, reflects the endless cycle of life, including birth, life, death and rebirth. The action unites these symbols of all religions, however different, with the power of good and the need to believe in something important and predestined. To overcome evil, to believe in the salvation of the human soul, to keep the holy covenant of men with God, is the most important necessity and the will for the strong ability of man, whatever religion he professes.

The finale of the opera, with the mystery of the Feast of Holy Communion, can only be revealed to those who are called to serve it. “Parsifal” is a mystery of parallel worlds, a sparkling nirvana that keeps the mind awake with the influential music and philosophy of Richard Wagner, the triumph of the life and work of the composer, his last opera.

https://www.bta.bg/bg/news/lik/242377-akad-plamen-kartalov-parsifal-e-tochen-obraz-na-vrazkata-ni-s-duhovniya-svya

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Professor Dr. Stanislav Semerdzhiev about the staging of the opera “Chatterers”

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Professor Dr. Stanislav Semerdzhiev about the staging of the opera "Chatterers"
26 Mar 2022 Sofia Opera and Ballet

I would say that every work that Acad. Plamen Kartaloff stages has always been an event for me. “Chatterers” differs from other events with exceptional attractiveness and relevance at the same time. To a certain extent, this is an opera that tempts every spectator to touch the interpretation of Vazov’s work. At the same time, it puts every spectator to the test, as Lazar Nikolov’s music is innovative. It would be very difficult for an ordinary spectator to perceive it in its essence. And here it seems to me that is the great success of Acad. Kartaloff and for the whole team, because they managed to find the intersection between the strictly specific musical culture that one must have and the general human moral values that people profess, for to be able to understand the plot transmitted through this musical culture. Last but not least, I would like to emphasize that for me and for the people I communicated with after the spectacle, the general impression is of an exceptional symbiosis between singers, orchestra, scenography, costumes, directing, lyrics and music. Everyone gave their utmost efforts to be able to create a work not just of art, but a work that combines both art and its promotion.

We are accustomed to perceiving opera primarily as an art of music, with the exception of Wagner, in general the spectator is not familiar with other similar works for the development of an opera theatre. In this sense, the effort to present such a Bulgarian version of “Chatterers”, for me is not just successful, but very contributing insofar as, again referring to Wagner’s idea of opera, the construction of the present spectacle is very much following these principles.

It seems to me that an ensemble, as the whole production was built, could easily claim both a musical and a theatrical production – as a genre characteristic. The acting performance was by no means below the level of the musical performance. Even in some situations, I thought I was on the stage of the National Theatre and not on the stage of the National Opera. What is even more interesting is that there were no brightly distinguished actors, they were all in an overflowing complex performance configuration, in which no one was trying to outdo the other, the colleague, but trying to work in a team. Something that is generally difficult to achieve even in the theatre. In this sense, “Chatterers” is a great success in terms of the development of an acting and singing ensemble.

I have already mentioned that the event is very topical. Curiously, it was created before the current military situation in Ukraine and at the same time comments on each military situation in an exceptionally appropriate way. And the universal message is very strong, because it shows several layers of relations in the Bulgarian society, in our elite structure. And during the Ottoman rule, when many Bulgarians were in power, and now, obviously the elites, the top have their own ideas about their role in the social development, but when it comes to purely human relationships and reactions in extreme situations, it turns out that they are quite inferior to the common man. “Chatterers” shows very clearly the transience of the moral foundations of the society – this is a characteristic not only of that time, but also today.

It is difficult to say what Ivan Vazov would say, and also what more would say Lazar Nikolov. I personally believe that they would have a very positive attitude towards what we saw on the stage. Kartaloff has his own style and I envy him for his exceptional approach, which he constantly shows, for decades a distinctive style that is both national and global – qualities that could be worthy for any world stage. That is why it would be interesting to see the reaction of a foreign audience to the production of “Chatterers” and I wish it to the Sofia Opera and personally to Kartaloff.

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Colorful and modern Vazov’s “Chatterers” sing at the Sofia Opera

04 Mar 2022Lupa.bg

Марина Чертова  Author: Marina Chertova

In Plamen Kartaloff’s prophetic and original spectacle, the characters reveal the eternal Bulgarian crossroads

Colorful and modern Vazov's "Chatterers" sing at the Sofia Opera

The contemporary quarrels between the big countries in the world were interweaved in an original way in the opera “Chatterers”, staged at the Sofia Opera by the director Acad. Plamen Kartaloff. The premiere of the musical work by the composer Lazar Nikolov based on the novel of the same name by Ivan Vazov took place in Sofia on the eve of the National Holiday of Bulgaria – 3 March. This is why the long-awaited spectacle began with the anthem of the republic, and then scenes from the Revival were opened to the audience, but transferred to the modern era.

Seven years after the Liberation from Turkish yoke, Ivan Vazov turned to the epoch of the Revival to tell with humorous and ironic devices the life of his fellow citizens from Sopot, still inhabiting the enslaved territories of Bulgaria, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire.

The memorable images of colorful characters like Hadji Smion, Ivancho Yotata, Ivan Selyamsazat, Mironcho, Varlaam Koprinarkata, Varlaam’s Wife and Selyamsaz’s Wife and many others bring together all the characteristics of the guild society, in which freedom is so dreamed of by the chatterers, but they find themselves so entangled in their petty life dramas and fears that they do not have the time or courage to fight for it, so it remains a topic of conversation at the table.

In Plamen Kartaloff’s original, prophetic and psychological dramaturgy of “Chatterers” the action is transferred from the Dzhakovo Cafe to a luxury sanatorium among beautiful natural views, as Vazov’s characters are placed in an interesting way in a kind of bridge between past and present. Instead of wearing hooded cloaks, the “new” chatterers enjoy soft warm blankets from the modern SPA.

Thus, the director remains loyal to the spirit of Vazov’s work, but also appeals to the contemporary spectators to make them think not only about the pre-liberation era, but also about everything that happens around us and with us in today’s divided world.

In this 160-year journey from Ottoman Bulgaria to modern free Bulgaria, Maestro Kartaloff turned to the popular writer Georgi Gospodinov, under whose pen an analytical text about the “Chatterers” and contemporary Bulgarians came out. And Malin Krastev and Mihail Bilalov read this text, thus helping today’s spectators to orient themselves better in Vazov’s “Chatterers”.

Someone will ask – is this necessary? Such a directorial technique is especially needed for the younger spectators, so that they can immerse themselves not only in that Revival era, but also to understand it and, hopefully, to rediscover it for themselves.

It was namely this era that Lazar Nikolov recreated 91 years later, when he created the opera of the same name in 1971. Still then, he turned to the director Plamen Kartaloff with a request to stage it. This request has been waiting for more than 40 years, and today it is already a fact. “Maybe then I wasn’t mature enough for this music. Maybe I was scared and didn’t feel like doing it. At that time, I had only done Pipkov, because I am a Pipkovist. But Lazar Nikolov very delicately told me that he wanted a meeting with me – to look at the score. I don’t know what was rising in front of me, but I didn’t continue the conversation. Maestro, I apologize to you. Now I am mature enough for your music. Thank you”, frank was Maestro Kartaloff. The staging of “Chatterers” is a sign of respect for the composer on the occasion of 100 years since his birth.

To the talent of Vazov and Nikolov, the Sofia Opera and Ballet added that of the artist Boris Dimovski, whose caricature turned into a poster of the production. And his drawings became part of Sven Yonke’s scenography filled with a lot of symbolic.

Part of the spectacle’s impressive vision is the rotating elevated stage, which sometimes turns into a sanatorium, sometimes into a Revival house or an old times street, and above them shines a large globe, in which we look at ourselves – maybe because, as Acad. Plamen Kartaloff shares, we are all chatterers and every one of us will find something of himself in the thoughts, emotions and actions of this “gallery of types and customs of Bulgarians in Turkish times”, according to the description of the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature. And this proves once again that the modern reading of Lazar Nikolov’s opera is not only attractive, but also an expression of mastery, originality and ingenuity on the part of the director. Because it is easy to stage the “Chatterers” in that era and in that way of life and environment, but the more interesting and bigger challenge is to see how they would fit into the present.

And the characters of the opera, clarifying the Eastern question and whether Russia will declare war on the Ottoman Empire to liberate Bulgaria from the Ottoman yoke, will make the contemporary spectator wonder if today we wholeheartedly and sincerely defend our freedom and independence. And whether they are ready to proudly raise their heads and remove the slave fez from their heads, or is it more convenient to hide under it and wait for someone to liberate them.

 

 

It is not by chance that the chatterers are wondering which way to take – to Europe, to America, to the Balkans, on the way to God” or to go where the inscription reads “The road is under repair”.

” Isn’t the world of characters a mirror of the meaningless chatter of absurd characters? They are frozen in reflection in their time, but also insightful into the future of events that they expect others to walk the path to and do. They do not act, they always rethink in hyperbolic fantasy everyday ridiculous events, have fun and try to be brave, but they are cowardly and hiding from the consequences of quarrels with the authorities. The pessimism of the characters is at the same time fun in the comfort of slavery, in which they live undisturbed, even happily. This leads them to the refuge of a timelessness, in which they will always be eternal and existing in perpetuum mobile. Perpetuum-mobile chatter, perpetuum-mobile quarrels and scandals. They play a game that has no end.”, shares his directorial concept Plamen Kartaloff.

“If the Iliad starts from that devastating wrath of Achilles, then this Bulgarian “seditious propaganda” starts from the wrath of the Tariliom and the Selyamsаz” because of an old quarrel over one spout, bequeathed by their fathers”. Such are our quarrels, such are our Iliads”, reasons Georgi Gospodinov through the voice of Malin Krastev.

” Still, Vazov is merciful. What Botev will cut off sharply – And you … you are idiots!, Vazov will tell us through the funny. His small, often sympathetically confused characters are torn between the Eastern Question and the coloured pants of Varlaam’s Wife. But he can’t stay with the warm humor and save the satire and the bitterness”, the writer thinks. And he is absolutely right when he says that “If we really want to understand what happened and what did not happen, especially what did not happen during the past Bulgarian century and a half, then part of the answer lies right here, in “this gallery of Bulgarian types and customs”.

Recent events in the world and the sharp confrontation between Russia and the United States over Moscow’s war in Ukraine also find a place in the spectacle, making it even more relevant. Although the production itself was conceived long before the conflict and the rehearsals began still at the end of last year. In the end, after the chatterers unfold the map of Europe from the middle of the 19th century, by them appear heavily armed Uncle Sam and a matryoshka doll, from whose backs protrude fighters. And the matryoshka doll is girded with ammunition and submachine guns – an obvious allegory of today’s dramatic events in Europe. As a sign of sympathy with the Ukrainian people, the Sofia Opera joined the world initiative to project the Ukrainian blue and yellow flag on the curtain before the performance.

Even spectators, who are not musicians, will feel that Lazar Nikolov’s opera is exceptionally complex in performance and is a real challenge for the talent of every conductor, orchestra, soloist and chorus. The orchestra did an amazing job with this so unusual, complex and fascinating musical work.

The team of the Sofia Opera under the direction of Plamen Kartaloff and under the conducting of Zhorzh Dimitrov and Boris Spasov undoubtedly proves that it is up to par and undoubtedly deserves the long applause, with which the first spectators of the opera “Chatterers” gave the musicians during the premiere spectacle on 2 March.

In the role of Hadji Smion is Atanas Mladenov, of Ivancho Yotata – Kostadin Andreev, of Mironcho – Emil Pavlov, of Varlaam Koprinarkata – Nikolay Pavlov, of Ivan Selyamsazat – Nikolay Petrov. Rada Toteva and Gergana Rusekova we shall see as Varlaam’s Wife and Selyamsaz’s Wife. As Hadji Atanasiy appears Atanas Yonkov, Veselin Mihaylov is Teacher Gatyu, Ventseslav Anastasov – Mister Fratyu, Biser Georgiev is Old Priest Stavri, Angel Hristov – Nikolaki, Krasimir Dinev – Micho Beyzadeto, Dimitar Stanchev is the Bey, Stefan Vladimirov = The Police Chief, Nikolay Voynov = the Owl, Angel Antonov = Assistant Teacher Mironovski.

Reinaldo Droz, Daniel Ostretsov and Rosen Nenchev are in the roles of Church Singers, Stanislava Momekova, Aleksandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva, Vesela Yaneva = of the Gossips, and dressed as characters from “Star Wars” Aleksandar Georgiev, Georgi Dzhanov, Kalin Dushkov enter the personages of medics, who take care of the chatterers in the sanatorium.

“For a long time I have not enjoyed such an accurate, sharp and artistically motivated satire! To make a combination of a classical work by Ivan Vazov and the music by one of the most modern composers of our century, like Lazar Nikolov, and to obtain an exceptionally modern sounding and looking satire, is a great artistic achievement”, commented after the premiere the journalist Kin Stoyanov, who is the son of the great satirist Radoy Ralin.

“For me, this is an unexpected, exceptionally original interpretation of Vazov’s “Chatterers”! I appreciate very much the fact that the work on the spectacle started long before today’s events and yet its message is more than relevant, given what is happening today! With this production maestro Plamen Kartaloff shows that he can always surprise us with his amazingly accurate findings and artistic messages! This production is a real cultural event!”, is the opinion also of the cinematographer and producer Dimitar Dereliev.

According to the public figure Nevyana Malcheva, the message of this spectacle sounds amazingly relevant. “Maestro Kartaloff seems to be a prophet, because the concept and ideas that are woven into the artistic narrative, surprisingly exactly coincide with what is happening today in our country and around the world! This is how a harmonious combination was created between the authorial dimensions of Vazov from his time and the director’s visions, transferring the manners and customs of the past to the essence of our time! The spectacle requires a comprehensive reflection on the permanence of human aspirations and customs in our people’s psychology!”, shared her enthusiasm after the premiere Nevyana Malcheva.

“Today we enjoyed both the innovative music of the composer Lazar Nikolov, which is emblematic for its time, and the innovative ideas and artistic dimensions in the concept of maestro Plamen Kartaloff”, commented also Stanislav Pochekanski, President of the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers. ” What is contagious for the audience today was the enthusiasm and inspiration with which the artists performed their roles wonderfully and with which the orchestra handled this polyphonic and original work so brilliantly! Today we had the chance also to enjoy the original and so melodious speech of Vazov! This spectacle is an unforgettable experience that is worth seeing by every music connoisseur! I hope this unique spectacle stays on stage longer”, expressed he the wish also of the other impressed spectators.

And really, Plamen Kartaloff’s “Chatterers” are an unmistakable barometer of our reality. In honor of the spectacle Sofia Opera published a special program brochure with rich photographic material from the production, through which the spectators can learn more about the life of composer Lazar Nikolov, the history of the creation of the opera “Chatterers” and the director’s conception of Plamen Kartaloff.

The next dates, when you can laugh with “Chatterers” at the Sofia Opera or laugh at yourself, are 4, 6 and 22 March. And everyone will feel for himself whether for him the “chatterers” are “they” or “we”.


https://lupa.bg/news/koloritni-i-savremenni-vazovite-quotchichovciquot-peyat-v-sofiyska-opera_165546news.html

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The opera “Chatterers” – a political and social caricature in the XXI century

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The opera “Chatterers” – a political and social caricature in the XXI century
Photo: А пътят към Бога е в ремонт.

06 Mar 2022, Trud newspaper
Author: Angela Dimcheva
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Premiere at the Sofia Opera and Ballet

“Nepotism” goes behind the frames of everyday life, beyond the time cliché of the Revival, fixed in the short novel.

There are few operas, in which the artists can demonstrate such an enviable comedic range, as in “Chatterers”

The challenges in the world of music are a registered trade mark of Acad. Plamen Kartaloff. The stage of the Sofia Opera and Ballet doesn’t have a “winter sleep” despite the pandemic obstacles for two whole years. Hardly the audience of the Capital has suggested that the premiere of the opera “Chatterers” by Lazar Nikolov would resound like a political and social bomb in this so anxious moment for the Europeans. On 2 and 4 March were the first performances with full hall, and the  primary cause for the appearance of this work is the 100th Anniversary of the composer Lazar Nikolov.

We owe to Acad. Kartaloff applauses not only for unique conception on the realization of this opera, but also for his skill to translate the archaic language of Vazov’s short novel “Chatterers” into a dynamic figuratively symbolic mise-en-scène and to interweave the ironical in the extremely complex, avantgarde musical canvas, created by Lazar Nikolov.

One sustainable concept in Bulgarian folk psychology, namely the “nepotism”, at the end of the spectacle goes behind the frames of everyday life, beyond the time cliché of the Revival, fixed in the short novel.

The dramaturgy is moving on the fragile boundary between then and now, parodying the unimportant, the futility of existence, the antinomy rebellion-slavery and national-specific understanding of “one’s own”.

The director himself defines Lazar Nikolov’s work as a phenomenon, because both the text and the music are a parody of the way of life and the manners in the Bulgarian society: “Isn’t the world of heroes a mirror of the meaningless chatters of absurd heroes? They are frozen in reflections in their time, but also insightful into the future of events that others expect to walk the path to and realize… This leads them to the refuge of a timelessness in which they are eternal and existing in perpetuum mobile.”

The topos of action is a serene sanatorium, and the counterpoint soon appears: the neighbor’s quarrel between the Varlaam’s Wife and the Selyamsaz’s Wife. They turn into a war, and the hidden messages of the characters go beyond the original literalism. The musical language, built on the prosody of the Vasov’s stylistic, deserves attention. “Translating the verbal intonation into tonal heights, the composer creates a peculiar, Bulgarian in essence, recitative melody in nature… Through the Revival intonations he managed to create the image of the Bulgarian before the Liberation, whose helplessness to sacrifice himself, kills in hot but useless verbal tirades for rebellion, which stop as soon as the first danger appears” – notes in a review Georgi Tutev still in 1979.

Gradually, however, the dynamics of the action prevails, “everyday” claims to be “rebellious”, the contrast of black and white in the scenography ignites, forte turns into fortissimo, laughter is through tears, because the Bulgarian land and native soul are torn between East and West. between the hope of freedom and the fear of one’s own life. Just as, in fact, today’s political situation introduces an exalted agenda in our society through extreme gestures.

Acad. Kartaloff’s ingenious insight represents the silent scarecrows of the finale, symbolizing the United States, Russia and China. And the way to God is under repair. The idea of a narrator’s voice with a text by Georgi Gospodinov is also great before key scenes: “Does this have anything to do with us now? Whether the way we are inflamed by everything today is not like those quarrels – from the iota, through the fish’s back, to Russia and the Eastern question. By the way, the latter are on the agenda again today. The café has become Facebook. Everyone babbles at random and decides the fate of the world there, from the cosy nowhere. (And the world does not suspect anything)”.

Plamen Kartaloff and Zhorzh Dimitrov on the stage

The staging of the National Opera gives us a sign that opera is on the rise – the professionalism of the orchestra, directed by Zhorzh Dimitrov, is indisputable, and in the roles of the two main characters Hadji Smion and Ivancho Yotata transformed themselves Atanas Mladenov and Kostadin Andreev. There are few operas in which artists can demonstrate such an enviable comedic range as in “Chatterers”. It is important to note the stage presence of Nikolay Pavlov (Varlaam), Nikolay Petrov (Ivan the Selyamsaz), Emil Pavlov (Mironcho), Atanas Yonkov (Hadji Atanasiy), Veselin Mihaylov (Teacher Gatyu), Ventseslav Anastasov (Mister Fratyu), Biser Georgiev (Old Priest Stavri), Angel Hristov (Nikolaki), Krasimir Dinev (Micho Bezaydeto), as well as the as well as the colourful images of Rada Toteva (Varlaam’s Wife) and Gergana Rusekova (The Selyamsaz’s Wife).

The participation of the children from the Vocal-Theatre Group “Talasamcheta” gives an interesting nuance – who notices our children in all the chaos of dreams and unattainable? Sven Jonke has created a magnetic as details and multimedia effects sets; the language of costumes speaks in impressive contrast to the diseases of our society, which has not changed in its essence for the last 150 years: again, this fear of the unknown, demonization of the Other, “everyone is a mascara” and a “false world” in which we are all comfortable. The world doesn’t think about the future, the final scene of the spectacle tells us the future – many directions, but the glass is full of Carpe diem! (Live today)! Or as Vazov says in “Under the Yoke”: “An enslaved nation, though hopeless, never commits suicide. He eats, drinks and makes children”.

https://trud.bg/

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FEEDBACK REVIEWS FOR THE PREMIERE OF “CHATTERERS” BY LAZAR NIKOLOV ON 2.03.2022

ОТЗИВИ НА ЗРИТЕЛИ ЗА ПРЕМИЕРАТА НА "ЧИЧОВЦИ" ОТ ЛАЗАР НИКОЛОВ НА 2.03.2022

On the eve of the National Holiday of Bulgaria, the Sofia Opera presented the premiere of the opera satire “Chatterers” by Lazar Nikolov based on Ivan Vazov’s novel of the same name!

Full hall, unceasing applause for the soloists, the chorus, the orchestra and the ballet of the Sofia Opera.

Participants:
Atanas Mladenov – HADJI SMION
Kostadin Andreev – IVANCHO YOTATA
Emil Pavlov – MIRONCHO
Atanas Yonkov – HADJI ATANASIY
Nikolay Pavlov – VARLAAM KOPRINARKATA THE TARILYOM
Nikolay Petrov – IVAN SELYAMSAZ
Veselin Mihaylov – TEACHER GATYU
Ventseslav Anastasov – MISTER FRATYU
Biser Georgiev – OLD PRIEST STAVRI
Petar Buchkov, Angel Hristov – NIKOLAKI
Krasimir Dinev – MICHO BEZAYDETO
Rada Toteva – VARLAAM’S WIFE
Gergana Rusekova – SELYAMSAZ’S WIFE
Dimitar Stanchev – THE BEY
Nikolay Voynov – THE OWL
Angel Antonov – ASSISTANT TEACHER MIRONOVSKI
Reinaldo Droz, Daniel Ostretsov and Rosen Nenchev – CHURCH SINGERS
Stanislava Momekova, Alexandrina StoyanovaAndreeva, Vesela Yaneva – GOSSIPS
Georgi Danov, Daniel Ostretsov, Kalin Dushkov – MEDICAL STAFF
Malin Krastev – THE CONTEMPORARY
Mihail Bilalov – VOICE FROM HEAVEN

Production team:
CONDUCTORS – Zhorzh Dimitrov, Boris Spasov
STAGE DIRECTOR – Plamen Kartaloff
ASSISTANTDIRECTORS – Vera Petrovа, Vera Beleva
SET DESIGNER – Sven Jonke
ASSISTANT SET DESIGNER – Vanja Magić
COSTUME DESIGNER – Stanka Vauda
LIGHTING DESIGNER – Ivan Lushichich
MUSICAL TRAINING – Agnes Dankova
PLASTICS – Lzudmila Ilieva, Maria Zordanova
CHORUS MASTER – Violeta Dimitrova
REPETITEURS – Martin Stoyanov, Svetlana Ananievska
MULTIMEDIA ELEKTRICK.ME – Lora Runevska, Katrin Krasimirova, Vladimir Grancharov
PRODUCTION MANAGER – Vladimir Gorchakov

With the participation of children from Children’s Vocal and Theatrical Formation “TALASAMCHE” with director Dimitar Kostantsaliev

Orchestra, chorus and ballet of the Sofia Opera

Here is what our loyal spectators shared:

“Exceptionally current production! It was a pleasure for me to see something that is so close to our conception of the world! At the beginning of the spectacle, I had fun, but gradually it led us to serious thoughts, until by the end there was a feeling of anxiety that our reality is quite similar to the problems of a completely different time! This performance is something different, something new and definitely a must see! And let me acknowledge, I’ve never seen anything like it!”

Dimitria Bozova

“What we saw tonight was something wonderful for me! The artists played captivatingly! The messages of this production are more than relevant today! I thank the entire artistic team of the Sofia Opera for providing us with an unforgettable spiritual holiday!”

Hristina Barzanova

“This spectacle is fantastic! It was a wonderful interpretation of Vazov’s “Chatterers”! This is a great achievement of the art of the opera! The findings and artistic means with which the folk psychology of the Bulgarian is presented are remarkable! Today we witnessed a wonderful artistic ensemble, and the orchestra did a brilliant job with a complex and unforgettable work that requires high professionalism!”

Hristo Valchev

“I am very excited! Wonderful production! The creative hits of maestro Plamen Kartaloff were incredible, as always! I am impressed with how much interest the audience watched the spectacle until the end! The satisfaction from this performance cannot be expressed in words! The artists captivated us with the spirit they put into their performances! The orchestra did an amazing job with such an unusual, complex and fascinating music work! The director’s artistic ideas and staging decisions were phenomenal! Pass on my enthusiastic admiration to all participants for this unique artistic achievement!”

Iva Borovanska

“Great show! The events, manners and everyday routines of the Bulgarian were presented in a charmingly modern way! We saw an original production, perfectly constructed with a lot of dynamics, great ideas, emotional mise-en-scènes, filled with provoking symbolism sets, stylish costumes for the era, and all this subject to a bold and original direction! The show provokes spontaneous reflection on the permanence of the customs of the past and our present! I hope this amazing production lasts a long time, because it deserves to be seen by more spectators!”

Biserka Nikolova, Mariana Sevova and Ani Yankova

“The message of this spectacle sounds amazingly relevant! Maestro Kartaloff seems to be a prophet, because the concept and ideas that are woven into the artistic narrative, surprisingly exactly coincide with what is happening today in our country and around the world! This is how a harmonious combination was created between the authorial dimensions of Vazov from his time and the director’s visions, transferring the manners and customs of the past to the essence of our time! The spectacle requires a comprehensive reflection on the permanence of human aspirations and customs in our people’s psychology!”

Nevyana Malcheva

” I would like to congratulate the wonderful artists who tonight gave a lot of heart and spirit in their performances! I have worked with many of them at the Faculty of Music and I know them well! We must also give credit to the repetiteurs, who have undoubtedly worked dedicatedly and intensively in the preparation of each role! The soloists we saw tonight also presented themselves as great actors! The chorus undoubtedly also gave their best! The direction has harmoniously combined the dramaturgical basis of Vazov’s work with the musical ideas and the atmosphere corresponding to the musical matter of the composer! We are witnessing a wonderful combination of the message of this work with tomorrow’s national holiday and let’s appreciate the fact that placing this title on the Sofia stage is a worthy celebration of the centenary of the birth of the composer Lazar Nikolov and thus is achieved a kind of gesture to Bulgarian music! ”

Galina Apostolova

“I am delighted by the phantasy of the director Plamen Kartaloff, his ability to combine the past with the present and the future! We saw today with what imagination and with what philosophy the classics can be presented with what we want Bulgaria to live with, for our country to survive and for peace to be preserved! This production is a very inspired message to our desire to preserve life on Earth and to live our Bulgaria!”

Magda Asenova, publicist

“For me, this is an unexpected, exceptionally original interpretation of Vazov’s “Chatterers”! I appreciate very much the fact that the work on the spectacle started long before today’s events and yet its message is more than relevant, given what is happening today! With this production maestro Plamen Kartaloff shows that he can always surprise us with his amazingly accurate findings and artistic messages! This production is a real cultural event!”

Dimitar Dereliev

” Today we enjoyed both the innovative music of the composer Lazar Nikolov, which is emblematic for its time, and the innovative ideas and artistic dimensions in the concept of maestro Plamen Kartaloff! What is contagious for the audience today was the enthusiasm and inspiration with which the artists performed their roles wonderfully and with which the orchestra handled this polyphonic and original work so brilliantly! Today we had the chance also to enjoy the original and so melodious speech of Vazov! This spectacle is an unforgettable experience that is worth seeing by every music connoisseur! I hope this unique spectacle stays on stage longer! Good luck, colleagues! I love you!”

Stanislav Pochekanski, President of the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers

“Exceptionally mature spectacle! Exceptional directorial work of maestro Plamen Kartaloff! The orchestra, chorus and soloists were at the highest possible level! This unique work by the composer Lazar Nikolov deserves to have a longer stage life, as we are witnessing original dramaturgy, great musical interpretation and the so inspired performance of all artists!”

Momchil Georgiev

“For a long time I have not enjoyed such an accurate, sharp and artistically motivated satire! To make a combination of a classical work by Ivan Vazov and the music by one of the most modern composers of our century, like Lazar Nikolov, and to obtain an exceptionally modern sounding and looking satire, is a great artistic achievement!”

Kin Stoyanov

 

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The director of the Sofia Opera has been invited to be part of the prestigious jury of an international music competition.

Russia and Germany invited the Director of the Sofia Opera to be part of the prestigious jury of an international music competition in Moscow

14 Feb 2022Lupa.bg / Marina Chertova

The Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet Acad. Plamen Kartaloff was part of the prestigious jury of the Competizione dell’opera International Singing Competition, which this year was held at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, learned Lupa.bg. This is one of the biggest vocal competitions in the world and the only one, in which the participants perform only Italian opera repertoire in its entire variety – from ancient music to the music of the ХХ century.

The competition had its beginning in 1996, when Prof. Hermann Rauhe, who at that time was President of the Hamburg University of Music and Drama, organized the I Cestelli Opera Competition. Director of the competition became the opera stage director Hans-Joachim Frey. Since 2001, the event has been held in Dresden, and the first country, outside of Germany, which became host of the competition, was Russia. It was held at the Bolshoi Theatre for a third time already.

The building of the Bolshoi Theatre is one of the most beautiful in Moscow

In its consecutive edition this year, took part young opera singers from all over the world, and the finale of the competition was on 6 February on the new stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.

In the competent jury, besides Maestro Plamen Kartaloff, were the Chief conductor and Music director of the Bolshoi Theatre Tugan Sokhiev, the Rector of the Baku Academy of Music – Farhad Badalbeyli, the opera singers Günther Groissböck, Makvala Kasrashvili, Marina Mescheriakova, Kurt Rydl, the theatrologist Alexander Gusev, the conductors Anton Lubchenko and José Antonio Méndez Padrón, the General director of Grand Théâtre de Bordeaux Emmanuel Hondré and other eminent specialists from the whole world.

The stage director together with Bulgarian opera singers during the guest-performance of Sofia Opera at the Bolshoi Theatre in 2018

The invitation to Acad. Kartaloff to be part of the jury of the international vocal competition in Moscow is a token of respect for him as an eminent opera stage director and manager on behalf of the opera guild in Russia and Germany. As it is known, the Director of the Sofia Opera has gathered an experience of many years in the realization of one of the most impressive titles in the world opera classic: Wagner’s tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” – “Das Rheingold”, “Die Walküre”, “Siegfried” and “Götterdämmerung”, followed by “Tristan und Isolde” and “Parsifal”, with which he was guest-performer of the hard to please audience in both countries. The Bulgarian stage director is well-known to the admirers of classics in Germany and Russia, as well as to the local music guild.

Историческата сцена на Болшой театър, където преди няколко години гостува Софийска опера

Така например през 2018 г. българският „Пръстен на Нибелунга“ бе представен на една от най-авторитетните сцена в света – историческата сцена на Болшой театър в Москва при огромен успех. Спектакълът предизвика фурор и публиката дълго време аплодира българските солисти, оркестъра, хора и режисьора за талантливата реализация на Вагнеровата творба. Интересът към гостуването се дължеше и заради отсъствието на Вагнерово заглавие в московските оперни театри и затова интерпретацията на маестро Карталов заинтригува руските оперни специалисти.

The historical stage of the Bolshoi Theatre, where Sofia Opera was guest-performer several years ago

So for example in 2018 the Bulgarian “Der Ring des Nibelungen” was presented on one of the most prestigious stages in the world – the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow with great success. The spectacle provoked a furore and the audience applauded for a long time the Bulgarian soloists, the orchestra, the chorus and the stage director for the talented realization of Wagner’s work. The interest in the guest-performance was due also because of the absence of Wagner’s title at the Moscow opera theatres and this is why Maestro Kartaloff’s interpretation aroused the curiosity of the Russian opera specialists.

Plamen Kartaloff and the Bulgarian musicians receive ovations at the Bolshoi Theatre at the presentation of Lyubomir Pipkov’s “Yana’s Nine Brothers”

Then the Director of the Bolshoi Theatre Vladimir Urin complained that the Moscow opera theatre, which is actually one of the richest in the world, doesn’t have the possibility to realize such a grandiose project like “Der Ring des Nibelungen” and congratulated Plamen Kartaloff for the energy to stage Wagner’s opera masterpiece in Bulgaria.

At the Bolshoi Theatre Acad. Kartaloff presented also the Bulgarian opera “Yana’s Nine Brothers” by Lyubomir Pipkov, which evoked furore among the Moscow audience too. This happened also thanks to the signed contract between the Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet Acad. Plamen Kartaloff and the Honoured Art Worker of Russia and Director of the Bolshoi Theatre Vladimir Urin.

The guest-performances of the Sofia Opera in Moscow in 2018 were really a great event, because the last guest-performance of Bulgarian opera artists at the Bolshoi Theatre was in the distant 1981.

The St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral turned in 2014 into sets for Plamen Kartaloff’s spectacular performance of “Boris Godunov”

Plamen Kartaloff has also a special sentiment for the Russian opera classic and as stage director he produced a series of works by Russian music classics. Among them were “Prince Igor” by Borodin, “Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, “Mavra” and “Renard” by Stravinsky and others.

The opera audience of the Capital still remembers his visionary spectacle “Boris Godunov”, when the square in front of the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral turned into Arena di Verona and for the first time in the history the largest Orthodox temple on the Balkans became sets for Maestro Kartaloff’s spectacular performance.

The square in front of the largest Orthodox temple on the Balkans turned into Arena di Verona for the presentation of the opera “Boris Godunov”

This February at Sofia Opera the eminent stage director presents as a premiere also the opera “Prince Igor” in a new interpretation and with a new finale. He staged Alexander Borodin’s historical opera drama still in 2009, and the production was performed with success on a Japan tour in Tokyo and Nagoya.

The new director’s reading shows the lead character Prince Igor without the traditional clichés and presents before the spectators a different and strongly impressing finale. After a lot of historical researches and excellent knowledge of the work of art of the Russian composer, Plamen Kartaloff undertakes a bold move – he takes a step to a new contemporary version of the opera’s finale.

https://lupa.bg/news/maestro-kartalov-izpitva-operni-pevci-v-bolshoi-teatar_162086news.html

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Georgi Gospodinov is part of the team of “Chatterers” at Sofia Opera, Plamen Kartaloff situates Vazov’s characters in a sanatorium

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

http://www.bta.bg/bg/c/EZ/id/2576589

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Press conference, dedicated to the premiere of the opera-satire “Chatterers” by Lazar Nikolov

 

 

Пресконференция, посветена на премиерата на операта-сатира „Чичовци“ от Лазар Николов.
Today, 15 February at 11 h, at the Sofia Opera and Ballet took place a press conference, dedicated to the premiere of the opera-satire “Chatterers” by Lazar Nikolov.At the press conference were present journalists from different medias, the artistic cast and a part of the production team of “Chatterers”. The stage director of the production, Plamen Kartaloff, told about his work on the opera and thanked the artists that already four months they have been working with devotion, with a feeling of responsibility for the new Bulgarian premiere.

Maestro Kartaloff revealed also his personal contacts with the composer Lazar Nikolov. For the stage director “Chatterers” is a congenial combination between Lazar Nikolov’s music and Ivan Vazov’s talent. He is convinced that this premiere will be a top in the history of the Sofia Opera.

Every new season, the National Opera stages one Bulgarian opera from our musical legacy and this way it fulfils its duty to our national memory.

The conductor Boris Spasov pointed out that not a single one of the artists during the rehearsals has ever complained that it was difficult for him or her. Each one of them had to fight with Lazar Nikolov’s difficult music and be highly concentrated in direction of developing the characters. The artists expressed their gratitude to Maestro Kartaloff, who teaches them to follow not only the traditions, but to create traditions.

Plamen Kartaloff underlined at the end of the press conference that exactly now, when it is Lazar Nikolov’s 100th Anniversary is as if the right time to be staged the spectacle “Chatterers”. “I invited colleagues, emphasized the Maestro, to who I solely could count on and not to delay the birth for a first stage life of the opera “Chatterers” any more.

 

 

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Academician Plamen Kartaloff about the contemporary reading and sounding of the opera “Chatterers”

The whole interview with Acad. Plamen Kartaloff you can hear from the sound file:

16 Feb 2022 BNR, “Horizont”

Acad. Plamen Kartaloff

The opera “Chatterers” by the composer Lazar Nikolov after the short novel of the same name by Ivan Vazov will have its first performance in Bulgaria in March on the stage of the Sofia Opera and Ballet.

This way from the institution will mark Lazar Nikolov’s 100th Anniversary, told for the Bulgarian National Radio the Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet and stage director of the spectacle Acad. Plamen Kartaloff:

“A tendency is not sought after, but there is an actualization. The events are so as dynamics and as vagueness that actually art is eternal and on this occasion music, as well as literature are those barometers of the epoch, which really give support to the contemporary”.

https://bnr.bg/horizont/post/101602314/akad-plamen-kartalov-za-savremennite-prochit-i-zvuchene-na-chichovci

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World premiere of the opera “Chatterers” at the Sofia Opera

Eurocom TV, 15.02.2022, Zlatina Petkova

Hardly seven years after the Liberation, the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature Ivan Vazov looked back to the past years, in order to tell, through laughter, the being of his fellow-citizens from Sopot, inhabiting still captive territories of our country.

The memorable personages of Hadji Smion, Ivancho Yotata, Ivan the Selyamsaz, Nikolaki, Varlaam’s Wife, Teacher Gatyu and many others gather in themselves all small and as if charming defects of the narrow-minded society, in which freedom is dreamt by the characters, but they turn out to be too busy with their small quarrels of life to have the time and the courage to fight for it, and this is why it remains a topic of conversations at the table.

Namely this epoch recreated Lazar Nikolov 91 years later, when he created the opera of the same name in 1971. Still then he turned to the stage director Plamen Kartaloff with the request to stage it. More than 40 years this request waited its time and today it is already a fact. In March this year is upcoming a world premiere of the opera “Chatterers”, and stage director is the chosen by the author himself Academician Plamen Kartaloff. The occasion, however, is Lazar Nikolov’s 100th Anniversary.

To the talent of Vazov and Nikolov, the Sofia Opera and Ballet adds the one of the painter Boris Dimovski, whose caricature turned into a poster of the production.

And in the end, in order past and present to shake hands, in this entire beautiful realization, presenting our way of life and culture, interferes one of the most read contemporary Bulgarian writers.

The world premiere of the opera “Chatterers” by Lazar Nikolov will take place on 2 March at 19:00 h on the stage of Sofia Opera and Ballet.

https://eurocom.bg/new/svetovna-premiera-na-operata-chichovtsi

 

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World premiere of the opera “Chatterers” at the Sofia Opera

23 Feb 2022EUROCOM, Video report
Eurocom TV, 15.02.2022, Zlatina Petkova

Вазовите „Чичовци“ за пръв път ще звучат като опера

Hardly seven years after the Liberation, the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature Ivan Vazov looked back to the past years, in order to tell, through laughter, the being of his fellow-citizens from Sopot, inhabiting still captive territories of our country.

The memorable personages of Hadji Smion, Ivancho Yotata, Ivan the Selyamsaz, Nikolaki, Varlaam’s Wife, Teacher Gatyu and many others gather in themselves all small and as if charming defects of the narrow-minded society, in which freedom is dreamt by the characters, but they turn out to be too busy with their small quarrels of life to have the time and the courage to fight for it, and this is why it remains a topic of conversations at the table.

Namely this epoch recreated Lazar Nikolov 91 years later, when he created the opera of the same name in 1971. Still then he turned to the stage director Plamen Kartaloff with the request to stage it. More than 40 years this request waited its time and today it is already a fact. In March this year is upcoming a world premiere of the opera “Chatterers”, and stage director is the chosen by the author himself Academician Plamen Kartaloff. The occasion, however, is Lazar Nikolov’s 100th Anniversary.

To the talent of Vazov and Nikolov, the Sofia Opera and Ballet adds the one of the painter Boris Dimovski, whose caricature turned into a poster of the production.

And in the end, in order past and present to shake hands, in this entire beautiful realization, presenting our way of life and culture, interferes one of the most read contemporary Bulgarian writers.

The world premiere of the opera “Chatterers” by Lazar Nikolov will take place on 2 March at 19:00 h on the stage of Sofia Opera and Ballet.

https://eurocom.bg/new/svetovna-premiera-na-operata-chichovtsi

https://www.tvevropa.com/2022/02/vazovite-chichovtsi-za-prav-pat-shte-zvuchat-kato-opera/

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Vazov’s “Chatterers” change the coffee-house with a sanatorium

Марина Чертова

 lupa.bg,
Author: Marina Chertova

Вазовите "Чичовци" сменят кафенето със санаториум

Ivan Vazov’s colourful characters from his humoristic short novel “Chatterers” change the Dzhakovoto café with a luxury sanatorium. This is part of the director’s concept of Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, who stages at Sofia Opera the music work of the same name by the composer Lazar Nikolov after Vazov’s emblematic short novel. The spectators will witness a non-standard, modern reading of “Chatterers”, which will be closer to the contemporary Bulgarian.

Remaining true to the spirit of Vazov, Plamen Kartaloff will elegantly transfer this “gallery of Bulgarian types and customs in the Turk time”, after the description of the Patriarch of Bulgarian literature, a century forwards, so that everyone of us could discover himself in “Chatterers”. The stage director shared at a special conference, dedicated to the premiere of the opera, that he has invited the writer Georgi Gospodinov to become part of the spectacle, upcoming in March.

“I am happy that he accepted to take part with a short additional text, which will direct the audience into each scene”, revealed Maestro Kartaloff. Gospodinov’s text will be read by an artist 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, as 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”, added further the Director of the Sofia Opera.

In Plamen Kartaloff’s modern reading of “Chatterers” the action takes place not in the Dzhakovoto café, 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”, figuratively and with sense of humour expressed himself the eminent opera stage director.

The solution of the Maestro to make an original bridge between the Revival and the Bulgarian society of today through a text by Georgi Gospodinov is innovative and quite logical, having in mind that Vazov, however, wrote “Chatterers” ca. 140 years ago, and the action takes place 160 years ago. Yet, Lazar Nikolov’s opera was created 50 years ago, but only now it is staged for the first time in Bulgaria.

“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”, shared Plamen Kartaloff further.

“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”, frank was the Director of the Sofia Opera. The staging of “Chatterers” is in token of respect to the composer and on the occasion of his 100th Anniversary. The premiere is envisaged for 2 March – one day before the National Holiday, and spectacles are upcoming on 4, 6 and 22 March too.

Certainly, for the contemporary spectator and especially for the children and the students, who as Plamen Kartaloff commented with sorrow, don’t read Vazov, the meeting with “Chatterers” will be rather interesting. In the pre-liberation Revival epoch Vazov saw the great, and the ridiculous in the Bulgarian people. It will be interesting to see how Vazov’s colourful characters Hadji Smion, Ivancho Yotata, Mironcho, Hadji Atanasiy, Varlaam Koprinarkata, Ivan Selyamsazat, Micho Beyzaseto come to life on the stage of Sofia Opera and make us laugh with their simplicity and kitchen-sink dramas. Ivan Vazov was a clever psychologist and knew the depths of the Bulgarian mentality and was turning to his characters, part of which are real prototypes too, with sympathy and irony, but not with sarcasm. Probably following this tradition of Vazov, the stage director Plamen Kartaloff too will reveal a society, sunk in its fights and problems, in which, however, we are part too. This is why the only, which remains to us is to laugh at ourselves and realize that sometimes we lose creative energy to make troubles for our neighbour, instead of unite ourselves.

Before Lupa.bg Plamen Kartaloff shared that it is envisaged the opera “Chatterers” to be presented also in Sopot – the place of birth of Ivan Vazov, as well as in Burgas, where from is the composer Lazar Nikolov. The ambition of Sofia Opera is to show the spectacle to more pupils and students, as well as to be guest in towns, from which started the Bulgarian Revival.

Yet another contemporary is interweaved in the opera “Chatterers” – this is the great caricaturist Boris Dimovski. Although 15 years he is not among us, he created cartoons and drawings, which today are even more topical than before. As for the first time Lupa.bg reported, in the posters for the opera “Chatterers” are interweaved two genial caricatures by Dimovski, which inscribe themselves in the march of the “Chatterers” and of the Bulgarian towards Europe and the modern world – a topic, which Maestro Kartaloff will probably analyse in a creative way in his staging.

The idea to take namely these two satiric drawings by Boris Dimovski is of the stage director himself, who was connected with a warm and long friendship with the caricaturist.

The Director of Sofia Opera consulted about the choice of both caricatures the writer and journalist Kin Stoyanov – son of the great satiric Radoy Ralin, with whom the stage director was friend too. One of the caricatures depicts a man, who is “pushing” Bulgaria with a cart on an uneven road in direction Europe. And on the second one – an exhausted man, the whole in patches, standing next to signs, directing “Road to Europe”, “Road to America”, “Road to the Balkans”, “Road to God” or “The road is under repair”.

Conductors of the opera “Chatterers” are Zhorzh Dimitrov and Boris Spasov. Set designer is Sven Jonke, who worked also on the effective set design of “Elektra” and “Yana’s Nine Brothers”, the stage director of which is Plamen Kartaloff too. Costume designer is Stanka Vauda.

In the role of Hadji Smion the spectators will see Atanas Mladenov, of Ivancho Yotata – Kostadin Andreev, of Mironcho – Emil Pavlov, of Varlaam Koprinarkata – Nikolay Pavlov, of Ivan Selyamsazat – Nikolay Petrov. Rada Toteva and Gergana Rusekova we shall see as Varlaamitsa and Selyamsazkata. In the rest of the roles are the soloists of Sofia Opera Atanas Yonkov, Veselin Mihaylov, Ventseslav Anastasov, Biser Georgiev, Petar Buchkov, Krasimir Dinev, Stanislava Momekova, Aleksandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva, Vesela Yaneva, Dimitar Stanchev, Nikolay Voynov, Angel Angelov, Reinaldo Droz, Aleksandar Georgiev, Kalin Dushkov, Georgi Dzhanov, Daniel Ostretsov and Rosen Nenchev.

Photos: Agnes Metodieva

https://lupa.bg/news/vazovite-quotchichovciquot-smenyat-kafeneto-sas-sanatorium_162800news.html

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The Sofia Opera and Ballet with a topical reading of “Chatterers” by Vazov

Bulgaria ON AIR

Upcoming is a world premiere of the opera “Chatterers” by Lazar Nikolov based on Vazov’s famous short novel.

“We had to stage “Chatterers” in the 80’s. 10 years after its composition at that time, I wonder if I wasn’t mature enough for this music and this work, or because I had other creative tasks, I couldn’t be in the courage of this message by Konstantin Iliev”, shared the Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet Acad. Plamen Kartaloff in the studio of “Bulgaria in the Morning”.

After his words, Vazov’s “Chatterers” can be also the “Chatterers” of today. The production makes a jump from the past into the modern times. It gives the spectator a reason to think over who we are and where we are, became clear further from Acad. Kartaloff’s words.

“My artists from the Sofia Opera transfer the action in the time of today. We shall make a worthy performance, which to be realized by the contemporary spectators. I transfer the action in a luxury sanatorium. Our chatterers, undisturbed by anyone, discuss politics, consider to overthrow the government. There is a toast “Long live the Bulgarian yoke”, told the guest of Bulgaria ON AIR.

The premiere in Sofia is on 2, 4, 6 and 22 March. On 22 March there will be a morning and an evening spectacle. From the Sofia Opera and Ballet intend to make performances also in Sopot and Burgas.

Watch the entire conversation in the video.

https://www.bgonair.bg/a/36-sutreshen-blok/256034-sofiyskata-opera-i-balet-s-aktualen-prochit-na-chichovtsi-na-vazov

 

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TRAILER | BORIS GODUNOV Mussorgsky – Sofia Opera and Ballet

TRAILER | BORIS GODUNOV Mussorgsky

Tsar Boris is acclaimed as a saviour by the people of Russia. But, as his troubled reign unfolds, he is consumed by guilt over the means by which he attained the highest power. What legacy will he leave to his frightened children and people?

Conceived to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the magnificent St Alexander Nevsky Memorial Cathedral at the heart of the city in 2014, Sofia National Opera performed in the open air at the entrance to the building. The production also commemorated the 100th anniversary of Boris Christoff and 85th of Nicolai Ghiaurov, the two great Bulgarian basses who were the outstanding exponents of the title role during the second half of the 20th century. Today’s Bulgarian artists combined forces to present this spectacular and unique tribute.

Streamed on OperaVision on 29 May 2020 at 19:00 CET and available for 3 months: https://operavision.eu/en/library/per…

CAST
Boris Godunov: Martin Tsonev
Feodor: Mario Krastev
Kseniya: Irina Zhekova Kseniya’s
Nurse: Rumyana Petrova
Prince Vasily Ivanovich
Shuysky: Sergey Drobishevsky
Andrey Shchelkalov: Biser Georgiev
Pimen: Angel Hristov
Old Man: Dimitar Stanchev
Grigory Otrepiev: Kostadin Andreev
Varlaam: Petar Buchkov
Misail: Plamen Papazikov
The Innkeeper: Tsveta Sarambelieva
Holy Fool: Hrisimir Damyanov
Police Officer 1: Orlin Nevenkin
Police Officer 2: Nikolay Petrov
Mityukha: Anton Radev
Patriarch Job: Stoyan Alexiev

Chorus: Chorus and Ballet of the Sofia Opera
Orchestra: Orchestra of the Sofia Opera
Music: Modest Mussorgsky

Conductor: Konstantin Chudovsky
Direction and scenography: Plamen Kartaloff
Assistant Director: Vera Beleva
Costumes: Marta Mironska, Stanka Vauda
Consultant: Alexander Kostyuchenko
Graphic Artist: Boyan Donev
Musical preparation: Boris Spasov
Chorus Master: Violeta Dimitrova
Children’s Choir Conductor: Tanya Lazarova
Light Designer: Andrej Hajdinjak
Concertmaster: Maria Evstatieva

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TRAILER | BORIS GODUNOV Mussorgsky – Sofia Opera and Ballet

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SOFIA – Götterdämmerung – 22. Mai – Gabriele Helbig

SOFIA
Götterdämmerung
22. Mai

Es ist geschafft. Pünktlich am 200. Geburtstag von Richard Wagner am 22. Mai kam der letzte Teil der „Ring“-Tetralogie in Sofia zur Aufführung – eine bewundernswerte und hoch zu lobende Leistung des Opernhauses. Die dortige Wagner-Tradition ist erst wenige Jahre alt. Umso interessanter ist es zu erleben, wie auf diese Weise ganz neue Aspekte, eine ungewohnte Frische im Umgang mit dem Stoff besonders in musikalischer Hinsicht entsteht. Da mag mancher gestandene, Bayreuth-erfahrene Wagnerianer die Nase rümpfen, weil betörend mystischer Schmelz bei den Streichern nicht immer satt ausgekostet wird, diese hin und wieder durch zwar präzise, aber raue Blechbläsereinsätze im fließenden Klang gestört werden. Umso erstaunlicher ist es, wie die Premiere der „Götterdämmerung“ vom ersten bis zum letzten Takt in eine Klimax hineinwächst, die mitreißt.

Eines der Highlights des Abends war die Begegnung von Brünnhilde und Waltraute im ersten Akt – ein eindringlich gestaltetes Kamerspiel der beiden Frauen, wie nicht besser sein kann. Tsveta Sarambelieva mit schlankem Mezzosopran als Waltraute, scheu, doch unerbittlich und keinen Widerspruch duldend in ihrem Flehen. Brünnhilde solle den Ring wegwerfen und ihn den Rheintöchtern zurückgeben – dieser Auftritt wird belohnt mit Zwischenapplaus des atemlos lauschenden Publikums. Und schon hier zeigt Mariana Zvetkova ihr enormes sängerisches und dramatisches Potenzial in der Rolle der Brünnhilde, die ihr auf den Leib geschrieben scheint. Bis zum letzten Ton reicht die Kraft ihrer bei aller Wucht klangschönen Sopranstimme. Nuancen von machtvollem Fortissimo bis zum zarten Hauch im Piano gelingen mühelos. Dazu hat sie eine klare nahezu akzentfreie verständliche Diktion de deutschen Sprache. Glücklicherweise stand ihr als gleichwertige Sängerkollege Kostadin Andreev zur Seite. Mit strahlendem Tenor und packender Spielfreude interpretierte er den Part des Siegfried.

Biser Georgiev (Alberich) und Atanas Mladenov (Gunther) mit wohlig timbrierten Baritonstimmen, Petar Buchkov als Hagen mit dunklem Bass, schließlich Tsvetana Bandalovska mit ausdrucksvollem Sopran als Gutrune vervollständigten die hervorragende Besetzung. Bei letzteren mag man dann gar nicht mehr erwähnen, dass noch an der Textverständlichkeit gearbeitet werden sollte. Denn das musste an diesem Abend peripher bleiben. Fein besetzt auch die Rollen der übrigen Walküren und der Nornen.

Erich Wächter führte den Taktstock, brachte das gut vorbereitete Opernorchester und den Chor (Violeta Dimitrova) zur derzeit wohl möglichen Bestleistung des Klangkörpers, der bisher eher Verdi gewohnt ist. Wille und Fähigkeiten der Musiker sind da, doch es ist noch ein Weg zu gehen bis zur Präsentation allerletzter Finesse im Orchesterklang.

Plamen Kartaloff führte wie auch in den vorangegangenen „Ring“-Teilen bewährt Regie, zauberte eine reich und vital differenzierte Welt in dem unverändert verwendeten modernen, aber nicht aufdringlichen Design von Nikolay Panayotov und erreichte somit eine Einheitlichkeit. Dieses Konzept ist beste Voraussetzung dafür, hier ein ganz neues, auch junges Publikum dauerhaft anzulocken. Frenetische Beifallsbekundungen im Saal waren verdienter Lohn für das ganze Team.

Gabriele Helbig

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Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet: The Sofia Opera at the age of 130 – 04 JAN 2021 – GRADAT Magazine

04 JAN 2021 GRADAT Magazine

Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet: The Sofia Opera at the age of 130

Maestro Kartaloff, we congratulate you for the impressive development of the Sofia Opera and Ballet in the year of its jubilee!

- In its chronicle of 130 years, Bulgaria’s first opera theatre had glorious pages of peaks, which were pride for our national culture. The world stages had the privilege to be literally supplied with Bulgarian voices, who left their contribution for the world history of the opera.

Real gold are the Bulgarian talents, who the Bulgarian earth had generously cultivated. But first of all, a result for the successful development of traditions were the selfless and immense work, without forgetting also the conditions and the social interest, even if in the different epochs the state support was from hesitant to complete.

My humble participation in the tasks, the contemporary role and their meaning for the Sofia Opera today was connected in the years of my direction and responsibilities with coping with all sorts of obstacles in the democratic time, when the budgets for culture were in general reduced and the state made a step backwards from its full economic support. This is why the discovering of new directions, often alternatives, and the application of new vision for way out of whatever the problems may be showed memorable results. For me among the most important priorities of the management are the motivation of the artistic and technical staff, a turn in the repertoire policy, so that it could attract durably the interest in the Sofia Opera of the audience from all over the world, and conquering of new territories for the art of opera and a new audience for it.

I am proud with the guest-performances of the Sofia Opera in Germany with operas by German composer. Wagner’s tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” was performed at an exceptional high level with Bulgarian performers, who, together with the Bulgarian, Italian, Russian and French repertoire – they have been maintaining this repertoire ten years already – together with “Tristan und Isolde” and “Parsifal”. The six spectacles at the Bolshoi Theatre – Moscow, which reinstated after 37 years the traditional guest-performances in the Russian capital, the eight guest-performances in Japan, first guest-performance in Brazil and many other events are historical contribution for the history of Bulgarian culture. I personally was living in a parallel world of artistic work of the stage director and the art of management.

How do you work in the conditions of pandemic and what are the main priorities in this situation?

- To organize the activity in such a way that it doesn’t stop for a single moment. To take out the stress from К-19, the colleagues to come back to work at safest measures in the artistic process, not to allow, as far as possible, outflow of audience under the known for everybody circumstances of the pandemic’s dreadful threat.

Tell us more about the new season and repertoire?

- Most topic is our new pearl in the repertoire. And it is “Elektra” by Richard Strauss, which was produced on the stage of the Sofia Opera for the first time in Bulgaria and the remarkable is only and with exceptional Bulgarian singers. We are preparing also the expected with great interest traditional New Year concert. Together with the toasts from the world opera treasury, we also show for the first time another masterpiece. One of the most romantic Bulgarian films comes from the cinema screen on the stage of the Sofia Opera – the musical “My Father the Painter”. We are ready to open the curtains for the ballet “1001 Nights” too. But under the established situation of unforeseeable complications and limitations we shall plan in short terms. This, however, doesn’t deprive us of thinking about the organization of the next summer season on several stages, as it was during last summer.

The Opera went out in the square, in the park, the fortress, the lake and on many places outside of Bulgaria – what is upcoming?

- The spectacles of the Sofia Opera are a brand for attracting our traditional and new audience with discovering and mastering of new stages and new territories, especially of our special places in the open air, which develop a tradition for opera tourism. The beauties of the Belogradchik Rocks, the lake mirror of Pancharevo, the Roman Square at the Boyana Cinema Center, the late antique Tsari Mali Grad Fortress, the historical park of the Academy of Defence are already registered trademark and expected destinations by the thousands admirers of the art of opera. And for the Wagner Festival at the Sofia Opera arrive guests from all over the world. Upcoming is one more stage, which we shall open in the new 2021 summer season.

What should be the place of such national institute in the cultural life of Bulgaria?

- Emblem for national cultural institution with international importance and world recognition.

What is the strategy for development of the Sofia Opera?

- The care and the support for it with conviction and the pride that it is an example of most valuable intimacy and the alignment of our country with the European traditions of the countries with top opera achievements.

Which are the good world examples and the new practices, which are appropriate and applicable by us?

- Many are the examples and practices, but they are difficult to achieve. Necessary is inner need, cultural will and in first place social-political engagement with specially proved necessity in our cultural reality. The discrepancy is also in the standards and the budget frames for development of stable and unproblematic guaranteed creative activity. We are trying to go ahead with an algorithm of ours and own resources and efforts for highest aspirations.

The building of the National Opera and Ballet impresses with its classical forms, interior and atmosphere. Does it meet completely the modern requirements of the contemporary art of opera and ballet?

- The building of arch. Lazar Parashkevanov is a paragon of a real temple of the art of opera and ballet. The floor area of the stage space is a unique and rarely met architectural solution.

The hall is beautiful and everybody likes it very much. Although restricted in the place parameters among several central streets of Sofia to position maximally his phantasy in his project, the building of the Sofia Opera is unique. It’s a pity that when there is a place for a prestigious museum of the art of opera with tradition of 130 years, we didn’t have the chance to obtain the floors from 1, Vrabcha Str. There are accommodated two commissions – the one of the records, and since quite recently the Commission for Consumer Protection, moved recently from its own available base.

130 years National Opera

66 years since the first performance in the unique building of the Sofia Opera

The first entirely opera performance in Sofia took place on 2 January 1891 – Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Il trovatore”. Thus was set the beginning of the People’s Opera, today Sofia Opera and Ballet. In 1891, Sofia was a town of muddy by-streets, citizens with full-bottomed breeches and fur caps and low cottages. In a Balkan environment like this, three enthusiasts, arriving from the Czech Republic, having graduated their professional singing education, decided to put the seed of opera culture in Bulgaria. Dragomir Kazakov, Ivan Slavkov and Angel Bukoreshtliev organized the first opera troupe in Bulgaria as a branch of the “Sofia Drama and Opera Troupe”. The performances – 12 whole operas and excerpts from 11 operas, with the participation of Bulgarians, Czechs and Italians accompanied by piano, the Guards Orchestra, the orchestra of the Sixth Infantry Regiment and people of the Italian Singing Society were accepted with unexpected success.

Because of poor financial circumstances and lack of state support, on 1 October 1892 the troupe was disbanded. In the beginning of the ХХ century, started a long struggle “for” and “against” Bulgarian opera and on 18 October 1908 the Bulgarian Opera Society performed its first test performance – excerpts from Gounod’s Faust and Verdi’s “Il trovatore”. On June 5 1909, the first production of an entire opera was presented – “I pagliacci” by Leoncavallo.

Since 1920, the National Opera and the Ivan Vazov National Theatre were cohabiting in one building for more than 25 years.

The building of the National Opera at 1, Vrabcha Str. was constructed as Agrarian House – a unique spiritual and cultural centre

in the period from 1947 to 1957 designed by arch. Lazar Parashkevanov in 1922. Arch. Lazar Parashkevanov was born in 1890 in the village of Hotnitsa, Veliko Tarnovo District. He graduated in Architecture and Civil Engineering, and immediately after his graduation he took up upon himself one of the most ambitious building designs in Sofia – the construction of the Sofia Opera.

In 1922, the Prime Minister Aleksandar Stamboliyski proposed to the young architect to construct at the place of the Agrarian House a unique complex – a spiritual or cultural centre, in which there had to be one immense building with central hall, in which should be held world forums, assemblies, celebrations of national holidays, a building with rich architecture, stone facade, lifts and more Bulgarian materials. In 1947, the new authorities set to Lazar Parashkevanov the task to construct a building for the National Opera and Ballet.

In view of the characteristics of the area and the surrounding buildings arose polemics regarding the central entrance, which, finally, was situated on Vrabcha Str. The architect coped with the denivelation of the steep terrain, placing the first balcony on the level of Vrabcha Str., with а climb of five steps. The allocation downstairs to the stalls and upstairs to the balconies is done from the lobby of the first balcony.

Arch. Parashkevanov paid special attention to every element

– from the lighting and the heating, through the mechanization to the sound and the acoustics in the hall.

The secret of the perfect sound is connected with the form of the hall – similar to a shell. By the construction were used only high-quality Bulgarian materials. The plates were made of highest-quality marble, the wooden panelling – of rare and precious tree species, of which violins, cellos and double-basses are made. All walls are double and have a cavity between both layers, and in all the walls there are the so called pots – special cavities, in which to resonate the sound. The ceiling, besides being a work of art, is on several levels, perfectly performed from acoustic point of view, so that the sound could enter between them, rotate, resonate and come back to the hall in a special way. Under the stage there is another cavity – the former restaurant “Opera”, in which everything is made of wood for better acoustics.

In 1954, the first admirers of the art of opera crossed the threshold of the new hall, which impresses with its ornaments, marble columns and wooden panellings.

Climatization of the hall and the couloirs, changed slopes, enlarged spaces between the seats, double floor, middle aisle, mobile orchestral box, new wall acoustic coatings and decorative ornaments with effect of gilding, restoration of the composition “Sky” by Dechko Uzunov – these are some of the realized ameliorations during the basic reconstruction and adaptation of the building in 2007-2008 designed by EKSA – arch. Konstantin Peev, for which it was distinguished at the Building of the Year Competition.

https://gradat.bg/content/akad-plamen-kartalov-direktor-na-sofiyskata-opera-i-balet-sofiyskata-opera-na-130-godini

 

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VIDEO: MAMMA MIA! Opens Tonight at the Sofia Opera and Ballet – www.broadwayworld.com

Сряда, 18 юли 2018

The beloved jukebox musical is heading to Bulgaria!

Under the direction of Plamen Kartalov, Mamma Mia! heads to the Sofia Opera and Ballet tonight, July 18, 2018, and close at the Sofia Opera and Ballet on July 22, 2018 before heading to The Stage of the Belogradchichska Rocks from July 26, 2018 to July 29, 2018.

This will be the first time that Mamma Mia! will be performed in Bulgaria. To catch of glimpse of what is to come, check out the promo video below!

The cast includes: Lucy Kozareva, Vesela Delcheva, Edelina Kaneva, Vladi Mihaylov, Orlin Goranov, Nikita Sotirov, Simeon Vladov, Denitsa Shopova, Silvana Prvcheva, Yanitsa Maslinkova, Elena Stoyanova, Aleksandar Georgiev, Nikolay Pavlov, Denko Prodanov, Radoslav Vladimirov, Kiril Ivanov, Boyan Arsov , Zhivko Simeonov and others.

The ultimate feel-good show, Mamma Mia! uses the music of ABBA to tell the hilarious and touching tale of a teen’s search for her birth father on a Greek Island paradise. Popular songs from the show include: “Dancing Queen,” “Winner Takes It All,” “Take A Chance On Me,” and the smash title tune, “Mamma Mia.”

All performances will be performed in Bulgarian.

For more information and to purchase tickets check out: http://mamma-mia.bg/

https://www.broadwayworld.com/bulgaria/article/VIDEO-MAMMA-MIA-Opens-Tonight-at-the-Sofia-Opera-and-Ballet-20180718

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(Български) СОФИЙСКАТА ОПЕРА В БОЛШОЙ ТЕАТЪР, МОСКВА

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DER NEUE MERKER, Klaus Billand – BELOGRADCHIK/Bulgarien: OPERA OF THE PEAKS – NABUCCO und LAKMÉ – 21./22. Juli 2017

21./22. Juli 2017

Die Belogradchik Peaks, also die Felsen von Belogradchik im äußersten Nordwesten Bulgariens, sind turmartige Felsformationen, die sich hier seit dem Perm vor ungefähr 230 Millionen Jahren durch tektonische Bewegungen und anschließende Erosion formten und die verschiedensten Felsfiguren bilden. Man sieht Formationen wie menschliche und tierische Köpfe, die zusammen mit anderen Felsbildern und der insgesamt beeindruckenden Gestaltung der Peaks der gesamten Region einen mystischen Charakter verleihen. Ein ideales Ambiente für die Aufführung von Freilicht-Opern, wie es der Intendant der Sofia Oper und Ballett, Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, mit seiner großen Fantasie für ungewöhnliche Aufführungsorte schnell erkannte und hier vor kurzem ein Sommer-Festival für Oper und Ballett ins Leben rief.

Das vor den Peaks bereits zwischen dem 1. und 3. Jahrhundert unserer Zeitrechnung entstandene kleine Festungsversteck, welches bis ins 15. Jahrhundert unter verschiedenen Herrschern und Besatzern zu einer Festung ausgebaut wurde, bietet dafür den nahezu idealen theatralen Raum. Die Festung Belogradchik wurde zuletzt ab 1805 von französischen Ingenieuren total umgebaut und erweitert. Ihre Arbeit beendeten italienische Schutzanlagespezialisten im Jahre 1837. Zwischen den beiden 12 Meter hohen Festungsmauern ergibt sich vor den Peaks ein Areal, das der Bühne, einem davor liegenden mittelgroßen unüberdachten Orchester sowie einer Tribüne von 650 Zuschauern Platz bietet. Von dieser kann man dem Stück mit großer Nähe und damit einer gewissen Intimität beiwohnen. Eine Verstärkung der Sänger ist deshalb auch nicht erforderlich, die Akustik ist sehr gut.

7R8A7968 600

Das diesjährige Sommer-Festival eröffnete mit „Nabucco“ und brachte des Weiteren die Opern „Lakmé“, „Tosca“, „La Cenerentola“ sowie „Madama Butterfly“ und die Ballettaufführungen „Zorba the Greek“, „Carmen“, „Rhapsody in Blue“ und „Don Quixote“. Vor Beginn der Aufführung von „Nabucco“ hielten der Metropolit der Regionshauptstadt Vidin, der Vize-Kulturminister, der Bürgermeister von Belogradchik sowie Plamen Kartaloff kurze Ansprachen. Die Aufführung war ausverkauft.

Plamen Kartaloff führte in „Nabucco“ Regie und schuf auch das auf hohen Symbolwert aus der Glaubenswelt der Hebräer setzende klassische Bühnenbild. Boryana Angelova kreierte die Bühnenbildelemente. Links und rechts an der Seite der mit einem Aluminiumboden ausgelegten Bühne liegt eine riesige Thora-Rolle, die zwischen ihren beiden Enden den Chor beherbergt. In der hinteren Bühnenmitte sieht man die monumentalen Hände Moses‘ mit der Tafel der Zehn Gebote. Den Vordergrund bilden einige bauliche Elemente des Tempels über einer goldenen Schatztruhe. Für interessante Momente sorgen der Lichtdesigner Emil Dinkov und die Multimedia-Spezialistin Vera Dimitrova. So lassen sie beispielsweise die Peaks selbst zum Götzenbild der Babylonier werden, in rötlichen Farben, die zu einem matten Schimmer verglühen, wenn das Götzenbild im 4. Akt stürzt. Für die überaus klassischen Kostüme aus der Zeit der Handlung zeichnet Tsvetana Petkova-Stoynova verantwortlich. Etwas weniger Konservativismus beim Design hätte hier gut getan. Die Personenregie ist trotz einer gewissen Statik zumal in den Ensembleszenen gut und hebt die Bedeutung der Aktionen der Protagonisten in den entsprechenden Momenten nachvollziehbar hervor. Mit großer Bewegung und guter Choreographie (Riolina Topalova) setzt sich immer wieder der stimmstarke, von Violeta Dimitrova geleitete Chor in Szene. Auch hier geriet der Gefangenenchor zu einem berückenden Moment des Abends. Für anmutige und choreographisch fantasievolle Momente sorgt das Ballett im 3. Akt.

Im Programmheft hebt die Festspielleitung hervor, dass sie zwei internationale Gäste für diese Produktion an den Peaks gewinnen konnte, und zwar Carlos Almaguer aus Mexiko als Nabucco und Roberto Scandiuzzi aus Italien als Zacharias. Beide erfüllten die Erwartungen sowohl stimmlich wie auch darstellerisch vollkommen. Almaguer war mit seinem kräftigen und aussagestarken Bariton ein Respekt gebietender, überaus souveräner Nabucco und konnte auch in den Szenen überzeugen, in denen er dem Wahnsinn verfallen war. Scandiuzzi ließ seinen prachtvollen, samtenen Bass erklingen und legte als Zacharias ebenfalls große Souveränität an den Tag. Auf diesem hohen Niveau konnte aber auch die Abigail von Gabriela Georgieva aus dem Sofioter Ensemble mithalten. Wann immer sie auf der Bühne stand, war sie sofort Zentrum des Geschehens mit ihrer starken Mimik und einem fast als hochdramatisch zu bezeichnenden Sopran mit eindrucksvoller Attacke, der keine Höhe dieser so anspruchsvollen Partie scheute, wobei sie auch in den tiefen Lagen beeindrucken konnte. Ein Höhepunkt der Aufführung war ihr Duett mit Nabucco im 3. Akt. Diletta Scandiuzzi war eine zarte und mit einem sehr klangschönen, aber nicht allzu großen Mezzo singende Fenena und spielte die Rolle mit viel Emphase. Rosen Nenchev war ein noch sehr junger Ismael, mit einer noch nicht ganz für diese Rolle ausgereiften Stimme. Es war aber erklärtes Ziel des Regisseurs, ihn mit dieser Rolle an das größere Verdi-Fach heranzuführen. Darstellerisch machte er seine Sache mit lebhaftem Spiel sehr gut. Dimitar Stanchev als Oberpriester des Baal, Hrisimir Damyanov als Abdallo und Silvana Pravcheva als Anna rundeten mit sowohl stimmlich wie darstellerisch ansprechenden Leistungen das gute Ensemble ab.

Grigor Palikarov dirigierte das Orchester der Sofia Oper und Ballett mit viel Verve und konnte gleich zu Beginn mit einem sauber strukturierten und akzentuierten Vorspiel beeindrucken. Allerdings gerieten im weiteren Verlauf einige Stellen zu laut, insbesondere die großen Tableaus, sodass selbst Sänger wie Scandiuzzi oder Almaguer bisweilen zugedeckt wurden. Man muss allerdings dazu sagen, dass das Orchester fast auf gleicher Höhe wie die Bühne liegt und die Transparenz somit auch aus diesem Grund etwas leiden kann. Vor den mystisch wirkenden Peaks von Belogradchik war dies jedoch eine beeindruckende „Nabucco“-Aufführung in völlig ungewohntem Ambiente.

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Tags darauf spielte man „Lakmé“ von Léo Delibes ebenfalls in einer für die Belogradchik Festung angepassten Produktion der Sofia Oper und Ballett. Plamen Kartaloff führte wieder Regie. Für die wiederum klassische und mit einigen wenigen Bühenbildelementen das Brahmanentum andeutende Szenografie zeichnete Miodrag Tabacki verantwortlich. Der Lichtdesigner Sasho Bekafigo bezog diesmal die Peaks nicht so stark ein. Dafür fand er stimmungsvolle farbige Lichtfantasien für das Geschehen auf der Bühne, insbesondere die Chorszenen und großen Tableaus. Die geschmackvollen und in den Massenszenen auf farbige Pastelltöne setzenden Kostüme aus der Zeit der Handlung der Oper wurden von Angelina Atlagic entworfen. Sie zeigen die Engländer in ihren typischen beigen Militäruniformen und die Brahmanen in ihren weiten weißen Gewändern. Ein Trupp der englischen Soldaten hisst oben zwischen den Peaks die englische Nationalflagge als Zeichen der Besatzung.

Tabacki schuf durch die Errichtung eines kleinen und schlichten Brahmanentempels in der Bühnenmitte mit hinabführenden Rampen links, rechts und hinten zwei Spielebenen. Das weitete die darstellerischen Möglichkeiten aus und bot auch mehr Platz für Monologe und Duette sowie die bestens choreografierten (Maya Shopova) Massenszenen, von denen das lebhafte Treiben auf dem Markt zu Beginn des 2. Akts ein Höhepunkt des Abends war. Das Dach dieses kleinen Brahmanentempel wird durch eine Statue des Elephantengottes Ganesh geziert, an dem Lakmé immer wieder betend niederkniet – er ist so etwas wie das spirituelle Zentrum der Bühne. An den Seiten sieht man, vielleicht etwas zu klischeehaft, zwei große Elefantenattrappen. Auf dem Dach des Brahmanentempels findet auch die Verwundung Geralds durch den Brahmanenpriester Nilakantha statt, nachdem Lakmé ihre Glöckchenarie gesungen hat. Nilakantha wird von Peter Naydenov mit einem ausdrucksstarken und klangvollen Bassbariton gesungen. Er spielt die Rolle als sehr Respekt gebietender souveräner Anführer der Brahmanen. Im 3. Akt, in dem ja Lakmé Gerald im Wald gesund zu pflegen versucht, wird der Brahmanentempel und die Rampe davor mit Gerald und Lakmé mit einem Dschungel von Farnen angestrahlt, so dass sich mit wenigen Mitteln die Ästhetik einer Waldszenerie einstellt.

Wir erleben eine viel detailliertere Personenregie als in „Nabucco“. Alle Figuren werden sehr genau im Einklang mit der Musik geführt. So ist die Blumenarie von Lakmé und Mallika im 1. Akt ein echter musikalischer und auch darstellerischer Höhepunkt. Diana Vasileva singt die Lakmé mit einem technisch bestens geführten lyrischen Sopran, der in der Blumenarie gut mit dem klangvollen Mezzo Diana Genova als Mallika harmoniert. Auch die Glöckchenarie im 2. Akt gelingt Vasileva mit viel Liebe zum Detail und Verinnerlichung. Das Duett mit Gerald am Ende des 1. Akts ist ebenfalls zu den besten Momenten der Aufführung zu zählen.

Kartaloff gelingt es überzeugend, den kulturellen Clash zwischen den englischen Besatzern und den Brahmanen darzustellen. Wenn Gerald und Frederick mit ihren drei Begleiterinnen mit den obligaten Sonnenschirmen in den Bereich des Tempels kommen, wirkt das tatsächlich wie eine weitere Okkupation. Das unbeherrschte Benehmen der Engländer steht in starkem Widerspruch zu dem zurückhaltenden Gebaren der Brahmanen. Diese Differenzierung zieht sich dramaturgisch effektvoll durch den ganzen Abend, auch im Verhalten Geralds zu Lakmé. Daniel Ostretsov, der Loge des Sofioter „Ring“, ist ein erstklassiger Gerald mit einem baritonal unterlegten, fast ins Heldische gehenden Tenor mit kraftvoller Höhe. Er agiert auch darstellerisch mit viel Emphase. Atanas Mladenov, der Amfortas des jüngst heraus gekommenen Sofioter „Parsifal“, lässt einmal mehr als Frederick seinen beeindruckenden Bariton mit guter Facettierung und stimmlichem Ausdruck erklingen – ein ganz großes Talent! Elena Stoyanova singt Ellen, die Verlobte Geralds, mit einem klangvollen Sopran. Rose, ihre Cousine, wird von Silvana Pravcheva und Mrs. Bentson von Rumyana Petrova gesungen und ebenso wie Ellen manieriert gespielt. Miroslav Andreev ist ein serviler Hadji. Weiter sind die guten Leistungen, vor allem auch das Piano des von Violeta Dimitrova einstudierten Chores sowie das fantasievolle Ballett hervor zu heben.

Francesco Rosa dirigierte das Orchester der Sofia Oper und Ballett mit großem Einfühlvermögen für die Sänger. Diesmal geriet nichts zu laut, die Harmonie zwischen Bühne und Orchester war nahezu perfekt.

Klaus Billand
DER MEUE MERKER

WIEN 2017

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Newspaper “TRUD” – Alexandrina Pendatchanska will sing Tosca for the first time

Monday, 27 November 2017

Alexandrina Pendatchanska will sing Tosca for the first time

The world-known opera singer Alexandrina Pendatchanska will perform for the first time in her star career the role of Floria Tosca on the stage of the Sofia Opera and the Bulgarian spectators have the chance to become witnesses of this debut. On 8 and 10 December her partner will be the famous tenor Kamen Chanev, who will enter in the role of Mario Cavaradossi. Giacomo Puccini’s opera will be performed on one more date – 9 December, when in the main female role we shall hear the discovery of the Plovdiv Opera Tanya Ivanova. Conductor will be Grigor Palikarov.

Meanwhile at the Sofia Opera continues to triumph the newest ballet premiere – “Le corsaire” by Adolphe Adam in a staging by Eldar Aliev. The tickets for all remaining dates (1, 2 and 3 December) are almost sold out. The first premiere on Friday achieved a great success. The spectacle continued at least 20 minutes longer than expected, because the hall was constantly bursting into loud applauses and the conductor Boris Spasov had to wait them to calm down. Marta Petkova was like always brilliant: a great artist with overwhelming presence. Nikola Hadjitanev reached tops even of his own incredibly high level – in technical aspect in this exceptionally difficult part, and in artistic aspect too. The general impression was that Hadjitanev flies two meters above the stage and is fast not stepping on the floor. The conquering energy of the corps de ballet, especially in the initial scene, the beautiful sets and costumes, as well as Adam’s wonderful music make “Le corsaire” a vital, full-blooded and beautiful spectacle. After the long and loud applauses, by the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers was handed out its highest distinction “Golden Lyre” to the ballet company of the Sofia Opera.

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Extra spectacles of “CARMEN” – 28 and 30 November

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

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The soprano Tanya Ivanova – Tosca – 9.12.2017

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

The soprano Tanya Ivanova:

“I am happy that I will sing the role of Floria Tosca in Plamen Kartaloff’s staging, which evoked the ovations of the Japanese audience in 2012”

The music critique wrote about the soprano Tanya Ivanova that she is at first place an exceptionally talented drama actress, with wonderful voice, who manages to embody herself with conquering depth and grabs the attention of opera connoisseurs.

Tanya Ivanova asserts that since a child she wanted to become a singer. During the years she incessantly was striving towards big lyrical-dramatic roles. “In her – write the critics, there is a desire for self-perfection, exceptional love for the role and the audience, and this makes her a sought after singer”.

Tanya graduated from the “Lyubomir Pipkov” Music School and later from the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music in Sofia.

Her debut was on the stage of the Stara Zagora National Opera in the role of Hélène from the operetta “La belle Hélène” by Offenbach under the direction of Prof. Hacho Boyadzhiev.

Several years ago she changed her repertoire from a mezzo-soprano to soprano and in 2012 she performed the role of Mimi from “La bohème” on the stage of the Burgas Opera.

In 2013 she took part in the opera “Attila” in the frames of the Opera Festival in Plovdiv in the role of Odabella.

She recorded arias by Verdi, Puccini and Dvořák at the Bulgarian National Radio with conductor Maestro Ivan Angelov.

In season 2013/14 she performed roles like: Cio-Cio-san from “Madama Butterfly” and Tosca by Puccini, Nedda from “Pagliacci” by Leoncavallo and Aida by Verdi on the stages of the opera houses in Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Varna and Burgas.

In season 2014/15 she was soloist of the Plovdiv Opera, where she acted in the roles of Lady Macbeth from “Macbeth” by Verdi, Elisabeth from “Don Carlo” by Verdi, Mimi from “La bohème” by Puccini and others.

In February 2015 she debuted with great success on the stage of the Sofia Opera in the role of Tosca from Puccini’s opera of the same name.

On 9 December 2017 Tanya Ivanova will perform the role of Tosca. In the spectacle her partners will be: Martin Iliev in the role of Mario Cavaradossi, Nikola Mijailović – Baron Scarpia, Angel Hristov – Angelotti, Anton Radev – Sacristan, Nikolay Pavlov – Spoletta,
Aleksandar Georgiev – Sciarrone and Dimitar Stanchev – Jailer.

Conductor will be Grigor Palikarov.

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Please expect at the Sofia Opera “Tosca”, а spectacle, which conquered Japan

Monday, 20 November 2017

On the fifth tour of the Sofia Opera and Ballet in Japan, from 30 October to 21 November 2012, was presented the new production of the opera “Tosca” by Academician Plamen Kartaloff, and also “Cavalleria rusticana” and “Gianni Schicchi”, which received a high appreciation by the Japanese audience and the music critique. “Tosca” was performed in five cities in the Land of the Rising Sun: Tokyo, Kawaguchi, Fuji, Mito, Ibaraki and Fukuoka.

The Sofia Opera raised the audience on their feet at the opening of the repaired after the earthquake concert hall of the city of Mito. The Bulgarian artists sang in Japanese the hymn of the Ibaraki Prefecture, a part of which is Mito, and presented “Tosca”. This way our first opera theatre expressed its solidarity with the people of Japan after the tragedy from the earthquake. The local media published enthusiastic reports about the presentation of the performers themselves, as well as about Acad. Plamen Kartaloff’s production, which was commented as innovative and unique.

After a number of days, on 8, 9 and 10 December the Sofia Opera will present Puccini’s “Tosca”, the spectacle which conquered Japan’s audience, and now with Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Kamen Chanev, Nikola Mijailović, Biser Georgiev and others. Conductor will be Grigor Palikarov.

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Kamen Chanev will be guest in “Tosca” on 8 and 10 December

Friday, 17 November 2017

The famous far behind the Bulgarian borders tenor Kamen Chanev will be guest as Mario Cavaradossi in “Tosca” by Puccini on 8 December at 19.00 h and on 10 December at 16.00 h.

Kamen Chanev was born in Sliven. He graduated the French language school in his home town and after that the Music Academy in Sofia. He specialized in Rome in Boris Christoff’s Academy. In 1992 he started working at Sofia Opera. After five seasons he moved to Prague, where he sang two years long before becoming a free lancer.

He has worked together with Alexandrina Milcheva, Ghena Dimitrova, Leone Magiera (Luciano Pavarotti’s pianist). He is laureate of the Jussi Bjoerling Competition, Sweden. He expresses himself in the basic tenor repertoire – besides in Bulgaria also on the big opera stages in Europe, Asia and USA. He has prestigious engagements on the stages of the Wiener Staatsoper (in the roles of Des Grieux from “Manon Lescaut” and Pinkerton from “Madama Butterfly”) and Arena di Verona (Calaf from “Turandot”).

The singer’s repertoire is varied and includes over 30 main roles (“Aida”, “Don Carlos”, “La Traviata”, “Rigoletto”, “Cavalleria rusticana”, “Pagliacci”, “Il trovatore”, “Madama Butterfly”, “Tosca”, “Rigoletto”, “Carmen”), as well as the tenor parts from the cantata-oratorio works “Symphony No. 9” by Beethoven, “Requiem” by Mozart, Verdi and Dvořák, “Stabat Mater” by Rossini, “Symphony No. 8” by Mahler.

Chanev is one of the singers, who continue to confirm the glory of the opera talent of the Bulgarians. Free in spirit, he doesn’t want to bind himself to any opera theatre. Kamen works in Vienna, but he is wanted on the greatest opera stages. The tenor is grateful to Sofia Opera and Ballet, from the scene of which started his career.

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Please expect Alexandrina Pendatchanska in the role of Floria Tosca at the Sofia Opera

Friday, 17 November 2017

The world-known opera prima Alexandrina Pendatchanska will sing again on the stage of the Sofia Opera and Ballet. On 8 and 10 December she will be Floria Tosca in Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Tosca”. Her partner will be the famous tenor Kamen Chanev, who will enter in the role of Mario Cavaradossi.

Alex Penda, also known as Alexandrina Pendatchanska, was born in Sofia in a family of renowned Bulgarian musicians. She started her piano studies at 5 and graduated from the National School of Music with piano and singing. Her vocal teacher was her mother – the internationally acclaimed soprano Valerie Popova. Alex Penda made her debut at 17 as Violetta and at age of 19 she had won the “Antonin Dvorak” Singing Competition, the International Vocal Competition in Bilbao and the UNISA singing competition in Pretoria. She was 19 when she made her debut as Lucia di Lammermoor in Bilbao. Her vast vocal range brought her to a repertoire that enlist more than 60 roles – from early music (Poppea, Agrippina) to 20th century (Salome, Chrysothemis), from Belcanto and Verdi (Semiramide, Ermione, La Straniera, Elisabetta, Luisa Miller, Eboli) to Beethoven (Fidelio), Bizet (Carmen) and Wagner (Kundry).

In the highly acclaimed Mozart’s recordings of René Jacobs for Harmonia Mundi her renditions of Vitellia, Donna Elvira, Elettra, Arminda have been regarded as ultimate interpretations. Those recordings received numerous awards, among which BBC Music Magazine Award, Gramophone’s Editor Choice, two Grammy nominations (Best Classical Album and Best Opera Recording) etc. Alex Penda’s discography also enlist Handel’s Agrippina for Harmonia Mundi (Grammy nomination for Best Opera Recording 2013), Rossini’s Semiramide for Naxos, Terradellas’ Sesostri, Glinka’s Life for the Tzar for Sony, Rachmaninov’s The Bells for Decca, Donizetti’s Parisina D’Este for Dynamics, Sartorio’s Giulio Cesare for ORF as well as two aria recital albums. Her performances as Elisabetta, Lucrezia Contarini, Donna Elvira, Alcina and Petite Messe Solennelle with Gewandhaus Leipzig under Riccardo Chailly are available on DVD.

In the recent seasons Alex Penda appeared in Berlin Staatsoper (Agrippina), Bruxelles La Monnaie (Elettra, Vitellia), Vienna Staatsoper (Nedda), Toronto (Elisabetta), Aix-en-Provence (Donna Elvira), Theater an der Wien (Circe), Hamburg (Donna Anna), Santa Fe (Fidelio), Tokyo (Kundry) and at the opening production of the renewed Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow of Glinka’s opera Ruslan and Ludmila. In Moscow she also sung Salome and Britten’s War Requiem with London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Jurowski.

She has collaborated with conductors such as Riccardo Chailly, Myun-Wyun Chung, Charles Dutoit, Jesus Lopez-Cobos, Bruno Bartoletti, Carlo Rizzi, Ivor Bolton, Daniel Oren, René Jacobs, Vladimir Jurowski and has been part of some outstanding productions of directors such as Sir Jonathan Miller, Hans Neuenfels, Christof Loy, Dmitri Tcherniakov.

Some of her future engagements include Salome at the St. Gallen Theatre, Petite Messe Solennelle – Bad Kissingen, recording of Semiramide for Naxos, Maria Stuarda (Elisabetta) – Washington and Moscow, La finta giardiniera (Arminda) – Berlin Staatsoper, Vitellia – Bruxelles La Monnaie, Donna Elvira – Baden Baden.

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Please expect at the Sofia Opera “Tosca”, а spectacle, which conquered Japan

Wednesday, 15 November 2017

Please expect at the Sofia Opera “Tosca”, а spectacle, which conquered Japan

On the fifth tour of the Sofia Opera and Ballet in Japan, from 30 October to 21 November 2012, was presented the new production of the opera “Tosca” by Academician Plamen Kartaloff, and also “Cavalleria rusticana” and “Gianni Schicchi”, which received a high appreciation by the Japanese audience and the music critique. “Tosca” was performed in five cities in the Land of the Rising Sun: Tokyo, Kawaguchi, Fuji, Mito, Ibaraki and Fukuoka.

The Sofia Opera raised the audience on their feet at the opening of the repaired after the earthquake concert hall of the city of Mito. The Bulgarian artists sang in Japanese the hymn of the Ibaraki Prefecture, a part of which is Mito, and presented “Tosca”. This way our first opera theatre expressed its solidarity with the people of Japan after the tragedy from the earthquake. The local media published enthusiastic reports about the presentation of the performers themselves, as well as about Acad. Plamen Kartaloff’s production, which was commented as innovative and unique.

After a number of days, on 8, 9 and 10 December the Sofia Opera will present Puccini’s “Tosca”, the spectacle which conquered Japan’s audience, and now with Alexandrina Pendatchanska, Kamen Chanev, Nikola Mijailović, Biser Georgiev and others. Conductor will be Grigor Palikarov.

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WWW.MEDIAPOOL.BG – “ALEXANDRINA PENDATCHANSKA WILL SING IN “TOSCA”

Wednesday, 15 November 2017

Alexandrina Pendatchanska will sing Tosca at the Sofia Opera on 8 and 10 December

The world-known prima Alexandrina Pendatchanska will sing again at the Sofia Opera and Ballet – on 8 and 10 December she will be Floria Tosca in Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Tosca”.

Her partner will be the famous tenor Kamen Chanev – in the role of Mario Cavaradossi, inform from the Opera.

Among the soloists are also Biser Georgiev, Petar Buchkov, Ilia Iliev and others. Conductor is Grigor Palikarov, stage director – Plamen Kartaloff.

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KEITARO HARADA: “THIS IS “CARMEN”, WHICH YOU MUST SEE AND BE PART OF IT”

Thursday, 09 November 2017

Interview with the conductor Keitaro Harada

- Mr. Harada, what are your first impressions from the meeting with the Sofia Opera, with its atmosphere, with our singers, orchestra and chorus?

This is my first time in Bulgaria, as well as my first time in Sofia. I have heard about the wonderful singing of Bulgaria, about many of the wonderful opera singers and children choirs. They came to Japan often, so that I have always known about the importance of the song for the Bulgarian. So when I was invited for this production, I was very excited. I came here and still from the airport I met friendly people from your team. They were very nice and cordial and I feel very welcomed, I feel a part of a family already. Believe me, I enjoy every week, every day, every moment here is unforgettable! My impression of the singers is that they are fantastic. We have wonderful Carmen and Don José, and all the cast: Escamillio, Dancaïre, Frasquita, everyone, Mercédès and Micaëla, everyone is very, very good. And they are all unique! And so it’s very fun for me to collect all their interesting ideas into one concept. Maestro Kartaloff and I have a definite conception of Carmen, which corresponds with the Japanese culture and the Greek mythology. And so my job is to make sure that the singers will present themselves inspiredly, convinced in our idea. I arrived in Sofia and 12 hours later I was with the orchestra. They are very good! They are able to play anything.

After the first rehearsal I told the orchestra: “You are wonderful musicians. But let us now try our best to bring in more feeling, to tell in the appropriate manner this dramatic story. Let’s impart to these notes the desired dynamics, accents and rhythms, and most of all more feeling, in order to present emotionally the fatal story of these characters”. And so I said: “When you play this section, when for example Escamillo is very excited to see Carmen, so his heart is beating faster, so you have to be faster to transfer to the spectators his feelings.”

- You can show them… with the accents…

- Yes… And I decided to concentrate on the colour of the orchestra. Now I have a lot of time with the orchestra, so we work on different colours, different attitude, not just soft and loud, but is it blue, is it grey, is it purple, is it black and does the music sound happy or sad to you. Major doesn’t mean happy always, minor doesn’t mean sad always, minor could be happy. So I tried to explain all that and I really feel that the orchestra understands me. I am very crazy about music, of course, and they understand how crazy I am and how involved I am. The colleagues really want to show their very best and I can tell that after two weeks of hard work for me this is a different orchestra. And Maestro Kartaloff said today that the orchestra sounds fantastic! And I replied, it’s not really me, it’s really them. These are the same people, but they are really more involved and wanting to do better. And so my impression is very positive. I think we have a great production, in making so far, but hours remain before the premiere, in which we shall achieve the desired perfection. I am convinced that you will see a very exciting “Carmen”! But our goal is to provoke the audience to feel a spontaneous admiration. Our wish is the audience to remain speechless from what they see and hear… That’s what I want.

- How do you accept and feel the ideas and the artistic solutions in this production? What is the unique in the way you interpret Bizet’s music?

- I come to every production of any opera with blank canvas, completely white canvas. Because it’s not just the conductor, who decides, it’s not just the director who decides. Of course, the director has to have a concept. And I have a concept too. But mine is more about the sound of the orchestra, the sound of the opera, the singers, the orchestra. The director’s concept is more focused on the physical drama and the visual, and the stage, and the set… So it’s a perfect balance between the director and I, because he shared me all his concept and when I first met Maestro Kartaloff I said: “Tell me everything. Tell me everything you want and let me understand and absorb it for a couple of days. And when once I understand and I sweep through it, I said, I will translate this idea into music.” And so that’s what I have been doing.

- No doubt, the whole team strives to achieve the maximum by the realization of the artistic concept. How would you like to present this “Carmen” to be different from the others?

- I think I never compare productions. The different spectacles are not comparable. To begin with, this project is on its own very ambitious and I think that it is very strong, because everyone is so invested in doing it. So I don’t think I really answered your question, but everyone is in it together, because they want the very best. Exactly what we are here for.

- You had the chance to visit some of our performances these days. What is your impression of the audience, of the atmosphere in our Opera house?

- I came to see the ballet “Don Quixote” and then I saw “Don Carlo”. I am very impressed! I thought that everyone was happy to be in the audience! I felt the audience was very happy to be here. I thought it was very well done in these spectacles and I enjoyed my time very much. And it was nice to see the productions, conducted by two different conductors, because it’s the same orchestra, but with two different directors and very different sounding. And I think I was happy, because the orchestra is flexible. The way they play the ballet is very different from the way they play “Carmen” and it’s very different from the way they play “Don Carlo”. So it’s nice that the orchestra can do that.

- And how are you feeling our soloists like a talent, like possibility to recreate these roles?

- They are very good! They all master professionally their role. And it’s not just that they know it, but they also feel it. They are Micaëla, they are Frasquita, they live with their role! It’s not just: “Oh! I come into the Opera house and I become Don José.” But they are the very Don José all the time, which is nice.

It was also very interesting to me that the singers came and asked me: “Maestro, what do you want, what do you want?”. And I keep saying: “Oh, you tell me, you show me what you like to do, what is most natural to you and I’ll understand that and I’ll guide you through.” And they insist: “No, no, no. You tell us exactly how.” I replied: “Not, absolutely not. Until you tell me your idea, I won’t tell you mine.” And that took a while, because it’s a very different working process for them. They are not used to this. I could tell everyone is not used to it. And so I said: “Relax. Just trust me. And you do however way you want it, but I will make sure that the orchestra is with you.“ Because today we did the quintet so that they were not looking at me. And we did it. Then I said: “See, you could do it without looking at me. I’ll be with you.” And so they replied: “OK. We can trust you!”

- What are your first impressions of Bulgaria, of Sofia?

- Oh, I like this land and people! Of course, I read the history of Bulgaria. I read a little bit of the history of Sofia and how much it has changed since the joining the European Union. I can really see how the people want this place to be better. And you could really feel a good energy in what they want. They are excited for new development and want to modernize. And in the same time, are impressive the efforts to be maintained in time your remarkable historical monuments? And when walking around the city, you see the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. It’s very beautiful and the people are very warm, very kind.

In Japan Bulgaria is very present, because we have the Bulgarian yoghurt. It is very important in Japanese everyday menu. And then the Bulgarian Sumo wrestlers are very popular in Japan. So Bulgaria is a very close country in my mind.

- If you could make an advertisement and invite our audience to come to the production of “Carmen”, what would you tell them to be your guests?

- This “Carmen” is impossible to describe in words, because there is so much energy, which is concentrated in the centre of the stage. And so, it’s impossible to say, this “Carmen” will be like this or like that. There are no words to describe it. It’s a “Carmen”, which you have to see and feel and be part of it. Because the audience in the hall is also part of “Carmen”.

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The Crystal Lyre Awards 2017 handed out on 1 November – the Leaders of the Bulgarian National Revival Day

Monday, 06 November 2017

For the 21st year in succession the Union of Bulgarian Musicians and Dancers and Classic FM Radio organized an official ceremony, at which were handed out the national awards for music and dance art “Crystal Lyre 2017”. The Sofia Opera and Ballet was awarded a “Crystal Lyre” for:

- The role of Parsifal, performed by the tenor Kostadin Andreev, in Richard Wagner’s opera of the same name, the premiere of which was on 4 July 2017.

- The Orchestra of the Sofia Opera and Ballet for the premiere of the opera “Parsifal” by Richard Wagner on 4 July 2017.

Congratulations!!!

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www.jivotatdnes.bg – “Carmen” outside the clichés at the Sofia Opera

Tuesday, 07 November 2017

The breaking off the social and folk-style pictures makes the opera close to the people of today

The audience has long awaited “Carmen” on the stage of our first opera theatre. Not because according to the most fans of statistics this is the favourite and most produced opera of worldwide importance, which shares its priority with Verdi’s “La traviata”. And because it is really a matter of shaking music, of arias, which are identified by millions of people all over the world, even without having ever seen the spectacle. The music critics long since associate the Habanera and the toreador’s song with pop culture. And exactly in this popularity are hidden many risks. Because to hear separate top moments from “Carmen” on records or in concerts is one thing, and it is quite different to experience in its entirety – through the sight and the ear (and also through the skin, which pricks) – the explosion of emotions and eternal human dilemmas, interwoven in George Bizet’s music and Prosper Mérimée’s text.

Exactly this explosion – beyond a concrete historical age and social milieu has achieved the stage director Plamen Kartaloff with his new production. In it the accent is on the feelings, on fate and the invisible threads, which define our life. The story of the disobedient, independent woman, who is ready to pay with her life the right to be free, is well-known since antiquity. And just because of this it is fully justified to take it out of a concrete social and historical envelope. Carmen could be from Spain in the 19th century, but she could be also from each other place and time. Bizet’s music does not limit the characters, on the contrary – it gives them an open space to be themselves today, here and now. And when this is achieved by means of directing, set design, dances and costumes, the result is really impressive!

In the new “Carmen” there is no minute of boredom! The lack of folk-style sets on the stage allows the spectator to concentrate on the action inside the consciousness of the well-known personages, elevated here to the magnitude of the Ancient Greek tragedies; to hear and see their drama. However, don’t imagine something difficult to understand. On the contrary, the play with the colours, with the dances of the brilliant soloists and artists from the ballet of the Opera, the presence of a chorus “without faces”, creates an organic and integral picture, from which you cannot tear yourself away. Specially I would like to point out the accent with the materialized “motive forces” of Fate, “Gods hands”, presented in a refined manner and played skilfully by three leading ballet dancers.

And the final of the opera – Carmen’s death – is again a brilliantly stylized by means of the ascent of her red rose from the earth to Heaven. A registered trade mark of Plamen Kartaloff is the refusal of naturalistic “blood scenes”. See the final of his “Tosca” and of “La traviata” and you will understand that the director resists to the so widespread curiosity of the crowd about the tragedy of the other one, he is searching in the end of the characters the artistically deduced meaning of their doom, the beautiful price, which they pay to be what they are and what we cannot be.

Actually, Mérimée’s novella “Carmen” does not shine with original plot. If we look at it like at an ordinary story of love, jealousy and death. The masterpiece in the opera of the same name succeeds namely because of the unity of music of genius, brilliant singers and stage realization, which open what’s happening to eternity, instead of closing it in the past centuries.

According to me this was the result in “Carmen” in November 2017 in Sofia.

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A CLOSER VIEW OF THE CONDUCTOR KEITARO HARADA

Sunday, 29 October 2017

A FEELING OF THE MISSION OF CULTURE AND SPIRITUALITY

He is not only one of the young conductors, who win many prizes and are appreciated highly for their professionalism and artistic abilities. He has a feeling of the mission of culture and spirituality in the 21th century. This is the young Japanese conductor Keitaro Harada, who will conduct the premiere of the opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet on the Sofia stage, as well as the upcoming guest-performance of the Sofia Opera in Japan in 2018.

Keitaro Harada doesn’t stay only in the field of his appearance as conductor. He has given a meaning of his mission to fight for the development of the orchestra as a part of a cultural fabric of the community, a fabric, in which special care is taken for the young persons. The young for the young. Something, which he has realized to be so important today not only as a three-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award, but also as a student of Lorin Maazel and of other great names.

This is only a small touch to the portrait of the conductor Harada before my meeting with him in the process of the rehearsals of “Carmen”.

THE REHEARSAL

The rehearsal is usually the time, in which one cannot only come to know from inside the process of creation of a spectacle, but it is a possibility to become well acquainted with the persons, who are creating the spectacle.

Somehow naturally before me revealed itself something from Keitaro Harada, the musician and the human being. It made me s strong impression the way, in which he entered into the creative process. Very delicately and carefully, he comes to know the artists, with who he will create the spectacle. When it is needed, without tension or unnecessary intervention he enters in communication with the singers, with curiosity he switches from one stage setting to another and without interruption, he is making notes. He studies as if each reaction of the three different singers in the role of Carmen, in order to be one whole with them. Patiently he waits the stage director’s interruptions and repetitions with the explanations for acting of the episode. He isn’t this kind of conductor, who would spare his efforts or be tired from the coming in till the coming out of the music, he is ready to react quickly with a special gesture. The delicacy and sensibility come to life also in his manual technique. Even though he has worked with so many great names of conductors, impressive with their individual conductor’s writing and manner, Harada doesn’t imitate, he stays true to his feeling, to himself. I noticed the special delicacy in his gestures and behaviour, which are visibly predisposing the singers. A feeling of harmony was somehow reigning in the space and a wish for communication.

In our conversation I saw also the other face of Harada. If at the rehearsals there was some special absorption and concentration, when we started talking, I discovered something very different in him. All at once, his eyes lighted up, the smile and the spontaneity somehow showed the human being Harada, who spontaneously revealed something of himself. From him was springing energy and desire to share not only what concerns his work in the moment, but also how he feels in his meeting with the Sofia Opera.

To my question how does he perceive his work with the three different as artistic naturel singers in the character of Carmen – Nadia Krasteva, Gergana Rusekova and Sanja Anastasia he shared:

- The three singers in the role of Carmen are very good. Each one of them is different. Each of them creates the character according to the director’s conception, but she also imports something from herself, her feeling. All three of them are excellent musicians, clever, attractive, with emanation very close to Carmen. On the stage, they have a strong presence in the conception of this production, which after Wagner’s “Ring” is exceptionally exciting.

- How did you work with these three casts, do you have your own concept about the character of Carmen for this so often performed work by Bizet?

- I have a definite concept about the title and the main character, but I would like to share that I am observing attentively the idea, the conception about the image of this so widely known character and this is leading me. The idea suggests to me how together we can make things, in order to achieve the definite suggestion, which is sought. We all are working, I am underlining together in a harmony, I would say, to receive the total character, which is required.

- What is your experience with this title and what is required from you, in order to have the effect the way it is sought by the director Plamen Kartaloff?

- My last production was with my company in Arizona. It was very different from this one. I begin with each new production like with something absolutely new, I don’t want to compare. I am open to what is born out of the director’s inspiration and my efforts are to develop this story with the orchestra.

Everyone is focused on the stage. I have the feeling that this production will be dark. This means to be shown Carmen’s solitude, I have to manage in suggesting of this idea from the beginning to the end of the spectacle. Something important, which to move the audience.

- What was your first meeting with the orchestra?

- We met several times, we made technical rehearsals, for me the important is they to play the music, not the notes. I continue to encourage them. For example, when Escamillo sees Carmen for the first time, we should lose our breath. This, these moments from the story I want to see in their eyes, because when one plays, must be developed the story from the stage. The message has to be suggested convincingly.

- Is it difficult to involve the orchestra in the director’s idea, in the overall development and suggestion of one spectacle?

- I am feeling myself very well in each production. I always want to enter deep into its conception and it to become moving, and at the end to say to each other – “let’s make it again and again”. My role is to lead the audience in this journey till the closing of the curtain.

- Which was the first opera, which moved you, in which you are somehow in love?

- For me this is “La bohème” by Puccini. The first CD and my first DVD, which I bought once, was with this title. This was for me my introduction in the opera. A similar feeling I have also for “Carmen”, I love very much also “Don Pasquale”, an opera, which is so amusing. I love many others too, but I am feeling somehow very close to the dramatic repertoire – Tchaikovsky, Dvořák, Mahler and modern pieces. I don’t make just a definite repertoire, I love the challenges from the Baroque to the 21th century, as for example the music by John Adams, John Williams and others. I make many premieres of contemporary composers. For me it is very important to present also the music of our time, of the 21th century. I will remind that Bizet and his “Carmen” was received as modern, contemporary music.

Dr. MAGDALENA MANOLOVA

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CHARACTERS AND CAST. PRODUCTION TEAM – “CARMEN” BY BIZET

Thursday, 26 October 2017

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Newspaper “Zemya” – Bizet’s masterpiece “Carmen” with premiere at the Opera

Tuesday, 24 October 2017

The famous love story is like an ancient tragedy

With “Carmen” the company will be guest-performer next year in Japan.

On 3 November the Sofia Opera and Ballet will present the premiere of the opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet. The next spectacles are on 4, 5, 6, 9, 11 and 12 November.

This is one of the favourite spectacles of the connoisseurs of the operatic art, which is expected with great interest. In Maestro Plamen Kartaloff’s new production is represented the plot of the famous love story as an ancient tragedy. In “Carmen” there is everything – strong passions, a lot of love, but also proverbial jealousy and hatred, which lead to death.

This will be a theatre of the movement, theatre of the masks and impressive stage decisions, which the Sofia Opera and Ballet will present next year in its upcoming Japan tour in succession.

Performers of the roles are:

Carmen – Ahlima Mhamdi, Gergana Rusekova, Nadia Krasteva and Sanja Anastasia,

Don José – Daniel Damyanov, Kostadin Andreev and Martin Iliev,

Escamillo – Biser Georgiev and Veselin Mihaylov,

Le Dancaïre – Ilia Iliev,

Le Remendado – Krasimir Dinev and Hrisimir Damyanov,

Zuniga – Dimitar Stanchev and Svetozar Rangelov,

Moralès – Atanas Mladenov,

Micaëla – Irina Zhekova and Tsvetana Bandalovska.

The conductor Keitaro Harada will conduct the premiere of the opera “Carmen” on 3 November. He is highly appreciated for his professionalism, artistic abilities and passion for musical excellence. In 2018, he will lead the Japan tour of the production of “Carmen” by Bizet.

On 3 March 1875, the Paris audience saw and heard one of the opera masterpieces for all times – “Carmen”. It saw and heard it, but it couldn’t understand it! The premiere was a real flop for the author. Bizet couldn’t stand it and only three months afterwards he died of a heart attack, hardly at the age of 37.

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Newspaper “24 CHASA” – Plamen Kartaloff presents “Carmen” of the Sofia Opera in Japan

Tuesday, 24 October 2017

Plamen Kartaloff presents “Carmen” of the Sofia Opera in Japan

The upcoming on 3 November premiere of “Carmen” of the Sofia Opera and Ballet will be presented in October 2018 on a tour in Japan, together with “Turandot”, announced yesterday the stage director of both spectacles and Director of the Opera Plamen Kartaloff. This will be the seventh tour of the Opera in the Land of the Rising Sun.

At the premiere of “Carmen” the leading role will perform the world-known Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Nadia Krasteva, and in the next spectacles will appear Gergana Rusekova and the Serbian opera star Sanja Anastasia. Conductor at the premiere will be the young Japanese Keitaro Harada, who makes career in the USA, and after that the baton will take Grigor Palikarov.

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WITH CARMEN BEFORE THE PREMIERE – NADIA KRASTEVA – IN A CLOSER VIEW

Sunday, 22 October 2017

THE WORLD-KNOWN MEZZO-SOPRANO WILL ACT IN PLAMEN KARTALOFF’S NEW PRODUCTION

After the opening of the season of the Sofia Opera with “Parsifal” by Richard Wagner, the beginning of the new season offers to the audience one favourite title, which for a long time was absent from the opera’s playbill. This is the new production of “Carmen”, about which Acad. Plamen Kartaloff has chosen three performers – Nadia Krasteva, Gergana Rusekova and Sanja Anastasia, each one of them with different artistic naturel, which he interweaves in his intriguing director’s conception. A reading, which escapes from the known in the world practice, which somehow naturally continues the line of the innovative searching in the big Wagner saga. Continues also his passion to discover and work with young singers. Not by chance he selected Gergana Rusekova as one of his main characters, who transformed herself in the role of Kundry in “Parsifal”. A role, which revealed of full value the abilities of this artist. Actually to discover new names is the thing, which Plamen Kartaloff does constantly in his practice as stage director.

I shall remind that still in the distant 2002 Plamen Kartaloff discovered his Carmen in the face of at that time only twenty-year-old Nadia Krasteva. She debuted in the title in his production first in Stara Zagora, and later also here, in Sofia, on the stage of the ex-mausoleum. After having mastered the space of this building of cult after the changes with “Opera in the Square”, Kartaloff created the Bulgarian Arena di Verona, which unfortunately wasn’t given a meaning by the government of that time and finished with the destruction of this symbol of the pasт. This didn’t discourage the director’s rebellious spirit, who made his stage over the ruins, or on the place of the mausoleum.

I remember this Carmen, who we applauded, I remember the emotion from the unusual production and experience under the sky of Sofia. Since that time passed almost twenty years. A time, in which Nadia Krasteva transformed herself into the capricious Carmen in over 14 productions all over the world. This character obviously meets the temperament and the artistic charge of the singer, something which won her recognition as one of the most desired Carmens on the world stages.

In expectation of the premiere of “Carmen” at the Sofia Opera, I shall remind that in 2014 Nadia Krasteva was guest-performer in the role of Dalila in Hugo de Ana’s production of the opera “Samson et Dalila”.

After the first rehearsal, I had a conversation with Nadia Krasteva, which started imperceptibly.

- With what emotion do you come back on your native stage, on which you performed in 2003 the role of Carmen?

- My first Carmen with Maestro Kartaloff was in the new production on the open forum in Stara Zagora. After that it moved to Sofia on the open stage. This was a great experience, which is alive in me until this day. The interesting is also that people remember this Carmen. It often happens to me to hear them share how beautiful was this production in the square. It was very interesting. The character was very strong, dynamic, with many dances, acting, movements, change of states. It was exciting in the open air, this first Carmen of mine.

- After reproducing this character on so different stages, in so different productions, what is your feeling about the character you have to transform yourself into in Plamen Kartaloff’s conception?

- I am at the very beginning of the rehearsal period, but I understand that in its depth this is a quite different conception from what I have acted on other stages. He would like to direct the attention on Carmen in a more different way. He puts in the centre of the attention the three personages. He throws a beam of light on them, because he wants the states of Carmen to be red still more clearly. What she experiences as emotions, thoughts, hidden deep within her. States of mystic. To receive a kind of mono spectacle in some moments.

- What is the most difficult in the taming of this capricious character and what do you give Carmen from yourself after so many embodiments?

- I think that each performer finds his or source of emotions. What one shows from oneself, because everyone carries different depth and resource – to show it somehow on the stage. For me by Carmen characteristic is the interweaving of several contradictory things. This is a very interesting character. At first sight is seen her liveliness, sensuality, superficiality in the character, but if we look deeper, we discover this mystical and more sad person, who is seeking something higher in love, looking for something, which he hasn’t found, for herself. She actually dies without having found what she was looking for.

- Actually, Carmen could be understood as a rebellion of the personality, of the human being, who in life is trying to understand something more about himself or herself?

- Indeed, this is one possible journey towards oneself, a journey of a restless personality, who feels with all her senses the mystical in her life. Carmen, she is a gipsy, she has a third eye, she has her look on the things, she is feeling the things, which is not given to everyone. This makes her solitary. This is her drama, this makes her ununderstood, and maybe these are also the things, which she herself doesn’t understand fully. Fate pushes her on one way in seeking of something deeper and higher. This is what is drawing me closer to Carmen, which somehow I am also feeling.

- How the productions of “Carmen“, in which you took part in the years have enriched your understanding of the character?

- They all are very different, but maybe I feel very close the production in Chicago, with classical beautiful costumes and excellent partners. Also at other theatres, as for example at Deutsche Oper Berlin, Vienna, Riga, Amsterdam.

- Is there any more memorable story about some of these productions and about the way you entered in them?

- This was in the production of the Vienna Opera. I entered with Anna Netrebko, then Elīna Garanča refused and I had the honour to take part in the spectacle. At that time they didn’t know that I had sung in the same production of Franco Zeffirelli, at that for the first time I sang it after the celebrated Agnes Baltsa, on 27 September 2004. I stood behind the curtains and I was exceptionally excited, the tenor was Neil Shicoff and then Holender, in his typical manner, took a risk and let in a singer, quite young and new and maybe inexperienced. That was me. I was still making a repertoire. I had been singing at the Vienna Opera just for one year, but this way he tested me with this spectacle and after that he gave me the several spectacles with Shicoff. Then followed many productions, ca. 14 in number in Amsterdam, Savonlinna, Riga, in Bulgaria and many other places.

In Hamburg it was an exceptional event – on a big hockey arena in front of an audience of many thousands, the scales were huge – 5 000 mutes, chorus and ballet, Spanish dancers, horses, fires. At the finale, I was dying in a sea of red flowers.

- Another female character, which you are feeling close?

- Which one to identify with myself… Maybe Dalila grabs me as music, as musical line the way it’s written, it is as if in my skin. I have sung many other roles – Eboli, Amneris, Adalgisa, Sara in “Roberto Devereux”, Russian operas and many others. Ten years I was in the ensemble of the Vienna Opera and after that I am already a freelancer. This is exciting, because you have a certain freedom to choose, to perform different repertoire. This way I am learning new languages, a special bonus to sing in different languages, this helps.

In this first meeting with Nadia Krasteva, who is in the beginning of her way to Plamen Kartaloff’s Carmen. I would like to remind of one important critique of her presentation in “Carmen” in Chicago, Lyric Opera:

“The sensational mezzo-soprano Nadia Krasteva danced and sang in the role of the gipsy seducer like no one else today.”

Something, which she didn’t mention, but which is important not only for herself, but also for this character, which had provoked in the past century the critique to exclaim with similar pathos also for other great Bulgarian names in the role of Carmen.

The conversation was led by Dr. Magdalena Manolova.

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RICCARDO ZANELLATO in the role of Filippo II – “Don Carlo” – 22 October

Tuesday, 17 October 2017

Riccardo Zanellato was born in Contarina, in the province of Rovigo, Italy. He graduated in guitar at the Conservatory of Adria in 1994. Passion for singing was born in him in the period of his military service. He was chosen to enter the Alpine Representative Choir and during this experience many people encouraged him to cultivate this wonderful gift. In 1992, the encounter with Maestro Arrigo Pola, who was also a teacher of Pavarotti, marked the beginning of his artistic career and led him to his debut in 1994 at Teatro Verdi in Padua as the Count of Ceprano in “Rigoletto”. In the following years he successfully participated in many singing competitions, winning in 1996 the “A. Belli” in Spoleto and reaching among the finalists at “Operalia” in Tokyo in 1997. In 2005, he was awarded the “Tiberini d’Argento”.

In 2000, he started to work in vocal perfection with Maestro Bonaldo Giaiotti, and this collaboration was be crucial for the continuation of his career. With the Maestro, he prepared one of the most complex characters for bass: Zaccaria from “Nabucco”. His debut took place in 2001 in the Villa Pallavicino of Busseto and from that moment onwards there have been many productions, in which he was seen as the protagonist in the role, making him an interpreter of absolute reference.

His extended vocality and soft singing led him to be the interpreter of the Verdian repertoire, as well as that of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini. Among the most important works with his participation we can remember are: “Attila“ and “La battaglia di Legnano” (Parma), “Rigoletto” (Parma, Macerata, Caracalla, Teatro alla Scala, Turin, Liège), “Otello” (Paris), “Simon Boccanegra” (Rome, Catania, Lyon, Dresden), “Nabucco” (Rovigo, Ravenna, Rome, Parma, Savonlinna Festival, Stuttgart, Leipzig, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Kiev), “Aida” (La Scala, Naples, Turin, Verona, Valencia), “Il trovatore” (Lausanne, Verona, Salzburg), “Macbeth”, “Maria Stuarda” (Bergamo, Reggio Emilia), “Anna Bolena” (Bergamo, Brescia, Parma, Helsinki, Turin and on a tour in Japan), “Luisa Miller” (Barcelona, ​​Bilbao, Lyon), “Lucia di Lammermoor” (Florence, Naples, Macerata, Venice, Wiesbaden), “Norma” (Rovigo, Catania, Palermo, Warsaw, Turin, Montevideo, Verona and on a tour in Japan), “Il Barbiere di Siviglia” (Parma, Padua), “I puritani” (Amsterdam, Cagliari, Lecce) and others.

Numerous are his collaborations with important conductors, among others: Chailly, Gatti, Viotti, Mariotti, Abbado, Pappano, Battistoni, Rustioni, Renzetti and internationally renowned stage directors: Catena, De Ana, Abbado, Muscato, Vick , Wilson, Maestrini, Pier’Alli and others.

A breakthrough in his career surely happened by his encounter with Maestro Riccardo Muti, who chose him for “Iphigenié en Aulide”, “Nabucco”, “Moïse et Pharaon”, “Macbeth”, “Simon Boccanegra” and “Nabucco” at the Opera House in Rome. One of Riccardo’s favorite works is Verdi’s Requiem and he realized his dream to sing it, directed by the great Maestro in Naples, Redipuglia, at the Ravenna Festival and on a tour in Slovenia and Vienna at the Musikverein with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

His artistic career continued to grow and enriched his new debuts as protagonist: in 2011 at the Rossini Opera Festival in “Mosé in Egypt” (Abbiati Prize, 2011), in 2016 in “Attila” at Teatro Comunale in Bologna, in April 2017 as Filippo II in “Don Carlo” by Verdi in Genoa, a role particularly suitable for Riccardo because of his dramatic vocality and intensity.

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CARMEN – A REFLECTION OF TRAGIC GUILT FROM A GREEK TRAGEDY

Tuesday, 17 October 2017

Music, text and theatre of movement are the basic trinity of the principles of the classical Greek tragedy. All genres of the arts in the epoch of Renaissance were irrevocably resurrected from it.

In our new production of CARMEN by Georges Bizet the staging, in the look from its musical dramaturgy to its life on the stage, is a personal choice for independent conceptual look into the style of mixed principles of modern times and traditions from the ancient Greek theatre. But the ancient Japanese theatre NOH, which combines closeness to it, also gives reasons in the search of approaches, motivating my choice for escape from the clichés of known interpretations of the eternal masterpiece of the French musical realistic theatre.

In this sense, also the spatial dimensions are keeping the stage clear of props, free from deciphering of the genre according to the classical categories. Dominating place has the concentration on destiny of the main personages, put in the central circle as their main arena of fatality. And the space around the arena is the place for the spectators, for their acting, behaviour and reactions of an simultaneously observing, commenting and acting Chorus.

The composition of the spatial parts for the action and the acting are in harmonic proportions and commensurability of the parts in the stage space. The circle as geometrical figure, a legacy, together with the square from the ancient Greek canon in the sculptural thinking about the proportions of human body, is our basic and elevated stage. It is determined also as a harmonic connection for the three main personages, interweaved into the tragedy of the libretto.

Three amphitheatric tribunes, surrounding the circle, are a generalized symbol of the places for the spectators, but in the musical and stage dramaturgical texture, this is the singing chorus. They, the spectators – chorus, turn into a collective energy catalyst of the dramatic conflict between the tragic figure of the central character with her surrounding milieu, expressed exactly by the collective character – Chorus, the other very important personage from the classical Greek tragedy.

This way manifests the conflict: the tragic and lonely figure of Carmen, whose behaviour is pronouncedly focused always on acting in the arena, it stands, absolutely independent and isolated, in the counterpoint of the generalized personage of the commenting her community from hidden, indifferent and impersonal faces with masks – the chorus, an especially important and strongly expressed collective character.

Fully isolates and independent from the masked circle is the behaviour, the action and the sad drama of the three fatally interwoven protagonists: Carmen – Don José – Micaëla. The rest of the characters: Escamillo, Dancaïre, Remendado, Frasquita and Mercédès, together with the episodic for the action Moralès and Zuniga, are symbols from the general alloy – a picture, visually vibrating, with the freedom of cares and the vitality, and they are in the periphery of the personal drama of the main characters.

CARMEN is a tragedy of the personality. This is why in the spectacle it is a centrum, as a mundane person, but limited by an extraterrestrial force. Two are the vital vibrations of the central character: love and freedom. Love and freedom for her are more important than life. She herself becomes their victim, while fighting against the predestination, which marked her. Her impulses for independence turn her into a victim. From the very beginning, she is doomed above all. Her personality doesn’t fit into frames. She chooses and defines her behaviour by her own. The world for her is impersonal and heartless. She prefers solitude. Carmen takes the decisions about life by her own. She doesn’t accept the death, predicted by the cards and exactly her right of choice leads her to death, to which she sets out by her own for her fatal meeting with José. This way, with the freedom of her strong spirit, dependent on no one, she takes a decision about her life. Her pride is punished, also because of her conscience, which is constantly looking for a change – an audacity and a challenge. But human life is in the hands of Destiny.

Carmen is a reflection of tragic guilt, close in fate to female characters from the classical masterpieces of Greek tragedy.

Plamen Kartaloff

Director of the spectacle

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Nadia Krasteva will be Carmen in Bizet’s opera of the same name

Thursday, 12 October 2017

In the beginning of November, on 3 November at 19:00 h, at the Sofia Opera is upcoming the premiere of the opera “Carmen” by Georges Bizet. The next premieres will be on 4, 5, 9, 11 and 12 November.

Nadia Krasteva was born in Sofia. She graduated the Pancho Vladigerov National Academy of Music, specialty “Opera Singing”, in the class of Prof. Zhasmina Kostova, and after that she specialized at the Boris Christoff Academy in Rome with Anita Cerquetti. Nadia Krasteva is a mezzo-soprano.

She has worked at the Stara Zagora State Opera. In 2002, she received an invitation from the Vienna State Opera and Nadia Krasteva fast turned into a leading figure and favourite of the audience in Vienna, where she made her debut as Fenena in “Nabucco” and performs with great success almost all big mezzo-soprano parts like Carmen (“Carmen”), Leonora (“La Favorita”), Adalgisa (“Norma”), Sara (“Roberto Devereux”), Eboli (in the French and in the Italian version of “Don Carlo”), Maria Gesualdo (“Gesualdo”), Ulrica (“Un Ballo in Maschera”), Giulietta (“Les contes d’Hoffmann”), Marina (“Boris Godunov”), Preziosilla (“La Forza del Destino”), Maddalena (“Rigoletto”), Olga (“Eugene Onegin”), Suzuki (“Madama Butterfly”) and others.

The well-known Bulgarian singer conquered also the stage of the Lyric Opera of Chicago, where she sang in the opera “Carmen” by G. Bizet, and her partners were the Americans Brandon Jovanovich, Kyle Ketelsen and others. The theatre’s management considered that the “sensational mezzo-soprano Nadia Krasteva dances and sings in the role of the gipsy seducer as no one else today!”

Nadia Krasteva is a permanent guest-performer on the most prestigious opera stages and musical festivals in Europe, the USA and Japan – with all of the listed roles, as well as with parts like Dalila, Amneris, The Princess (“Rusalka”), Venus (“Tannhäuser”), Verdi’s and Mozart’s “Requiem”, Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, at opera gala concerts and solo recitals.

In October 2013, Nadia Krasteva made her debut at La Scala di Milano as Amneris in “Aida”, and in her schedule later on followed guest-performances in Berlin with the same role, as well as with Preziosilla in Munich, Adalgisa and Giulietta in Vienna, premiere of “Carmen” and others. She performed also the role of Eboli in “Don Carlo” on the Stage of the Sofia Opera and Ballet.

On 11 December 2014 Nadia Krasteva took place in the premiere of the opera Samson et Dalila” at the Sofia Opera.

In November this year, she will sing in the premiere spectacles of the opera “Carmen” by Bizet. The admirers of this opera are expecting with impatience Nadia Krasteva in the role of Carmen.

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FAREWELL TO RICHARD TRIMBORN

Monday, 09 October 2017

the great Maestro, friend and co-creator of one of the most audacious, courageous and successful artistic projects of the Sofia Opera – Wagner’s tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, “Tristan und Isolde” and “Parsifal”.

THEY CAME TRUE FOR THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL STAGE, thanks to his confidence personally in me, in all of us, in the Bulgarian opera singers, orchestra and chorus. The Bulgarian singing talent with the selected young opera artists, who I carefully chose and proposed to him for the preparation and the realization of the work in the years, received his approval, and he gave him the crucial chance to master the style, to adopt the taste and the vocal culture in a new thinking and artistic mentality. We created a new generation of artists for the national and the world opera stage.

We worked together at the Sofia Opera since 2009 until his last breath at the University Hospital in Munich, on Friday, 6.10 this year. On this very day in Moscow, I signed a contract with the Director of Bolshoi Theatre to present the Bulgarian “Ring” on one of the most prestigious world historical stages.

On this day, I would like to believe that my friend went away happy from life and from the world of the great operatic art and that he was convinced that his deed and work of interpreter for high national and international pilotage was crowned by the newly created by him BULGARIAN WAGNER SINGERS.

You will stay forever in our hearts, unique and unforgettable for us, loved by artists and audience, our dear friend and teacher!

Your divine messages of musician and wise man, and your philosophic lessons in the profession we shall keep as a sacred legacy!

Forever Yours, all of the over fifty Bulgarian opera artists, who worked with you: Orchestra of the Sofia Opera, Chorus of the Sofia Opera, Ballet of the Sofia Opera, technical services and administration of the Sofia Opera, Audience of our spectacles, and I, to whom will miss at most your stimulus, confidence and love to the profession, Yours Plamen Kartaloff.

Sofia, 8.10.2017

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The Japanese Keitaro Harada will conduct the premiere of “Carmen” on 3 November at the Sofia Opera

Tuesday, 03 October 2017

The Japanese Keitaro Harada will conduct the premiere of “Carmen” on 3 November at the Sofia Opera

The conductor Keitaro Harada will conduct the premiere of the opera “Carmen” on 3 November at the Sofia Opera and Ballet. He is highly appreciated for his professionalism, his artistic abilities and passion for musical excellence.

A native of Tokyo, Japan, Harada is a graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy and Mercer University. He has also studied under Christoph von Dohnányi, Robert Spano, Michael Tilson Thomas, Oliver Knussen, Herbert Blomstedt, Vladimir Ponkin, Adrian Gnam and Stefan Asbury. Harada champions creative programming, development of the orchestra as a part of a community’s cultural fabric, advancement of each musician he encounters, and responsibility as an artistic and civic leader. He is a three-time recipient of the Solti Foundation U.S. Career Assistance Award (2014, 2015, 2016). Harada won the Seiji Ozawa Conducting Fellowship at Tanglewood Music Festival. The Japanese is student of Lorin Maazel and Fabio Luisi.

In 2013, Harada was selected by the League of American Orchestras as one of only six conductors for the Bruno Walter National Conductor Preview, a prominent showcase that occurs biennially in an effort to promote gifted, emerging conductors to orchestra industry leaders. Still in 2012, Harada was a semi-finalist at the 9th Grzegorz Fitelberg International Competition for Conductors in Poland. In 2011, Harada was one of ten semi-finalists invited by Riccardo Muti and the Chicago Symphony to participate in the First Chicago Symphony Orchestra Solti International Conducting Competition and he made his professional opera conducting debut with North Carolina Opera.

Currently in his second season as Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Pops, Harada regularly assists Music Director Louis Langrée and conducts the CSO, POPS, and World Piano Competition, and assisted James Conlon for the 2016 May Festival. Keitaro also holds the position of Associate Conductor of the Arizona Opera.

Харада започва лятото на 2016 година с Тихоокеанския музикален фестивал по покана на Валери Гергиев. Дирижирайки пред публика от близо 5000 души. Прави диригентския си дебют с Токийския симфоничен оркестър и Токийския филхармоничен оркестър в Япония и с Бойската филхармония, Симфоничния оркестър на Западна Вирджиния, Симфоничния оркестър на Саут Бенд и Луизианския филхармоничен оркестър в САЩ.

Harada began the summer of 2016 with the Pacific Music Festival by invitation of Valery Gergiev, performing to an audience of nearly 5000. He makes his conducting debut with Tokyo Symphony Orchestra and Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra in Japan and with Boise Philharmonic, West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, South Bend Symphony Orchestra, and Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra in the United States.

Last season, Harada was invited to the prestigious Mahler Competition in Germany and made his conducting debut in Japan with the New Japan Philharmonic in a sold out performance as well as his debut with Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. He led performances of Carmen for Arizona Opera and conducted concerts with Tucson Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Virginia Symphony, Sierra Vista Symphony, and Orquesta Filarmónica de Sonora. He held the position of Associate Conductor for Richmond Symphony from autumn of 2014 to spring of 2016.

He leads the 2018 Japan tour of Bulgaria Sofia Opera’s production of Bizet’s Carmen.

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NEWSPAPER “POLITIKA” – WAGNER OPENS THE SEASON AT THE SOFIA OPERA

Tuesday, 26 September 2017

Richard Wagner’s famous opera “Parsifal” will open the season at the Sofia Opera on 1 October. The choice wasn’t made by chance. Wagner’s last opera was shown for the first time in Bulgaria in July and passed with great success. To see Maestro Plamen Kartaloff’s production came connoisseurs of the operatic art from all over the world.

In front of the TV cameras and the reporter’s microphones, the spectators of all ages expressed moving and enthusiastic evaluations of the magical production and inspired music interpretation, of the brilliant performance of the orchestra and the chorus, and the achieved vocal tops of the soloists of the Sofia Opera and Ballet.

“Wagner’s repertoire of our first opera theatre developed a new interest and a new taste, a new audience and the most valuable – a new generation of excellent artists – interpreters, soloists, members of the orchestra and of the chorus. It gave world popularity of the theatre and made commeasurable the sense of the profession and of the labour in the field of operatic art with the one of artists from the stages of the biggest and with centuries old traditions opera theatres, capitals, countries”, said Maestro Kartaloff, Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet.

In the spectacle “Parsifal” will take part Kostadin Andreev, Martin Iliev, Radostina Nikolaeva and others. Conductor is Ira Levin, and the set design is by Sven Jonke. The opera is performed in German with surtitles in Bulgarian and English.

Upcoming are also three spectacles of the opera “Norma” by Bellini, a production by Hugo de Ana, also at the Sofia Opera – on 13, 14 and 15 October, with soloists – the participants in the master classes of the opera prima Raina Kabaivanska at the New Bulgarian University, with who she has worked or continues working during the years.

On 12 September, Kabaivanska presented the participants in her present 17th master class, which will finish with a gala concert on 24 September at the Sofia Opera.

“I select my students according to their talent and kindness. I don’t support the impudent ones and the maniacs. I wasn’t disappointed from no one so far, maybe with quite few exceptions. They all are marvellous and this makes them brave in the choice of titles for the productions – neither “Turandot”, which we performed last year, and that with two casts, nor “Norma” are for beginning young singers, but we managed wonderfully”, said Kabaivanska, quoted by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency. Her aim is besides discovering and educating young talents, to present them on the international opera stage.

This year for the competition applied 65 singers from 22 countries and four continents – Asia, Africa, America and Europe. Now with Kabaivanska are working 15 of them from eight countries – Bulgaria, Venezuela, Greece, Italy, Korea, Lithuania, Serbia and Japan.

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OPERA MAGAZINE, MILAN – SOFIA: PARSIFAL – Richard Wagner, 8 July 2017 by Andrea Merli / 21 July 2017

Monday, 25 September 2017

Parsifal” is the last music drama by Richard Wagner, presented for the first time on stage on 26 July 1882, at the Bayreuth Festival, production of Hermann Levy, but presented for the first time at European theatres just after 1 January 1914, at that the first spectacle in Bologna was with Giuseppe Borgatti. (Wikipedia)

Whatever thinks the favourite Raina Kabaivanska, who many times and not quite as a joke publically reproached me for some of my recensions about Wagner’s works, presented at the National Opera in Sofia, about which, fast from time immemorial, I had possibility to inform in the Italian press, more specially in the “l’Opera” magazine and the radio broadcasting “Barcaccia”, asserting that “the Bulgarian voices were not created to sing Wagner!“, the good day was recognized still from the morning of the tetralogy, performed year after year with brave and a little bit hard constancy, and it is now going on a tour outside of Bulgaria – in 2018 it will be presented in Moscow. Then followed other works by the German Maestro in a crescendo of vocal and musical maturing. Now with its newest production of “Parsifal”, for the first time in Bulgaria, the whole National Opera in Sofia and the soloists, all of them Bulgarians, it must be emphasized that they were awarded a Wagner diploma for “protected designation of origin”.

To believe with firm faith is “pure stupidity“, if we paraphrase the title in question, but exactly this does Plamen Kartaloff, Director of the theatre and stage director, in this and in other cases, impeccable in his dramaturgical intuitions, characterized by clear reading, and also educational one for an audience with poor knowledge of Wagner, and also with attention to the youngest spectators, for which the works are presented in a reduced and translated version, opera “in pocket-size”, as they do in the cycle of Opera Lombardia.

And if the tetralogy was rewritten like a manga comic, inspired by the visionary Japanese graphic art, for the other works the key is different.

For example in this “Parsifal”, set design by Numen and Ivana Jonke, and costumes by Stanka Vauda, the essential is in a minimalistic, but far not holographic vision, the division of both worlds: the one of the knights of the Grail in black and white, with prevailing of the grey, leaden and mat, fast deprived of light, because of the weakness of Amfortas, where the old, feeble Titurel reminds of the ghost of Banquo; red and black in the castle and Klingsor’s magic garden, where the action takes place on a construction and on a path, and one enters in holes in a huge pillow, inflated with air under pressure, which gives it rounded and body forms, obviously a symbol of the mother’s womb, which Parsifal regrets. Other hangings fall down from the ceiling, hanging over the вbig rotating platform on the stage, it wraps up and unwinds, reminding, according to the action, now impenetrable wood, now the columns of the holy temple. The platforms sink, turning into a lakeside with water, where Parsifal and Kundry baptize themselves; at the end we see in the finale the rebel-hero, directed to the future, in which the redeemed Kundry becomes his wife and, one could suppose, mother of Lohengrin.

All this quiet elegance, the happy significance, and also the fantastic play of the light, with the purposeful use of LED lighting, a deed of Andrei Hajdinjak, is absolutely overwhelming – the work with its four and a half hours has flown away and was enthusiastically applauded by the audience, which on Satyrday, 8 July, again filled in the hall for the second performance.

The audience liked very much also the musical part – at first place the orchestra, which with the years acquired indisputable individuality and endurance. It perfectly copes with the fine presentation of the sound and the creating of those often imperceptible atmosphere, which Wagner spills generously, but also it outlines moments of a greater emphasis.

Wonderful performance of the chorus, as always conducted by Violeta Dimitrova, to which for the case adds the also superb choir of children’s voices of the Bulgarian National Radio, directed by Venetsia Karamanova. The merit for the success is at most of the young conductor Constantin Trinks, born in Karlsruhe in 1975, who more and more imposes himself among the young German conductors, after being with Kazushi Ono and Christian Thielemann in Bayreuth. His reading is to be remembered and very impacting effective.

The team was consulted, as by Wagner’s previous works, by one exceptional music connoisseur, Richard Trimborn, but what never stops amazing us is the fact that all performers from both casts are Bulgarians – which confirms that in all cases, including by Wagner, Bulgaria continues to be a mine for voices. Stаrting with the evergreen tenor Kostadin Andreev, for whom time has as if stopped, having in mind his youthful appearance, which makes him ideally suitable for the role of Parsifal, endowed with vocal qualities, which don’t show signs of weakening. During the years – I am quoting at random and from memory – we have listened to him like Andrea Chénier, Cavaradossi, Hoffmann from “Les contes” and recently in Wagner’s roles, which are already a new additional specialty of his. His voice, rich in harmonies, flies with a beautiful timbre, acquiring density in the central zone, without losing the ease in the heights. Also very good is Radostina Nikolaeva, Kundry – a lyric soprano лирично with tendency to dramatic one, with harmonic a tender voice, which becomes sharp and biting. One unrestrained Kundry, at moments wild and fierce, but as well seductive and dreamy at the order of the magician Klingsor. He was wonderfully performed by the baritone Biser Georgiev with a voice in dark tones and powerful presence, in the energetic phrasing, as well as in the convincing acting.

The role of Gurnemanz according to the common recognition was maybe the most exposed, because, although it really doesn’t take part in Act II, it has a lot of singing In the first and in the last act. This is why the physical and vocal endurance is its important characteristic. To this challenge he replied with a stage persuasion and before all in musical aspect the wonderful bass Angel Hristov, authoritative, but also fatherly in the scanning of the sung words. Also excellently presented himself the baritone Atanas Mladenov, e young-looking Amfortas, but visibly suffering, sung very well with a voice with a wonderful righness. More at a secondary plan is the role of Titurel, wonderfully presented by the powerful bass Petar Buchkov, an old acquaintance, and not only from Wagner’s operas. At the end, perfect were also the so called supporting roles – the Knights of the Grail Hrisimir Damyanov and Stefan Vladimirov, the Esquires Rada Toteva, Ina Petrova (who is also one of the Flower Maidens), Krasimir Dinev and Kalin Dushkov. The Flower Maidens, sexy and very engaged in choreographic movements, besides the mentioned Petrova, Lyubov Metodieva, Marieala Aleksandrova, Mirela Yabandzhieva, Angelina Mancheva and Aleksandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva.

For the initiative, which without exaggeration we could call titanic, significantly contributed the tireless Vera Beleva, Assistant Director, and the irreplaceable Yulia Krasteva, Music Assistant – two supporting posts of the Sofia Opera.

Andrea Merli

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THE FIRST BULGARIAN WAGNER “RING”, A CHALLENGE OF THE SPIRIT AND THE WILL AND THE HEROES OF OUR TIME

Monday, 18 September 2017

Isn’t it an act of heroism to forge the ring of great art, when the streets are a real barricade? When cries are deafening the music, when in front of the temple of the opera the crowd confronts itself with the police, when the aggression attacks the spaces. Isn’t it a great feat to lead your army of musicians with the will to give one of the possible answers for a change in our cheerless world, woven from craving for power and greed? The belief that art can save the humankind from self-destruction, is something, which was also the belief of Richard Wagner in his time of revolutions.

Not accidently I am defining the presentation for the first time in Bulgaria and on the Balkans of Richard Wagner’s tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” as a feat of the real heroes of our time, who proved to what we are able, when there is a clear strategy and objective, when the making of art has a message, different from the adopted today understanding that art is a commodity and entertainment. This act of the Sofia Opera for me is a demonstration of the way one artistic collective can be an example for the movement of our society on the highway of the spiritual realizing, on the way to the changes. And something more. The realization of the huge project, a trial also for the big opera theatres, proved that the united efforts of a good directed collective can make wonders in a time of lost ideals, to resurrect the faith in our own abilities, by searching the witnessing of the high art.

An army of over 200 Bulgarian opera artists, the orchestra, the chorus and the ballet, the technical services and ateliers of the Sofia Opera and Ballet courageously and without fear, with enthusiasm and will, professionalism and devotion were forging four years

THE FIRST BULGARIAN “RING”, in order to join with their own individual artistic way in 2013 the world celebrations, marking 200 years of the birth of Richard Wagner.

Leader of this enormous army is the proven in similar fights Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet Academician Plamen Kartaloff. He has the courage to lead his army in this challenge of the spirit and the will, to convince the artists to walk the difficult way towards Wagner’s tetralogy, to overcome the prejudices and financial problems, the problems of our time.

The big journey towards Wagner started four years ago, in order to finish with the complete presentation of the cycle in the Jubilee year 2013. The festive fanfares in front of the Sofia Opera were welcoming the audience, inviting it to enter in the temple, in order to experience the catharsis of “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, to comprehend its message today in a time, when the people from the street, having realized their power, have the will to lead their peaceful fight for change, for social justice and humanization.

Four festival evenings filled in the Opera with an audience, thirsty to experience for the first time the messages of this monumental creation, a synthesis of all arts. Four separate big productions with total duration of 15 hours were enthusiastically applauded by the numerous audience.

I have experienced the unusual ritual on Bayreuth’s green hill in Richard Wagner’s unique theatre, constructed according to a project of his. A ritual with flavour of traditions, but also of the snobbism of the adherers from all over the world. Different is the experience on the Sofia holy hill, filled with sound by the bells of “St. Alexander Nevsky”, the biggest cathedral temple on the Balkans. The Bulgarian Bayreuth has its own character, its own shades of colours.

Plamen Kartaloff managed to gather and involve in the big journey towards Wagner a team, with which to create his idea about the “Ring”. Together with the designer Nikolay Panayotov he wove the cloth of the big saga in the spirit of fantasy, with the flavour of surrealism, allegory, without looking for such modernization of mythology, in which leading to be the trivial already modern tendencies. A choice, which is of importance for the integration of the Bulgarian audience to Wagner’s theatre. Something, which makes it different from the mode today.

A known fact is that for Wagner’s operas the theatres invite the so called Wagner singers, powerful, enduring voices, connoisseurs of the tradition. The warm, beautiful and sonorous Bulgarian voices are characteristic with these natural qualities and vocality, which relate us with the Italian tradition. Although not few are the examples of those, who are recognized as Wagner singers.

The different thing in the first in the history of the Bulgarian Opera Theatre presentation of the “Ring” is that Plamen Kartaloff had the courage to rely only on Bulgarian singers. It’s not easy to gather the whole “army” of Bulgarian singers, the onee, who are all over the world and those, who are on Bulgarian stage. Kartaloff succeeded to bring on the stage for each production two casts, to discover and create with his music team the new Bulgarian Wagner singers. A risk, which gave the exceptional result. The ones, who we knew as singers mainly in the Italian repertoire, passed the exam of Wagner’s music not only vocally, but also artistically. This became possible, because with them works a team of specialists. The vocal training during all these years was entrusted to Maestro Richard Trimborn, known in the world of the opera as connoisseur of Wagner. In this team an exceptional role have the conductors Pavel Baleff, Erich Wächter, Velizar Genchev.

Wagner requires singers-actors. For this was caring Plamen Kartaloff. The whole working process gave as a solid result the birth of the new Bulgarian Wagner actors. This was the big chance of many young singers to discover themselves, to develop unexpected qualities, which will outline also new paths in their career.

Wagner’s orchestra is a challenge for every theatre. It requires not only excellent musicians, but also high quality instruments, especially in the brass group. For this was also found a solution. The bought new instruments were the necessary condition for successful overcoming of the difficulties of the score under the baton of the excellent Maestros. For these four years, the orchestra of the Sofia Opera grew, it showed a new face and character.

The heroes in this feat were not only the musicians, but also the technical services. The entire ensemble of our first opera theatre showed to what it is able, when the one, who gives them a lead in the trail knows how to solve each problem, how step by step to climb the high peak, overcoming the obstacles on the way.

In the world’s festivities, the Bulgarian “Ring” brought its own colour in the great tradition, something, which marked the critics from the foreign press.

The event Wagner came just in time. It evoked questions. Are we ready to walk our way, to experience our catharsis in the name of the future of one different, new world. The Sofia Opera gave its answer with the large scales of its heroism in a time of a crisis. One possible answer, a reflection for those, who are the Lords of the contemporary Ring.

This Bulgarian holiday, born in a dramatic time, gave me faith that the art can teach the real lessons in conduct and looking for the right way for changes. It reminded us that united around one idea with zeal and will we can realize our dreams for a better world. It reminded us that the unity makes strength, the inscription on the National Assembly, a witness of our stormy history from the past and the presence. A thought, which expects to come true in the future of Bulgaria.

Dr. Magdalena Manalova

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NEWSPAPER “TELEGRAPH” – WAGNER ALSO BROUGHT US WORLD RECOGNITION

Sunday, 17 September 2017

NEWSPAPER “TELEGRAPH”, 12.08.2017, page 13

The Director of the Sofia Opera Plamen Kartaloff”:

WAGNER ALSO BROUGHT US WORLD RECOGNITION

- Acad. Kartaloff, by a huge interest of the audience from the entire country and abroad finished the second Summer Festival “Opera of the Peaks” beside the Belogradchik Rocks, and tomorrow is the end of the first Summer Festival “Fortress of Ages – Baba Vida” in Vidin. How difficult is the realization of projects of such large scale in the open air?

- Life is a competition in extreme endurance – this is the warning of one of the most important secrets in order to achieve of bigger success in the work. Then the obstacles and the difficulties are a predestined condition for confident taking of the risk on the long and often full of unforeseeable surprises way to achieving of success of each intention, sought at all costs. And to manage to engage the right adherents for a project, they to be convinced the way you are, to feel voluntarily the motivation and the encouragement from the sense and the social benefit, it is already a cause. To assess and defend uncompromisingly and with professionalism every step in the economical thinking and the creative work, to fulfil the project.

- These two projects attract tourists-music lovers not only from entire Bulgaria, but also from abroad. Why do they come here according to you?

- For “Opera of the Peaks”, its attractive features are several. It’s natural that at first place is the majesty and the might of one real wonder, which are the Belogradchik Rocks. But the homogeneity, to which I am striving, the natural environment and reality, as a natural set, by all means had to be in synthesis of the natural phenomenon with the character of another phenomenon and wonder of civilization, and this is the art of the opera and the ballet, the other curiosity, pushing an audience of thousands towards the magic festival evenings. No, no, this cannot be described with words, it must be seen” was the inviting appeal of Konstantin Jireček at his first sight of the Belogradchik Rocks. And now for the first time they are discovered for and by a new and special audience. To see the peaks of the rocks at dusk, crimsoned not only by the magic of the colours of the setting sun, but also by the virtuosity of the tints of music, singing, acting in their embrace. Another motivation for the interest of the audience is that tops and masterpieces of the musical and ballet dramaturgy will be seen in a new way and with another look of interpretation. But produced in a director’s way in another non-standard and unusual environment, and not at an occasional place. The audience has already shared with us that it has confidence in order to travel specially from hundreds and thousands of kilometres to visit the spectacles of the proven most attractive summer opera festival all over the world. The idea for “Opera of the Peaks” is with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Belogradchik Municipality. With the Mayor Mr. Rosen Mladenov one works calmly. But I must surely mention with gratitude the trust and the sponsor’s support, which we were granted by many companies and organizations.

- And what is the situation in Vidin?

- The summer opera and ballet festival evenings in “Fortress of the Ages” in the Medieval castle “Baba Vida” in Vidin is our new start for yet another cultural impulse in North-West Bulgaria, which was born thanks to the exceptional collaboration and intentions for a reacher cultural future of Vidin, of the Mayor Mr. Ognyan Tsenkov and Mrs. Andreeva, Secretary of the Municipality. At three places in the town: the incredible and unique stage on the barge of the Danube River, several stage levels in the spaces of the fortress with spectacles for the youngest audience of Vidin, at that the river again takes part in the action; and still one a stage on the Bdintsi Square. Each selected location is connected with the right repertoire and the genre specific of the playbill. This is also an important motivation for attracting of the audience, not only from the town, but also from the region and the country.

- Will you continue also next year to help developing the tourism in the North-West region through the opera music?

- The answer is not an easy one. After we invested so much labour, professional devotion and results for a new cultural Renaissance in North-West Bulgaria, it is right to be bigger the share of collaboration of the local authorities – economical and logistical. Respectively the concern of the Ministry of Culture to be not only with priorities in the sea landscape, but also in other living phenomena of nature and the people in our fatherland. Attractive places, which are exceptional and already awaken for new and new visitors from everywhere, especially with the purpose of giving a more impressing look of the towns Belogradchik and Vidin with their own image and mirror for a cultural national progress. The heroic historical past with the first revolts against the Ottoman dominion from 1850 and the fight for independence in this region, a longing for own economic and cultural progress in the outlines of the Ottoman Empire are an example of real patriotism. And whether today is enough only the anger against the dead economic and the depopulation? Necessary is a new thinking about solid support and national policy for the North-West. People saw how art helps the economic. For our spectacles all hotels, houses for guests also in the smallest villages were booked before months.

- What surprises do you prepare for the audience for the new season?

- Every new repertoire programme is expected with interest by the audience. We do our best to make a balance of the styles and the composer’s schools, to discover new talents, and the care about their development is a registered mark – the Sofia Opera to discover and give new names a boost for the national and world opera and ballet stage. We work hard also for our newest, youngest audience, which is one of our priorities as a task. In this sense, we have a specially rich and varied repertoire. From the conventional classic masterpieces to new titles, which the National Opera Theatre offers constantly. The new opera titles are “Carmen” by Georges Bizet and “Yana’s Nine Brothers” by Lyubomir Pipkov. The new ballet premieres are “Le corsaire” by Adolf Adam and “The Fire-Dancer” by Marin Goleminov. Three are also the new premieres for the young audience on the stage of the Chamber hall, furnished with new chairs: “Apollo et Hyacinthus” by Mozart, which he wrote when he was thirteen, “Noah’s Arc” by Britten and “Katze Ivanka” by Matesic. The three works will be produced for the first time in Bulgaria. The traditional “Concerts for Babies” are also with a new programme.

- Upcoming is a travelling of the company and a guest-performance at the Bolshoi Theatre. You have chosen to perform Wagner at the world-known and prestigious opera in Russia, isn’t it?

- Wagner’s music brought to the Sofia Opera with its productions world recognition. They were presented several times not only on our stage, but also in Belarus, Slovenia and Germany. And now in Russia. This is a wonderful possibility for us to have a guest-performance on the historical stage of the Bolshoi, which gives access to its building only to most prestigious casts like La Scala and the Royal Theatre in London. But we are resurrecting also the tradition of cooperation, which existed between the Sofia Opera and the Bolshoi Theatre since more than 30 years. We shall present also the most significant classic of the Bulgarian ballet dramaturgy “The Fire-Dancer” by Marin Goleminov. I was insisting very much in the guest-performance to take part also our ballet company, which is in excellent form.

- Please, tell us about the international forum “Opera-Europa”.

- “Opera-Europa” is a leading organization of professional opera theatres from all over the world. The Sofia Opera is a regular member, together with 176 companies from 42 countries. At congresses and conferences we debated different topics, connected with focusing of the contemporary tendencies and development of the opera theatres, increase in the number of the audience and in the revenues, the new technologies and development by the interpretation of the works today, the personnel and its development, methods for attraction of sponsors, dynamic marketing and public relations and their role for the development of the opera theatre. The cooperation and co-productions are another important part of the meetings and discussions. The Sofia Opera was given the right to be host of the international forum of “Opera-Europa” in March 2018. The main themes, about which will come the managements of the opera theatres, members of the organization, are marketing and communications, human resources, business and finance forum, technical forum and productions. Our hosting is a proof of recognition and respect to our membership in the organization, as well as the achievements of the Sofia Opera with its contribution in spectacles, which received world praise.

- What would like to watch and listen the Bulgarian spectator?

- Beautiful spectacles with excellent voices.

- How does one make high art in the times, in which we are living?

- With persistence in spite of the crisis and the neglect, which are far away from the criteria for fair and worthy estimation of the achievements. It is as if irritating, when you strive for perfection, and this is why one chooses the easier, the harmless things and mediocrity is preferred. People of art don’t have to take into consideration anything and anyone, when they are convinced in their intentions and goals, called to follow in the name of the cause.

- Unfortunately, there are many young people, who don’t know who is Wagner, nor Chopin, for example. How do you explain yourself the lack of cultural knowledge among the young generation?

- Still more interesting is to awaken the nap in the not tempted one, to prepare him for high pilotage, to be like a discoverer of new tastes and like one new Parsifal to be ready for a “healing journey of the human soul towards the world and towards itself”.

- Since years, you put the accent on Wagner’s repertoire. With what his works are actual also today?

- With a new aspect of the look towards Bulgaria, which gave so many of its talents to hundreds of opera houses, scattered all over the world. With a new vision of seeing through in the musical and stage education of our singers and artists about the opera. With new repertoire horizons of the audience, enough it has swallowed, although masterpieces, but always limited ones. Our Wagner repertoire has educated a new generation of artists of the Sofia Opera, soloists, members of the orchestra and the chorus. It gave world popularity of our theatre and made commensurable the sense of our profession and the work in the field of operatic art with the one of artists on the biggest and with centuries-old traditions stages, capitals, countries.

This is he:

- Born in Dobrich on 15 September 1948

- Graduated the State Academy of Music in Sofia, and later specialized Opera directing in Germany and Cinema directing at the National Academy of Theatre and Film Arts

- His innovative élan covers a wide range of styles and authors and he is one of the few directors in the world, who count on operas by Wagner and by Verdi in one season

- Still as a student in Sofia, he founded the first chamber opera theatre (now Chamber Opera –

- Stage director, whose spectacles win world recognition for the combination of advanced-guard and traditional elements

- Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet

LORA RIZOVA

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Bulgarian National Television, Miglena Stoycheva – A Bulgarian opera director received world recognition

Sunday, 17 September 2017

Academician Plamen Kartaloff is the first Bulgarian opera director, invited to make his own production in the frames of the prestigious Puccini Festival in Torre del Lago, Italy. At that the Foundation, which organized the music event, entrusted to him to create the spectacle, with which were celebrated 100 years of the writing of the only operetta of the composer – “La rondine”.

For the music lovers Torre del Lago is almost a place for pilgrimage before the genius of a great creator. At the side of this Italian lake is located the house, in which Puccini created his great operas. Every summer the lake attracts admirers from all over the world, who would like to experience again the emotion from the music of the great Maestro. In the years often a star in the playbill was Ghena Dimitrova.

But never till now there wasn’t invited a Bulgarian director. The festival’s management scrutinizes the opera events in the world. They themselves looked for Plamen Kartaloff with the invitation to produce “La rondine”. Even if the work was never performed in our country, yet the Director of the Sofia Opera made already one successful production of this title in Ostrava, the Czech Republic.

Plamen Kartaloff: “I have taken one engagement for the Puccini Torre del Lago Festival and to make the opera “La rondine” – а very rare title. Hundred years of its writing and the world premiere of the work. The festival, which has been held for 63 years, was opened by Pietro Mascagni. This is a tradition, which Italy follows.”

Among the reports of the Italian critique outlines a laconic, but indicative definition for the work of the Bulgarian director. The musical critics are unanimous – Plamen Kartaloff’s directing is exceptional. The members of the festival’s management are also impressed by the sway of their Bulgarian guest. They were thinking over an invitation for a second production of his, but later they decided to do something else.

This way the personal artistic engagement of Plamen Kartaloff opens widely the door for Puccini’s Festival in front of the Sofia Opera. After the main programme, up to now there is a week for guest-performances of foreign companies. The Sofia Opera however received an invitation for something absolutely different – to be guest-performer with three own productions in the main playbill of the prestigious festival.

by Miglena Stoycheva

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1 October 16 h “PARSIFAL” by Richard Wagner. Opening of season 2017/2018

Wednesday, 13 September 2017

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Newspaper Kultura, Boyanka Arnaudova – Parsifal – А deed of adherents – About the new premiere of the Sofia Opera

Monday, 11 September 2017

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JOURNEY TO “PARSIFAL”

Monday, 11 September 2017

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Bulgarian National Radio – Two new productions of Bulgarian works presents the Sofia Opera and Ballet

Monday, 11 September 2017

Bulgarian National Radio – Two new productions of Bulgarian works presents the Sofia Opera and Ballet

The Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet Academician Plamen Kartaloff presented in front of the audience of broadcasting “Horizont” the new musical and stage temptations, which the opera will offer to its admirers during next season. Upcoming is one really very dynamic, varied and rich at national and international events repertoire with different styles and composer schools – a warranty for the balance in the repertoire, which really deserves attention, marked Plamen Kartaloff, while adding:

We are preparing the opening of the season exactly on the International Music Day – on First of October, and again with Richard Wagner with our newest production – “Parsifal” by the German master, we shall open festively our new season. Parallel to that in preparation are four titles – two opera and two ballet ones. These are “Carmen” by Bizet and one title, one of the most beautiful pages in the Bulgarian opera dramaturgy – these are “Yana’s Nine Brothers” by Lyubomir Pipkov. We are preparing also two ballets – “Le corsaire” and “The Fire-Dancer”.

After our very unusual guest-performance – with Bulgarian opera singers, with a German repertoire – this is Richard Wagner’s tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, in Germany, one of the biggest accents of the new season is the guest-performance of the Sofia Opera on two stages, shared Acad. Kartaloff:

The new stage and the historical stage of the Bolshoi Theatre – during two weeks our theatre will be guest with 6 titles in May 2018, which I consider for one of the greatest and prestigious events of the Bulgarian national music culture.

Parallel to this is our attention to the summer festivals and exactly one such provocation – we are opening a new stage on the seaside, in complex “Albena”, where we shall present one musical, added Plamen Kartaloff and he pointed out that the Opera of the Peaks Festival at the Belogradchik Rocks will also have a new repertoire. We have also many other events, which I think that the audience will share because of its interest in our quite unconventional repertoire looking into a mirror, which is actually the aesthetic taste of one theatre, marked the Director of the Sofia Opera.

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DER OPERNFREUND, Klaus Billand – BELOGRADCHIK/Bulgarien: OPERA OF THE PEAKS – NABUCCO und LAKMÉ – 21./22. Juli 2017

Thursday, 17 August 2017

Die Belogradchik Peaks, also die Felsen von Belogradchik im äußersten Nordwesten Bulgariens, sind turmartige Felsformationen, die sich hier seit dem Perm vor ungefähr 230 Millionen Jahren durch tektonische Bewegungen und anschließende Erosion formten und die verschiedensten Felsfiguren bilden. Man sieht Formationen wie menschliche und tierische Köpfe, die zusammen mit anderen Felsbildern und der insgesamt beeindruckenden Gestaltung der Peaks der gesamten Region einen mystischen Charakter verleihen. Ein ideales Ambiente für die Aufführung von Freilicht-Opern, wie es der Intendant der Sofia Oper und Ballett, Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, mit seiner großen Fantasie für ungewöhnliche Aufführungsorte schnell erkannte und hier vor kurzem ein Sommer-Festival für Oper und Ballett ins Leben rief.

Das vor den Peaks bereits zwischen dem 1. und 3. Jahrhundert unserer Zeitrechnung entstandene kleine Festungsversteck, welches bis ins 15. Jahrhundert unter verschiedenen Herrschern und Besatzern zu einer Festung ausgebaut wurde, bietet dafür den nahezu idealen theatralen Raum. Die Festung Belogradchik wurde zuletzt ab 1805 von französischen Ingenieuren total umgebaut und erweitert. Ihre Arbeit beendeten italienische Schutzanlagespezialisten im Jahre 1837. Zwischen den beiden 12 Meter hohen Festungsmauern ergibt sich vor den Peaks ein Areal, das der Bühne, einem davor liegenden mittelgroßen unüberdachten Orchester sowie einer Tribüne von 650 Zuschauern Platz bietet. Von dieser kann man dem Stück mit großer Nähe und damit einer gewissen Intimität beiwohnen. Eine Verstärkung der Sänger ist deshalb auch nicht erforderlich, die Akustik ist sehr gut.

Das diesjährige Sommer-Festival eröffnete mit „Nabucco“ und brachte des Weiteren die Opern „Lakmé“, „Tosca“, „La Cenerentola“ sowie „Madama Butterfly“ und die Ballettaufführungen „Zorba the Greek“, „Carmen“, „Rhapsody in Blue“ und „Don Quixote“. Vor Beginn der Aufführung von „Nabucco“ hielten der Metropolit der Regionshauptstadt Vidin, der Vize-Kulturminister, der Bürgermeister von Belogradchik sowie Plamen Kartaloff kurze Ansprachen. Die Aufführung war ausverkauft.

Plamen Kartaloff führte in „Nabucco“ Regie und schuf auch das auf hohen Symbolwert aus der Glaubenswelt der Hebräer setzende klassische Bühnenbild. Boryana Angelova kreierte die Bühnenbildelemente. Links und rechts an der Seite der mit einem Aluminiumboden ausgelegten Bühne liegt eine riesige Thora-Rolle, die zwischen ihren beiden Enden den Chor beherbergt. In der hinteren Bühnenmitte sieht man die monumentalen Hände Moses‘ mit der Tafel der Zehn Gebote. Den Vordergrund bilden einige bauliche Elemente des Tempels über einer goldenen Schatztruhe. Für interessante Momente sorgen der Lichtdesigner Emil Dinkov und die Multimedia-Spezialistin Vera Dimitrova. So lassen sie beispielsweise die Peaks selbst zum Götzenbild der Babylonier werden, in rötlichen Farben, die zu einem matten Schimmer verglühen, wenn das Götzenbild im 4. Akt stürzt. Für die überaus klassischen Kostüme aus der Zeit der Handlung zeichnet Tsvetana Petkova-Stoynova verantwortlich. Etwas weniger Konservativismus beim Design hätte hier gut getan. Die Personenregie ist trotz einer gewissen Statik zumal in den Ensembleszenen gut und hebt die Bedeutung der Aktionen der Protagonisten in den entsprechenden Momenten nachvollziehbar hervor. Mit großer Bewegung und guter Choreographie (Riolina Topalova) setzt sich immer wieder der stimmstarke, von Violeta Dimitrova geleitete Chor in Szene. Auch hier geriet der Gefangenenchor zu einem berückenden Moment des Abends. Für anmutige und choreographisch fantasievolle Momente sorgt das Ballett im 3. Akt.

Im Programmheft hebt die Festspielleitung hervor, dass sie zwei internationale Gäste für diese Produktion an den Peaks gewinnen konnte, und zwar Carlos Almaguer aus Mexiko als Nabucco und Roberto Scandiuzzi aus Italien als Zacharias. Beide erfüllten die Erwartungen sowohl stimmlich wie auch darstellerisch vollkommen. Almaguer war mit seinem kräftigen und aussagestarken Bariton ein Respekt gebietender, überaus souveräner Nabucco und konnte auch in den Szenen überzeugen, in denen er dem Wahnsinn verfallen war. Scandiuzzi ließ seinen prachtvollen, samtenen Bass erklingen und legte als Zacharias ebenfalls große Souveränität an den Tag. Auf diesem hohen Niveau konnte aber auch die Abigail von Gabriela Georgieva aus dem Sofioter Ensemble mithalten. Wann immer sie auf der Bühne stand, war sie sofort Zentrum des Geschehens mit ihrer starken Mimik und einem fast als hochdramatisch zu bezeichnenden Sopran mit eindrucksvoller Attacke, der keine Höhe dieser so anspruchsvollen Partie scheute, wobei sie auch in den tiefen Lagen beeindrucken konnte. Ein Höhepunkt der Aufführung war ihr Duett mit Nabucco im 3. Akt. Diletta Scandiuzzi war eine zarte und mit einem sehr klangschönen, aber nicht allzu großen Mezzo singende Fenena und spielte die Rolle mit viel Emphase. Rosen Nenchev war ein noch sehr junger Ismael, mit einer noch nicht ganz für diese Rolle ausgereiften Stimme. Es war aber erklärtes Ziel des Regisseurs, ihn mit dieser Rolle an das größere Verdi-Fach heranzuführen. Darstellerisch machte er seine Sache mit lebhaftem Spiel sehr gut. Dimitar Stanchev als Oberpriester des Baal, Hrisimir Damyanov als Abdallo und Silvana Pravcheva als Anna rundeten mit sowohl stimmlich wie darstellerisch ansprechenden Leistungen das gute Ensemble ab.

Grigor Palikarov dirigierte das Orchester der Sofia Oper und Ballett mit viel Verve und konnte gleich zu Beginn mit einem sauber strukturierten und akzentuierten Vorspiel beeindrucken. Allerdings gerieten im weiteren Verlauf einige Stellen zu laut, insbesondere die großen Tableaus, sodass selbst Sänger wie Scandiuzzi oder Almaguer bisweilen zugedeckt wurden. Man muss allerdings dazu sagen, dass das Orchester fast auf gleicher Höhe wie die Bühne liegt und die Transparenz somit auch aus diesem Grund etwas leiden kann. Vor den mystisch wirkenden Peaks von Belogradchik war dies jedoch eine beeindruckende „Nabucco“-Aufführung in völlig ungewohntem Ambiente.

Tags darauf spielte man „Lakmé“ von Léo Delibes ebenfalls in einer für die Belogradchik Festung angepassten Produktion der Sofia Oper und Ballett. Plamen Kartaloff führte wieder Regie. Für die wiederum klassische und mit einigen wenigen Bühenbildelementen das Brahmanentum andeutende Szenografie zeichnete Miodrag Tabacki verantwortlich. Der Lichtdesigner Sasho Bekafigo bezog diesmal die Peaks nicht so stark ein. Dafür fand er stimmungsvolle farbige Lichtfantasien für das Geschehen auf der Bühne, insbesondere die Chorszenen und großen Tableaus. Die geschmackvollen und in den Massenszenen auf farbige Pastelltöne setzenden Kostüme aus der Zeit der Handlung der Oper wurden von Angelina Atlagic entworfen. Sie zeigen die Engländer in ihren typischen beigen Militäruniformen und die Brahmanen in ihren weiten weißen Gewändern. Ein Trupp der englischen Soldaten hisst oben zwischen den Peaks die englische Nationalflagge als Zeichen der Besatzung.

Tabacki schuf durch die Errichtung eines kleinen und schlichten Brahmanentempels in der Bühnenmitte mit hinabführenden Rampen links, rechts und hinten zwei Spielebenen. Das weitete die darstellerischen Möglichkeiten aus und bot auch mehr Platz für Monologe und Duette sowie die bestens choreografierten (Maya Shopova) Massenszenen, von denen das lebhafte Treiben auf dem Markt zu Beginn des 2. Akts ein Höhepunkt des Abends war. Das Dach dieses kleinen Brahmanentempel wird durch eine Statue des Elephantengottes Ganesh geziert, an dem Lakmé immer wieder betend niederkniet – er ist so etwas wie das spirituelle Zentrum der Bühne. An den Seiten sieht man, vielleicht etwas zu klischeehaft, zwei große Elefantenattrappen. Auf dem Dach des Brahmanentempels findet auch die Verwundung Geralds durch den Brahmanenpriester Nilakantha statt, nachdem Lakmé ihre Glöckchenarie gesungen hat. Nilakantha wird von Peter Naydenov mit einem ausdrucksstarken und klangvollen Bassbariton gesungen. Er spielt die Rolle als sehr Respekt gebietender souveräner Anführer der Brahmanen. Im 3. Akt, in dem ja Lakmé Gerald im Wald gesund zu pflegen versucht, wird der Brahmanentempel und die Rampe davor mit Gerald und Lakmé mit einem Dschungel von Farnen angestrahlt, so dass sich mit wenigen Mitteln die Ästhetik einer Waldszenerie einstellt.

Wir erleben eine viel detailliertere Personenregie als in „Nabucco“. Alle Figuren werden sehr genau im Einklang mit der Musik geführt. So ist die Blumenarie von Lakmé und Mallika im 1. Akt ein echter musikalischer und auch darstellerischer Höhepunkt. Diana Vasileva singt die Lakmé mit einem technisch bestens geführten lyrischen Sopran, der in der Blumenarie gut mit dem klangvollen Mezzo Diana Genova als Mallika harmoniert. Auch die Glöckchenarie im 2. Akt gelingt Vasileva mit viel Liebe zum Detail und Verinnerlichung. Das Duett mit Gerald am Ende des 1. Akts ist ebenfalls zu den besten Momenten der Aufführung zu zählen.

Kartaloff gelingt es überzeugend, den kulturellen Clash zwischen den englischen Besatzern und den Brahmanen darzustellen. Wenn Gerald und Frederick mit ihren drei Begleiterinnen mit den obligaten Sonnenschirmen in den Bereich des Tempels kommen, wirkt das tatsächlich wie eine weitere Okkupation. Das unbeherrschte Benehmen der Engländer steht in starkem Widerspruch zu dem zurückhaltenden Gebaren der Brahmanen. Diese Differenzierung zieht sich dramaturgisch effektvoll durch den ganzen Abend, auch im Verhalten Geralds zu Lakmé. Daniel Ostretsov, der Loge des Sofioter „Ring“, ist ein erstklassiger Gerald mit einem baritonal unterlegten, fast ins Heldische gehenden Tenor mit kraftvoller Höhe. Er agiert auch darstellerisch mit viel Emphase. Atanas Mladenov, der Amfortas des jüngst heraus gekommenen Sofioter „Parsifal“, lässt einmal mehr als Frederick seinen beeindruckenden Bariton mit guter Facettierung und stimmlichem Ausdruck erklingen – ein ganz großes Talent! Elena Stoyanova singt Ellen, die Verlobte Geralds, mit einem klangvollen Sopran. Rose, ihre Cousine, wird von Silvana Pravcheva und Mrs. Bentson von Rumyana Petrova gesungen und ebenso wie Ellen manieriert gespielt. Miroslav Andreev ist ein serviler Hadji. Weiter sind die guten Leistungen, vor allem auch das Piano des von Violeta Dimitrova einstudierten Chores sowie das fantasievolle Ballett hervor zu heben.

Francesco Rosa dirigierte das Orchester der Sofia Oper und Ballett mit großem Einfühlvermögen für die Sänger. Diesmal geriet nichts zu laut, die Harmonie zwischen Bühne und Orchester war nahezu perfekt.

Bilder: Svetoslav Nikolov

Klaus Billand, 2.8.2017

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Parsifal and the Overcoming of Evil – A Presentation by Thomas Meyer at the Sofia Opera House

Thursday, 17 August 2017

On 8 July this year a special event was held in Sofia for two reasons: the first performances of Richard Wgner’s opera Parsifal in Bulgaria happened to coincide with the presentation of the Bulgarian edition of the book Im Zeichen der Fünf [In The Sign of Five] by Thomas Meyer.

Thanks to many years of links between the anthroposophical publisher and Wagner connoisseur Dimitar Dimcheff and the Opera House and its PR Manager Valentin Stanov the presentation was able to take place in one of the upper rooms of the Opera House and was also open to the non-anthroposophical members of the public.

After words of greeting from Diana Botucharova, Thomas Meyer gave the following lecture, which was simultaneously interpreted into Bulgarian by Katya Belopitova.

*
Dear guests, dear friends of Rudolf Steiners spiritual science and of Richard Wagner’s operas!

I am very glad to have this unusual opportunity to be able to speak in this place where the third performance of Parsifal will be held today. My theme is “Parsifal and the Overcoming of Evil”. Let’s take a look first at the main characters in the opera: Gurnemanz, Amfortas, Kundry, Klingsor, Parsifal. They all have something in common: they all have to do with the phenomenon. Some more passively, for example, Amfortas. Passively here means: affected by evil rather than deliberately seeking it out or willing it. On the other hand, we have Kundry and Klingsor, who are actively involved in the production of evil. Gurnemanz – a witness to evil, but
also a great friend of and striver towards the highest good. And then of course, finally, Parsifal, the one who actually overcomes it, the victor over evil. These characters therefore relate to the phenomenon of evil in very different ways.

But these characters have something else in common. We find all of them in each single person. In each of us there is something, in varying degrees, of Gurnemanz, Amfortas, Kundry, sometimes even of Klingsor; and, perhaps to a small degree, something of Parsifal.

The basic ideas in the opera
Already in the first act Gurnemanz expresses a basic idea, which applies to the whole work: “Who pays ill with good o’ercomes it.” An important basic motif. Evil is not overcome by the one who condemns it or fights it, but by he who places the good alongside it.

A further motif: if evil is to be overcome, that requires knowledge. This is already stated in the phrase that sounds several times, that the one who will one day redeem Amfortas is the one whose understanding will be compassionate. Neither compassion alone, nor knowledge alone is sufficient to overcome evil. Both must come together in a synthesis. Like heart and head. This is the task of Parsifal. He cannot manage this task at all at first. He cannot yet do it on his first visit to the Grail Castle, not even when he sees the afflicted Amfortas before him. He is still the “pure gate”, who knows nothing and does not feel much. At a certain moment, however, a vague feeling of compassion grips his heart.

Parsifal must go through a development. All the characters figures I have mentioned must undergo a development, more or less. Kundry’s development is extreme, as is that of Parsifal. The whole opera is thus also a drama of human development.

Rudolf Steiner and the knowledge of evil
The motif of the knowledge of evil enables me briefly to refer to the book which was mentioned in the introduction: Im Zeichen der Fünf [In the Sign of Five]. This book
contains Rudolf Steiner’s fundmanetal ideas about evil. He says – and this shows how contemporary Parsifal is – the knowledge of evil is the great task of our time. Steiner was also greatly familiar with appreciated the works of Richard Wagner. You see that in the second publication here [this refers to a Bulgarian edition with various lectures by Steiner on Wagner]. The day before the outbreak of the First World War, on 31 July 1914, Steiner was sitting with Eliza von Moltke and other friends at a performance of Parsifal in Bayreuth. A basic idea for the understanding of the encounter with evil is in Steiner – and I think also in Wagner –: there is no “eternal” evil. There is no absolute evil. There is only an absolute, eternal good. You can find this idea also in Goethe’s Faust.

Mephisto can do all the harm he does only because he receives permission from the “Lord”, from the Godhead itself. It is very important to grasp this thought. For
if one believes that there is an absolute evil, then this is not only an error; it also generates emotions, fear and hatred. Evil belongs to time and space, not to eternity. The German poet Lessing magically conjures various spirits The Present Age Vol. 3 / No. 5 / August 2017 9 Parsifal and the Overcoming of Evil in a “Faust” fragment. And then he asks them what is the fastest thing in the world. One of the spirits says, to Faust’s great satisfaction: “The change from good to evil”.

Thus evil has to do with time and also with acceleration in time.

We had the First World War – for four years. And then, at the beginning of this millennium, we had a single day which had and still has similar catastrophic consequences, 11 September 2001. This is a compression of the power of evil in time.

In Parsifal there is an image of the higher good that is absolute and which can therefore be victorious over evil. It is expressed by the word “Grail”. And from the Grail proceeds that which is called the Holy Spirit and what we see in the image of the dove, which in the third act descends to the revealed Grail [which in the otherwise excellent production in Sofia was unfortunately not included].

The Grail, the dove – these are images of the eternal. Of the eternally true, the eternally good and also of the eternally beautiful, as can appear in art.

Paths of development
I have already mentioned that all the characters go through a development, especially Parsifal and Kundry. Parsifal has to learn to understand through compassion. He has to learn to ennoble his impure qualities, which he also has – wildness, an inclination to violence, etc. Klingsor on the other hand takes another path. He does not want ennoblement in order to strive higher – he too once strove for the Grail – but he suppresses what is lowly within himself by force, and thereby conjures up unhealthy forces and black-magic capacities. Klingsor also wanted and still wants to attain the Grail, but he does it with the wrong means: oppression, power, hatred, etc.

With regard to the motif of “understanding though compassion”, for me, there is a real climax in the whole three-act drama. We will see in the second act how at Klingsor’s command, Parsifal is tempted by Kundry, as happened with Amfortas. There comes the dramatic moment where Kundry, who has already enticed him
with her flower girls, finally embraces and kisses Parsifal. And one could understand how even Parsifal could yield to the temptation. Then we would have a new Amfortas. But this does not happen. A single word which he exclaims shows clearly that now he has awakened, now he has become knowledgeable. It is the word “Amfortas!” In the moment he is kissed, he intuits what the drama of Amfortas actually was. The vague compassion which he had already felt in the first act, then only dimly, has now awakened. And Parsifal recognizes in a single moment the origin of Amfortas’ affliction. It is the dramatic climax of the whole drama. Now he can directly take hold of his mission to overcome evil. For now it has become clear to him how things stand.

This climax in the drama can be compared with the moment when, in Verdi’s Rigoletto, the hero opens a sack at night, in which the corpse of his enemy is supposed to be, only to find his own beloved daughter. “Amfortas”! The most compelling moment of knowing compassion in the whole opera.

Development through repeated earth lives
A further motif is that we have many opportunities for development, and indeed not only in one life, but in many lives. This is expressed already in the first act by Gurnemanz. He says of Kundry that she “perhaps [has] to atone for her guilt from an earlier life”. In the second act Klingsor calls Kundry not only a “primeval she-devil” – a strong phrase! –, but also Herodias. She is according to legend supposed to have scorned and laughed at Christ on the Cross. When Kundry tells Parsifal about her own suffering, in order to entreat him, she says something very significant. She scorned the Lord on the Cross and she says: “Then his glance fell on me!” These words are accompanied musically by a very beautiful, simple motif, which also comes in the Overture, and then again in the second act, once again in the third act.

The gaze which fell on Herodias-Kundry, is not a punitive or a vengeful gaze. It is a gaze which impels her whole future development. That only shows itself later, in
a subsequent incarnation. This gaze of the Christ, which she had felt as Herodias, is the deeper reason why Kundry later strives towards the Grail. And as you know, she actually finds the path to the Grail in the third act thanks to Opera House, Sofia, Bulgaria 10 The Present Age Vol. 3 / No. 5 / August 2017 Parsifal and the Overcoming of Evil the redemption and a higher love through Parsifal, who frees her from being chained to evil.

You see, a far-reaching arc of development, which spans not only one life, but several lives. For Kundry, but also
for Parsifal.

Parsifal too has a dim awareness that he is not living for the first time. When Gurnemanz asks him in the first act: “Your name?”, Parsifal says: “I had many. But I no longer know them.” Most people are in this situation: they have forgotten their spiritual experiences from their earlier incarnations. But today there are already many people, often children, who tell of their experiences of earlier lives.

The idea of reincarnation in Wagner and in Christianity
Richard Wagner was not the only one who knew of reincarnation, took it seriously, and took in his works. That was also the case with Goethe, Schiller, Emerson, the
American essayist. And for Rudolf Steiner, the founder of spiritual science, it stands as it were in the centre of his work; it belongs to his “core mission”. It is not only
a Buddhist idea. In the Bible there is at least one striking place where Christ speaks of reincarnation: where some disciples go with Him to the mountain of the Transfiguration. On the way down they speak of Elijah, and Christ indicates that Elijah returned in John the Baptist, who had been beheaded a short time earlier. The idea of reincarnation can therefore be very much linked to Christianity. That is the one point on which I cannot wholly agree with a very remarkable interview on the Opera House website.

The interview with Richard Trimborn
There is an interview there, which lasts about nine minutes, with Richard Trimborn, who did the musical rehearsals for the opera with the artists. Remarkable. You find in Trimborn a man, who takes account of the real spirit of the creator of such a work. Trimborn asks the composer in the spirit: “Are you satisfied with what is done in Bayreuth today?” And he believes he hears the composer say: “No!” And then he asks: “Are you satisfied with what we are attempting here in Sofia!” And he believes he hears the composer say: “Yes!” And Trimborn apparently takes the idea of reincarnation seriously, when he also says it is only Buddhist in origin. It is the most interesting interview about Wagner’s Parsifal, that I have ever read.

Gérard Mortier and the reincarnation of Richard Wagner
We find the idea of reincarnation, which flowed so deeply into Parsifal, again in Steiner’s spiritual science, as I said; here as the goal of systematic scientific research. Steiner investigated many concrete cases of reincarnation. He also investigated an earlier incarnation of Richard Wagner himself. And the results of this research inspired another artist. Gérard Mortier, the Belgian director and leader of the Salzburg Festival, who died a few years ago said in an interview in the newspaper Die Zeit, how he had actually found his way to Wagner’s Tristan through having learned of what Steiner had said about Wagner’s earlier
incarnation!

And what did Steiner reveal? Richard Wagner had had, amongst others, an earlier incarnation as the great sorcerer and magician Merlin.

Something of the magic of Merlin returns in the magic of Richard Wagner’s music.

The musical motif of the magic of Good Friday
I would like to close the all-too brief sketch by indicating something about the musical motif of the Good Friday sorcerer in the third act. After Parsifal has revealed himself, Kundry has washed his feet, and Gurnemanz has anointed him – everything changes. Even nature. Development is not just human. Development is also expressed throughout nature, that is, in concrete terms, in the realm of the elements and its beings. For the sake of man’s development, these beings have, in a certain way, allowed themselves to be locked in a prison; they are, as it were, exiled from their spiritual home. But they expect man will free them one day. Gurnemanz says that nature is “purged”. Nature is in a state of expectation of joy. And now there are about twenty or twenty-five bars, where the music is immensely solemn, tender, and quiet, while nature blossoms in the magic of Good Friday.

Rudolf Steiner once said to a companion at a performance Parsifal: “Pay attention here! The music that comes now is as though inspired by the being of the Grail itself.”

Thus, Wagner’s Good Friday magic leaves far behind everything that is merely Catholic, where a mood of suffering and guilt prevail. Everything here is the seed
of new life – everything in man, but also everything in nature.

The holy spear
Finally, I shall read a few lines about the holy lance, which plays the key role in the wounding and the healing of Amfortas. It is the lance which had been thrust into Christ, from where the pure blood came from the wound. For Amfortas, who had been seduced by Kundry and had ben fatally wounded with it Klingsor, it had been wrested from Klingsor. Parsifal now brings back. And he says:

“Only one weapon suffices -
The wound is healed only by the spear That caused it.“
And he says to Amfortas:
“Be whole, purified and atoned!
For I now perform your office.
Blessed be your suffering
Which gave the timid fool
Compassion’s highest power,
And the might of purest knowledge!”

Now Parsifal has really become knowledgeable through compassion – and powerful, in the good sense, in the sense of white magic. –

I thank you for your attention!
_______________________________________________________________________
A few impressions of the two performances on 8 and 10 July
On 8 July I saw the third of the total of four first performances in Bulgaria.

The conductor was Constantin Trinks, the director Palmen Kartaloff.

The acoustics of the Opera House are excellent. Both in the upper circle and in a front stalls seat the sound was flawless. The orchestra and singers rehearsed by Trimborn gave balanced performances. It was a rare homogeneity of orchestra, singers and choirs. Trimborn and Kartaloff are to be thanked that this was no embarrassing piece of ‘director’s licence’. (Regietheater). It had a unique, stylized stage design using modern lighting effects, but without the unfortunately usual pressure of having to submit to some politically or otherwise “contemporary”, and mostly arbitrary, directorial interpretation. Even if in the interests of some symbolic formations one might want to omit something – like a beautiful visible chalice, or the dove in the third act etc., everything was there to serve the poetry and the music, and not to distract from it.

This basic approach was clear also with the singers and in the orchestra and the choir.

In addition, the direction encouraged sequences of movements which are hardly seen in Wagner performances elsewhere, which often leads to protected immobility of gesture. These movements were particularly admirable in the second act, for example, with Kundry.

Thus, the viewer was able to watch the music drama vividly and with constant interest, supported by subtitles in Bulgarian and English, for Wagner’s music without text is like coffee without caffeine.

250 All in all: a great atmospheric unity of singers and musicians, which also – in both performances – transferred to the whole audience. The audience listened and watched with genuine Slavic devotion and anticipation. The applause after the fourth and last performance was especially persistent and heartfelt.

The only performances of Parsifal that I know in Central Europe that have been comparable in dignity with those in Sofia are the ones held every Good Friday in
Mannheim.

The organiser, Diana Botucharova, with T.H. Meyer

However, lacking dynamic movement, with little clear articulation in most of the voices and without subtitles they bear little comparison with the real attention that
could be experienced in Sofia.

It is to be hoped that such performances will take place regularly in Sofia – both the composer and the public would thus be saved from the sufferings of Amfortas that have to be endured in Regietheater productions. In this sense the Parsifal premières in Sofia were examplary.

T.H. Meyer

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DER NEUE MERKER, Klaus Billand – BELOGRADCHIK/Bulgarien: OPERA OF THE PEAKS – NABUCCO und LAKMÉ – 21./22. Juli 2017

Thursday, 17 August 2017

Die Belogradchik Peaks, also die Felsen von Belogradchik im äußersten Nordwesten Bulgariens, sind turmartige Felsformationen, die sich hier seit dem Perm vor ungefähr 230 Millionen Jahren durch tektonische Bewegungen und anschließende Erosion formten und die verschiedensten Felsfiguren bilden. Man sieht Formationen wie menschliche und tierische Köpfe, die zusammen mit anderen Felsbildern und der insgesamt beeindruckenden Gestaltung der Peaks der gesamten Region einen mystischen Charakter verleihen. Ein ideales Ambiente für die Aufführung von Freilicht-Opern, wie es der Intendant der Sofia Oper und Ballett, Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, mit seiner großen Fantasie für ungewöhnliche Aufführungsorte schnell erkannte und hier vor kurzem ein Sommer-Festival für Oper und Ballett ins Leben rief.

Das vor den Peaks bereits zwischen dem 1. und 3. Jahrhundert unserer Zeitrechnung entstandene kleine Festungsversteck, welches bis ins 15. Jahrhundert unter verschiedenen Herrschern und Besatzern zu einer Festung ausgebaut wurde, bietet dafür den nahezu idealen theatralen Raum. Die Festung Belogradchik wurde zuletzt ab 1805 von französischen Ingenieuren total umgebaut und erweitert. Ihre Arbeit beendeten italienische Schutzanlagespezialisten im Jahre 1837. Zwischen den beiden 12 Meter hohen Festungsmauern ergibt sich vor den Peaks ein Areal, das der Bühne, einem davor liegenden mittelgroßen unüberdachten Orchester sowie einer Tribüne von 650 Zuschauern Platz bietet. Von dieser kann man dem Stück mit großer Nähe und damit einer gewissen Intimität beiwohnen. Eine Verstärkung der Sänger ist deshalb auch nicht erforderlich, die Akustik ist sehr gut.

Das diesjährige Sommer-Festival eröffnete mit „Nabucco“ und brachte des Weiteren die Opern „Lakmé“, „Tosca“, „La Cenerentola“ sowie „Madama Butterfly“ und die Ballettaufführungen „Zorba the Greek“, „Carmen“, „Rhapsody in Blue“ und „Don Quixote“. Vor Beginn der Aufführung von „Nabucco“ hielten der Metropolit der Regionshauptstadt Vidin, der Vize-Kulturminister, der Bürgermeister von Belogradchik sowie Plamen Kartaloff kurze Ansprachen. Die Aufführung war ausverkauft.

Plamen Kartaloff führte in „Nabucco“ Regie und schuf auch das auf hohen Symbolwert aus der Glaubenswelt der Hebräer setzende klassische Bühnenbild. Boryana Angelova kreierte die Bühnenbildelemente. Links und rechts an der Seite der mit einem Aluminiumboden ausgelegten Bühne liegt eine riesige Thora-Rolle, die zwischen ihren beiden Enden den Chor beherbergt. In der hinteren Bühnenmitte sieht man die monumentalen Hände Moses‘ mit der Tafel der Zehn Gebote. Den Vordergrund bilden einige bauliche Elemente des Tempels über einer goldenen Schatztruhe. Für interessante Momente sorgen der Lichtdesigner Emil Dinkov und die Multimedia-Spezialistin Vera Dimitrova. So lassen sie beispielsweise die Peaks selbst zum Götzenbild der Babylonier werden, in rötlichen Farben, die zu einem matten Schimmer verglühen, wenn das Götzenbild im 4. Akt stürzt. Für die überaus klassischen Kostüme aus der Zeit der Handlung zeichnet Tsvetana Petkova-Stoynova verantwortlich. Etwas weniger Konservativismus beim Design hätte hier gut getan. Die Personenregie ist trotz einer gewissen Statik zumal in den Ensembleszenen gut und hebt die Bedeutung der Aktionen der Protagonisten in den entsprechenden Momenten nachvollziehbar hervor. Mit großer Bewegung und guter Choreographie (Riolina Topalova) setzt sich immer wieder der stimmstarke, von Violeta Dimitrova geleitete Chor in Szene. Auch hier geriet der Gefangenenchor zu einem berückenden Moment des Abends. Für anmutige und choreographisch fantasievolle Momente sorgt das Ballett im 3. Akt.

Im Programmheft hebt die Festspielleitung hervor, dass sie zwei internationale Gäste für diese Produktion an den Peaks gewinnen konnte, und zwar Carlos Almaguer aus Mexiko als Nabucco und Roberto Scandiuzzi aus Italien als Zacharias. Beide erfüllten die Erwartungen sowohl stimmlich wie auch darstellerisch vollkommen. Almaguer war mit seinem kräftigen und aussagestarken Bariton ein Respekt gebietender, überaus souveräner Nabucco und konnte auch in den Szenen überzeugen, in denen er dem Wahnsinn verfallen war. Scandiuzzi ließ seinen prachtvollen, samtenen Bass erklingen und legte als Zacharias ebenfalls große Souveränität an den Tag. Auf diesem hohen Niveau konnte aber auch die Abigail von Gabriela Georgieva aus dem Sofioter Ensemble mithalten. Wann immer sie auf der Bühne stand, war sie sofort Zentrum des Geschehens mit ihrer starken Mimik und einem fast als hochdramatisch zu bezeichnenden Sopran mit eindrucksvoller Attacke, der keine Höhe dieser so anspruchsvollen Partie scheute, wobei sie auch in den tiefen Lagen beeindrucken konnte. Ein Höhepunkt der Aufführung war ihr Duett mit Nabucco im 3. Akt. Diletta Scandiuzzi war eine zarte und mit einem sehr klangschönen, aber nicht allzu großen Mezzo singende Fenena und spielte die Rolle mit viel Emphase. Rosen Nenchev war ein noch sehr junger Ismael, mit einer noch nicht ganz für diese Rolle ausgereiften Stimme. Es war aber erklärtes Ziel des Regisseurs, ihn mit dieser Rolle an das größere Verdi-Fach heranzuführen. Darstellerisch machte er seine Sache mit lebhaftem Spiel sehr gut. Dimitar Stanchev als Oberpriester des Baal, Hrisimir Damyanov als Abdallo und Silvana Pravcheva als Anna rundeten mit sowohl stimmlich wie darstellerisch ansprechenden Leistungen das gute Ensemble ab.

Grigor Palikarov dirigierte das Orchester der Sofia Oper und Ballett mit viel Verve und konnte gleich zu Beginn mit einem sauber strukturierten und akzentuierten Vorspiel beeindrucken. Allerdings gerieten im weiteren Verlauf einige Stellen zu laut, insbesondere die großen Tableaus, sodass selbst Sänger wie Scandiuzzi oder Almaguer bisweilen zugedeckt wurden. Man muss allerdings dazu sagen, dass das Orchester fast auf gleicher Höhe wie die Bühne liegt und die Transparenz somit auch aus diesem Grund etwas leiden kann. Vor den mystisch wirkenden Peaks von Belogradchik war dies jedoch eine beeindruckende „Nabucco“-Aufführung in völlig ungewohntem Ambiente.

Tags darauf spielte man „Lakmé“ von Léo Delibes ebenfalls in einer für die Belogradchik Festung angepassten Produktion der Sofia Oper und Ballett. Plamen Kartaloff führte wieder Regie. Für die wiederum klassische und mit einigen wenigen Bühenbildelementen das Brahmanentum andeutende Szenografie zeichnete Miodrag Tabacki verantwortlich. Der Lichtdesigner Sasho Bekafigo bezog diesmal die Peaks nicht so stark ein. Dafür fand er stimmungsvolle farbige Lichtfantasien für das Geschehen auf der Bühne, insbesondere die Chorszenen und großen Tableaus. Die geschmackvollen und in den Massenszenen auf farbige Pastelltöne setzenden Kostüme aus der Zeit der Handlung der Oper wurden von Angelina Atlagic entworfen. Sie zeigen die Engländer in ihren typischen beigen Militäruniformen und die Brahmanen in ihren weiten weißen Gewändern. Ein Trupp der englischen Soldaten hisst oben zwischen den Peaks die englische Nationalflagge als Zeichen der Besatzung.

Tabacki schuf durch die Errichtung eines kleinen und schlichten Brahmanentempels in der Bühnenmitte mit hinabführenden Rampen links, rechts und hinten zwei Spielebenen. Das weitete die darstellerischen Möglichkeiten aus und bot auch mehr Platz für Monologe und Duette sowie die bestens choreografierten (Maya Shopova) Massenszenen, von denen das lebhafte Treiben auf dem Markt zu Beginn des 2. Akts ein Höhepunkt des Abends war. Das Dach dieses kleinen Brahmanentempel wird durch eine Statue des Elephantengottes Ganesh geziert, an dem Lakmé immer wieder betend niederkniet – er ist so etwas wie das spirituelle Zentrum der Bühne. An den Seiten sieht man, vielleicht etwas zu klischeehaft, zwei große Elefantenattrappen. Auf dem Dach des Brahmanentempels findet auch die Verwundung Geralds durch den Brahmanenpriester Nilakantha statt, nachdem Lakmé ihre Glöckchenarie gesungen hat. Nilakantha wird von Peter Naydenov mit einem ausdrucksstarken und klangvollen Bassbariton gesungen. Er spielt die Rolle als sehr Respekt gebietender souveräner Anführer der Brahmanen. Im 3. Akt, in dem ja Lakmé Gerald im Wald gesund zu pflegen versucht, wird der Brahmanentempel und die Rampe davor mit Gerald und Lakmé mit einem Dschungel von Farnen angestrahlt, so dass sich mit wenigen Mitteln die Ästhetik einer Waldszenerie einstellt.

Wir erleben eine viel detailliertere Personenregie als in „Nabucco“. Alle Figuren werden sehr genau im Einklang mit der Musik geführt. So ist die Blumenarie von Lakmé und Mallika im 1. Akt ein echter musikalischer und auch darstellerischer Höhepunkt. Diana Vasileva singt die Lakmé mit einem technisch bestens geführten lyrischen Sopran, der in der Blumenarie gut mit dem klangvollen Mezzo Diana Genova als Mallika harmoniert. Auch die Glöckchenarie im 2. Akt gelingt Vasileva mit viel Liebe zum Detail und Verinnerlichung. Das Duett mit Gerald am Ende des 1. Akts ist ebenfalls zu den besten Momenten der Aufführung zu zählen.

Kartaloff gelingt es überzeugend, den kulturellen Clash zwischen den englischen Besatzern und den Brahmanen darzustellen. Wenn Gerald und Frederick mit ihren drei Begleiterinnen mit den obligaten Sonnenschirmen in den Bereich des Tempels kommen, wirkt das tatsächlich wie eine weitere Okkupation. Das unbeherrschte Benehmen der Engländer steht in starkem Widerspruch zu dem zurückhaltenden Gebaren der Brahmanen. Diese Differenzierung zieht sich dramaturgisch effektvoll durch den ganzen Abend, auch im Verhalten Geralds zu Lakmé. Daniel Ostretsov, der Loge des Sofioter „Ring“, ist ein erstklassiger Gerald mit einem baritonal unterlegten, fast ins Heldische gehenden Tenor mit kraftvoller Höhe. Er agiert auch darstellerisch mit viel Emphase. Atanas Mladenov, der Amfortas des jüngst heraus gekommenen Sofioter „Parsifal“, lässt einmal mehr als Frederick seinen beeindruckenden Bariton mit guter Facettierung und stimmlichem Ausdruck erklingen – ein ganz großes Talent! Elena Stoyanova singt Ellen, die Verlobte Geralds, mit einem klangvollen Sopran. Rose, ihre Cousine, wird von Silvana Pravcheva und Mrs. Bentson von Rumyana Petrova gesungen und ebenso wie Ellen manieriert gespielt. Miroslav Andreev ist ein serviler Hadji. Weiter sind die guten Leistungen, vor allem auch das Piano des von Violeta Dimitrova einstudierten Chores sowie das fantasievolle Ballett hervor zu heben.

Francesco Rosa dirigierte das Orchester der Sofia Oper und Ballett mit großem Einfühlvermögen für die Sänger. Diesmal geriet nichts zu laut, die Harmonie zwischen Bühne und Orchester war nahezu perfekt.

Klaus Billand
DER MEUE MERKER

WIEN 2017

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DER NEUE MERKER – BELOGRADCHIK/Bulgarien: WAGNER IN DER HÖHLE – 22. Juli 2017

Saturday, 29 July 2017

Wohl kein Ort zur Aufführung einer Oper bzw. Veranstaltung eines Opernfestivals ist dem Intendanten der Sofia Oper und Ballett, Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, exotisch genug, um es nicht einmal damit zu versuchen – und er hat dabei stets Erfolg! Nach open air Aufführungen im Schatten der kuppelvergoldeten St. Alexander Nevsky Kathedrale und einem Sommerfestival „Oper im Park“ in Sofia, sowie einer Aufführung seines „Ring des Nibelungen“ 2015 im Festspielhaus Füssen, entdeckte der fantasievolle und umtriebige Opernmann im letzten Jahr die mystische Gegend um die Kleinstadt Belogradchik etwa 180 km nordwestlich von Sofia. Nicht weit von hier bildet die breite und träg dahin fließende Donau die Grenze mit Rumänien. Es ist im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes eine abgelegene Gegend, dieser Nordwestzipfel Bulgariens. Es ist im wahrsten Sinne des Wortes eine abgelegene Gegend, dieser Nordwestzipfel Bulgariens. Belogradchik wird von den sog. Belogradchik Peaks überragt, turmartigen Felsformationen, die sich hier seit dem Perm vor ungefähr 230 Millionen Jahren herausbildeten. In der Nähe befinden sich auch einige große Höhlensysteme, darunter die riesige Magura-Höhle mit einer Ausdehnung von 133,5 ha und einer bisher erschlossenen Gesamtlänge von 2.600 Metern bei zehn unterschiedlich großen Sälen von bis zu 50 m Breite und 20 m Höhe. Die Höhle hat sich durch einen unterirdischen Flusslauf infolge einer tektonischen Verschiebung gebildet und ist wegen der Vielzahl ihrer ausdrucksvollen Wandmalereien von etwa 8.000 – 600 v. Chr. eine bedeutende Touristenattraktion.

Sie nun zu einer Attraktion für die Liebhaber des Wagnerschen Oeuvres zu machen konnte wohl nur Plamen Kartaloff einfallen. Wagner open air kombiniert mit underground – wann und wo hat es das schon mal gegeben?! Er nennt den Event „Wagner Magura – Götter, Riesen, Zwerge und Walküren – Höhlenfestivalaufführung in drei Teilen“. Bei 35 Grad C im Schatten werden mitten im Gebüsch die Karten für nur 60 Besucher entwertet, die auf simplen Plastikstühlen vor dem Höhleneingang Platz nehmen. Mehr dürfen aus Erhaltungsgründen nicht hinein, also auch kein Orchester – die Musik kommt aus Lautsprechern. Maestro Kartaloff gibt noch eine Einführung in das auch von ihm inszenierte „Werk“ und dann geht es los: „Das Rheingold“ 2. Bild. Wotan kommt mit Fricka und Freia in den Kostümen (Nikolay Panayotov) des Sofioter „Ring“ (hier bereits mehrmals besprochen) aus dem Nichts hervor und begrüßt den Berg über der Höhle als sein erwünschtes Walhall. Schon treten die Riesen auf den Plan und fordern ihren Sold. Als nichts weiter geht, taucht Loge auf und empfiehlt bekanntlich das Rheingold Alberichs als Alternative zu Freia. Bis dahin schön und gut wie bekannt.

Beim „So schwingen wir uns durch die Schwefelkluft? Dort schlüpfe mit mir hinein!“ steigen Wotan und Loge in die Höhle hinab und alle Zuschauer hinterher. Zu den Tönen der Verwandlungsmusik zwischen dem 2. und 3. Bild, also dem akustischen Abstieg nach Nibelheim, geht es nun optisch und tonal unglaublich authentisch hinab in die großen Säle der Höhle. Gespenstische Beleuchtung. In einem Seitentrakt hämmern einige Nibelungen unablässig das geschürfte Gold. Man meint tatsächlich in Nibelheim zu sein. Allerdings: Wotan und Loge sind verschwunden. Das hat einen Grund: Die Zuschauer werden erst mal in einen speziellen Saal geführt, um die hier besonders zahlreich und dicht aneinander liegenden Wandmalereien zu bewundern. Etwas Tourismus soll ja sein, obwohl zu diesen mythischen Blickfängen immerhin das mystische „Parsifal“-Vorspiel erklingt. Es passt also auch hier der Titel.

Dann aber wird es wirklich Wagnerisch. Wir erleben in einer sehr großen Kaverne unter einem rötlich erleuchteten Felsvorsprung fast das ganze 3. Bild des „Rheingold“, also wie Mime den Tarnhelm hämmert, dieser ihm von Alberich entrissen wird, Wotan und Loge von oben herab steigen und sich mit Alberich einlassen, der nach seinen zwei Verwandlungsversuchen als Kröte gefesselt wird. Intensive Szenen zur „Rheingold“-Musik, die offenbar alle Besucher fesseln. „Das Rheingold“ mit größter Authentizität und Intensität!

Es geht weiter über viele Treppen und enge Gänge, vorbei an Stalagmiten und Stalagtiten, zur langsam erklingenden „Tannhäuser“-Ouvertüre, bis man in einem besonders weit ausladenden und hohen Saal oben ein Geländer erspäht, an dem nun Venus mit großer Emphase das Verlassen ihres Geliebten Tannhäuser im 1. Akt besingt. Kurz darauf erscheint er selbst und singt die Strophen seiner Lossagung bis zu „Mein Heil liegt in Maria!“ Auch diese Szene ist große Oper – im Innern des Venusbergs eben, wie Wagner es wohl erdacht haben mag… Spätestens hier ist zu bemerken, dass die Höhle für die Stimmen eine sehr gute Akustik aufweist. Selbst auf große Distanz kann das Publikum unten auf der gegenüber liegenden Seite viel vom Gesang verstehen. Anders ist es mit der Musik aus den Lautsprechern. Sie klingt bei weitem zu dumpf und intransparent. Hieran müsste man im kommenden Jahr noch arbeiten.

Und was wäre der „Tannhäuser“ ohne den Pilgerchor? Mit kräftigen Stimmen macht dieser sich nun durch die Zuschauerreihen auf den Weg nach Rom – noch direkter ist die stimmliche und dramaturgische Intensität dieses Chores wohl kaum zu erleben. Die Zuschauer wandern hinterher und vernehmen bereits auf dem Weg die Musik aus dem 2. Akt zum „Einzug der Gäste“. Ein großer Saal tut sich vor ihnen auf, und hoch oben auf einem aufsteigenden Weg steht der Damen- und Herrenchor, inbrünstig den Einzug der Gäste singend, sodass der ganze Saal zu einem fantastischen Klangraum mutiert! Das ist der Abschluss zum „unterirdischen“ Wagner in des Wortes völlig konträrer Bedeutung. Alle bewegen sich nun langsam hinauf in das grelle Sonnenlicht am Hinterausgang der Höhle. Dieser gewährt einen großartigen Blick auf den Rabisha See, den größten tektonischen See Bulgariens.

Das ist aber noch keineswegs das Ende der Fantasie von Plamen Kartaloff! Nun erleben wir mit den Göttern das „Rheingold“-Finale als dritten Teil der Show, natürlich ohne das störende Gejammer der Rheintöchter aus des Wassers Tiefe. Stattdessen serviert Loge von einem großen Fass aus den Göttern eine Flasche Sekt aus der Produktion der größten Weinkellerei der Region. Der Winzer ist selbst zugegen. Damit es dem Publikum bei der Verkostung der Weine nicht zu langweilig wird, rollen sodann noch die acht „Walküren“ aus dem Sofioter „Ring“ auf batteriegetriebenen Rollern heran und geben den kompletten Walkürenritt. Es ist das begeisternde Ende eines ungewöhnlichen Wagner-Erlebnisses, das seinesgleichen sichern suchen muss – und wohl nicht finden wird. In die schon seit über 10.000 Jahren in Form der Wandmalereien mit der bildenden Kunst in Kontakt gekommene Magura-Höhle hält nun die „erst“ etwa 400 Jahre alte Oper als Ausdruck der schönen Künste mit Schauspiel, Gesang und Musik Einzug. Das macht sie zum Schauplatz eines Gesamtkunstwerkes im Sinne Richard Wagners, wenn auch mit einer etwas anderen Facettierung.

Der Vollständigkeit halber sollen am Schluss noch die Ausführenden genannt sein. Vorweg sei gesagt, dass alle Sänger und Sängerinnen aus dem mittlerweile beachtlichen Wagner-Ensemble der Sofia Oper und Ballett stammen und auch im „Ring des Nibelungen“ tätig waren. Im „Rheingold“ agierten: Nikolay Petrov als Wotan; Nikolay Pavlov als Loge, Iliya Iliev als Alberich; Krasimir Dinev als Mime; Stefan Vladimirov als Fasolt; Petra Buchkov als Fafner und Silvana Pravcheva als Freia. Die acht Walküren waren: Milena Gyurova als Helmwige; Irina Zhekova als Ortlinde; Lyubov Metodieva als Gerhilde; Ina Petrova als Waltraute; Mariela Alexandrova als Siegrune; Tsveta Sarambelieva als Rossweiße; Margarita Damyanova als Grimgerde und Blagovesta Mekki-Tsvetkova als Schwertleite. Im „Tannhäuser“ sangen Mariana Zvetkova als Venus und Daniel Damyanov als Tannhäuser. Alle sangen sowohl in der Höhle wie im Freien ohne Verstärkung und erreichten gleichwohl eine beachtliche Resonanz! Ein reizvolles und nahezu abenteuerliches Projekt, das beim jetzigen Erfolg im zweiten Jahr in den kommenden Jahren sicher weiter geführt werden wird. Die lange Anfahrt zu „Wagner in the cave“ lohnt sich.

Für 2018 hat Plamen Kartaloff schon wieder einen neuen Spielort ausgemacht: Auf einem alten, an der Hafenmole des nahen Vidin vertäuten Donaukahn will er Puccinis „Il Tabarro“, also „Der Mantel“ aufführen, dazu „Gianni Schicchi“…

Klaus Billand

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LAKMÉ – Léo Delibes – Photos from the Summer Festival “Opera of the Peaks – Belogradchik Rocks”

Monday, 24 July 2017

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programata.bg – Opera of the Peaks is by the Belogradchik Rocks

Sunday, 16 July 2017

programata.bg – Opera of the Peaks is by the Belogradchik Rocks

The world didn’t choose them for one of its new seven wonders, but the director Plamen Kartaloff voted trust to the painting in the Belogradchik Rocks and turned them into a set of five opera and three ballet productions.

Nabucco of the Sofia Opera will open the festival high up on 21 July at 20:00 h, and every next day at this hour till 30 July the company will change its clothes for Lakmé, Tosca, La Cenerentola and Madama Butterfly. Zorba the Greek, Don Quixote and Carmen-Rhapsody in Blue will dance on their toes on the stage each evening between 3 and 6 August, and we shall step up with comfortable shoes in the Magura Cave for one of the impressions after Wagner, which walks us along the halls of the cave with two acts and performance – every day at 11:00 h from 21 to 30 July. Opera of the Peaks is by the Belogradchik Rocks, 21 July – 6 August, BGN 20-80 from operasofia.bg

http://programata.bg/?p=165&l=1&c=1&id=352

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BGNES – Acad. Plamen Kartaloff: The 180th Anniversary of the Apostle – with the almost forgotten “Oratorio-Requiem “Vasil Levski” by Boyan Ikonomov

Sunday, 16 July 2017

BGNES – Acad. Plamen Kartaloff: The 180th Anniversary of the Apostle – with the almost forgotten “Oratorio-Requiem “Vasil Levski” by Boyan Ikonomov

I set myself a task to discover one work from Bulgarian composer, who wrote about Levski – everybody told me that there is no such, but it turned out that in Radio Sofia there is a recording and scores of one forgotten work of the wonderful composer Boyan Ikonomov “Oratorio – Requiem “Vasil Levski” after text by Dimitar Tochev.

This declared Acad. Plamen Kartaloff, Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet, communicated a reporter of BGNES.

Acad. Kartaloff presented the joint project of the Sofia Opera, the Military Academy, the Vasil Levski All-Bulgarian Committee, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Culture and the Sofia Municipality for the celebration of the 180th Anniversary of Vasil Levski. The concert will be on 17 July, Monday, at 20 h in the park of the G.S. Rakovski Military Academy.

There will be presented two more works “Zhertva Vechernyaya” in the performance of Boris Christoff, one chant, one psalm, exceptionally spiritual and suiting for the event, as well as a fragment of “Improvisation” by Pancho Vladigerov with the participation of our ballet. There the audience will see the characters of Saint Sofia with her three daughters, explained the Director of the Sofia Opera.

Together with Acad. Plamen Kartaloff the event presented gen. Grudi Angelov, Head of the G.S. Rakovski Military Academy, Corr. Member Prof. Kostadin Ganev, Vice President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Vasil Vasilev, President of the Vasil Levski All-Bulgarian Committee, the conductor Boris Spasov and others. The initiative is under the patronage of the President Rumen Radev.

This concert I have planned in the square between the exposition area “Quadrat 500” and the Botanic Garden, by the monument of Levski, but because of upcoming repairs it was decided the concert to be in the park of the G.S. Rakovski Military Academy, where there is also quite recently a monument of the Apostle, pointed out Acad. Kartaloff. The oratorio will be broadcasted the next day and the audience form the entire country will receive this present, which will be the only event in the capital, which organizes the Sofia Opera and with which ends the season, after which we move onto the summer stages, added he.

“The idea is of Acad. Kartaloff, he started seeking and found this work of art, he took it from the dust and started studying it – this is why we shall have the joy to hear this wonderful almost forgotten work”, declared Vasil Vasilev. I am convinced that this celebration with the concert will stay in history, as well is also indicative the place of the celebration at the Military Academy, which supports the patriotic initiatives, it will be more majestic, considers he. “O, God, save Bulgaria…” is the moto of the solemn concert, added Vasilev.

The monument of the Apostle at the Military Academy was opened in the end of 2016 and few people know about it, and the concert is a good occasion about it to learn more citizens of the capital, pointed out gen. Grudi Angelov. With the colleagues we understood that we share the same views in one common deed and by that in the park, which is a national value, in which there are over 10 000 trees rare species, delivered at that time from Kavkaz, pointed out the General.

There are causes, in which the people have to unite – such cause is Bulgaria, marked Corr. Member Prof. Kostadin Ganev, Vice President of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. Our Academy is not only a research centre, but also a spiritual one, explained he. Boyan Ikonomov gave concerts at that time with many Bulgarian symphonic works in Europe, and coming back to Bulgaria, he left a huge work, he wrote also film music including, declared the conductor Boris Spasov. The “Oratorio-Requiem “Vasil Levski” is steeped in with much sorrow, while in the third part pierces with emotion the optimism, at that the whole work is exalted with very moving text”, explained he. /BGNES

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DER NEUE MERKER – SOFIA/ Staatsoper: PARSIFAL – Premiere am 4. Juli/ Derniere am 10.Juli

Sunday, 16 July 2017

Parsifal / Staatsoper Sofia: Premiere 4. Juli und Derniere 10. Juli 2017
(P. Reichl, dzt. Sofia)

Auch 134 Jahre nach dem Tod Richard Wagners gibt es noch bemerkenswerte weisse Flecken auf den Landkarten seiner Rezeption, und ebenso bemerkenswerte Unterfangen, dies zu ändern. In Bulgarien, diesem wunderbaren Land auf dem Balkan, das uns so viele herrliche Stimmen geschenkt hat, ist es vor allem dem Enthusiasmus des Intendanten der Staatsoper Sofia, Prof. Plamen Kartaloff, zu verdanken, dass die hier bestehenden Lücken seit 2010 sukzessive geschlossen werden. Nach einem kompletten Ring-Zyklus und dem letztjährigen Tristan – Produktionen, die nach und nach auch ihren Weg ins Ausland finden – stand jetzt also Parsifal, das opus summum des Bayreuther Meisters, als bulgarische Erstaufführung auf dem Programm, und verzeichnete in der wohldurchdachten, weitgehend von szenischer Abstraktion und aufmerksamer Personenführung geprägten Inszenierung des Hausherrn einen umjubelten Erfolg.

Hierbei ist zunächst die Umsicht und Akribie bemerkenswert, mit der die Sänger, Chöre und Orchester (allesamt bulgarische Kräfte), sowie auch das Publikum auf das bislang „unerhörte Werk“ vorbereitet wurden. Nicht nur, dass mit Constantin Trinks wie schon beim Tristan einer der wohl vielversprechendsten Wagner-Dirigenten der jungen Generation als musikalischer Leiter verpflichtet wurde, stellte man ihm für die Einstudierung wiederum niemand geringeren als Richard Trimborn zur Seite, während langer Jahre als kundiger Studienleiter an der Bayerischen Staatsoper München die rechte Hand legendärer Pultgrössen wie Wolfgang Sawallisch oder Carlos Kleiber. Umrahmt wurde die Premierenserie von Einführungs- und Vortragsveranstaltungen, z.B. mit dem renommierten Basler Anthroposophen Thomas Meyer; zudem war ein grösserer Ausschnitt des Werks, nämlich Vorspiel plus Gralsszene aus dem 1. Akt, bereits vor einem halben Jahr im Rahmen der hochkarätigen Silvestergala (!) zu sehen und zu hören. Und was da bereits in halbszenischer Version (mit dem Orchester auf der Bühne) aufhorchen liess, hat sich durch die kontinuierliche Arbeit seither zu einem Ereignis entwickelt, welches das Publikum schon bei der Premiere am 4. Juli sichtlich begeisterte und bei der am 10. Juli nochmals besuchten Vorstellung nach nochmaliger Leistungssteigerung aller Beteiligten den Besucher tief bewegt zurückliess.

Hierbei ist zunächst einmal das Orchester hervorzuheben – es bot eine schlichtweg formidable Leistung, schon innerhalb weniger Takte tief in die Wagnersche Klangwelt eintauchend und fortan mit nimmermüdem Einsatz die vielfältigen Schattierungen und Übergänge dieses Meisterwerks zu klingendem Erleben formend. Bereits die ungewöhnlich sauber intonierenden Flöten am ersterbenden Ende des sog. Liebesmahlmotivs – eine notorisch problematische Stelle – liessen für den Rest des Abends viel erwarten, und die Zuhörer wurden nicht enttäuscht. Constantin Trinks schlug durchwegs ausgewogene Tempi an, und so gelang ihm über die gesamten gut vier Stunden Spielzeit eine sehr ausbalancierte Wiedergabe, bei der er grössten Wert auf die Durchhörbarkeit der instrumentalen Textur legte, dadurch niemals die Sänger zudeckte und doch die nötigen Akzente zu setzen wusste, um schliesslich im richtigen Moment, vor allem in den Verwandlungsmusiken oder auch am stürmischen Beginn des 2. Aktes, das Orchester auch einmal von der Leine zu lassen und zu grossen dynamischen Aufschwüngen zu führen. Eine reife Leistung, die gespannt macht auf die von ihm geleitete „Ring“-Adaptation im Theater an der Wien Ende dieses Jahres. Und die bei der Vorstellung am 10. Juli sogar noch übertroffen wurde: hier durften wir eine noch souveränere und geschlossenere Wiedergabe erleben, bei der das gesamte Orchester wiederum spürbar von Anfang bis Ende mit ganzem Herzblut bei der Sache war, und nicht zuletzt auch die mystischen Momente der Partitur, speziell im letzten Akt, zum Ereignis gerieten.

Seitens der Solisten wussten am Premierenabend vor allem die tieferen Männerstimmen restlos zu überzeugen. Angel Hristov als Gurnemanz begann eher introvertiert, gestaltete die grosse Erzählung im 1. Akt aber ausgesprochen kurzweilig und zeigte spätestens bei der Erwähnung von „des siegreichen Geschlechtes Herrn“, über welch prächtiges Material er verfügt. Im 3. Akt dann lief er zu wahrer Hochform auf, kraftvoll und doch von wunderbarer Innigkeit in den langen Phrasen des Karfreitagszaubers – eine der grossen Stützen dieses denkwürdigen Abends. Im Gegensatz zu diesem eher intellektuell geprägten Ansatz stellte Nikolay Petrov die väterlich-sorgende Seite des Gralshüters in den Mittelpunkt seiner Interpretation am 10. Juli. Sein ausladender Bass ist den langen Phrasen mühelos gewachsen und verschmilzt stellenweise wunderbar mit dem Orchester; dagegen fallen gelegentliche Unstetheiten in der Stimmgebung kaum ins Gewicht. Prachtvoll das schwierige hohe E bei „entnimm nun seinem Haupt“, und schliesslich ein Karfreitagszauber als reiner Genuss.

Titurel, sein alter Waffenherr, wurde beide Male von Petar Buchkov verkörpert. Weniger dem Grab entstiegen als vielmehr rüstiger Pensionist, orgelte er seine wenigen Stellen in überzeugender Manier, um seinem Sohn ein letztes Mal anständig die Leviten zu lesen.

Atanas Mladenov, als Amfortas einziger Protagonist in dieser Serie ohne Alternativbesetzung, feierte am Premierenabend wohl den grössten Erfolg unter den Solisten. Eigentlich ein Kavalierbariton feinster italienischer Prägung, mit unfehlbarer Technik, herrlichem Legato und deutlichster Aussprache begabt, verfügt er aber auch über die nötigen Reserven, um an den neuralgischen Stellen („Erbarmen!“) der orchestralen Wucht erfolgreich Paroli zu bieten, und ist zudem als Darsteller von begnadetem Charisma. Angesichts seines jugendlichen Alters können wir von ihm sowohl im italienischen als auch im deutschen Fach noch Grosses erwarten. Denn genauso muss man sich wohl vorstellen, was Wagner unter „deutschem Belcanto“ versteht, wenn er in seinen Bemerkungen „Über die Aufführung des Tannhäuser“ schreibt: „In meiner Oper besteht kein Unterschied zwischen sogenannten ‚deklamierten‘ und ‚gesungenen‘ Phrasen, sondern meine Deklamation ist zugleich Gesang, und mein Gesang Deklamation.“ Eine Woche und drei Vorstellungen später (man bedenke: viermal Amfortas binnen sieben Tagen – welch eine Leistung allein das!!) dann die Überraschung: die Stimme blühte noch mehr auf, die Phrasierung geriet noch runder, die Darstellung noch eindringlicher als beim ersten Mal. Unmöglich, vom Schicksal dieses Gralskönigs kaltgelassen zu werden!

Mächtig auftrumpfend sodann der Bariton von Biser Georgiev, Meisterschüler des vor wenigen Monaten leider verstorbenen grossen Baritons Stoyan Popov. Sein Klingsor beeindruckte mit nie ermüdender Kraft in den klangvollen Höhen sowie intensiver Deklamation in der Mittellage. Noch runder dann seine Leistung am 10. Juli – mit herrischem Aplomb und ebensolcher vokaler Autorität ausgestattet war keine Sekunde daran zu zweifeln, dass er einen mehr als ernsthaften Gegenspieler zur Gralswelt darstellt. Eine ausgezeichnete Leistung.

Dem Parsifal verlieh Kostadin Andreev in der Premiere beeindruckende heldische Töne, wobei allerdings manche Nuance doch zu kurz kam. Erst im 3. Akt besann sich der vielbewährte und vielgeliebte Tenor auch seiner lyrischen Qualitäten, und siehe da, plötzlich zeigte seine Stimme die Wärme, die man vorher hin und wieder vermisst hatte. In jedem Fall immer wieder überwältigend ist bei diesem Sänger die Inbrunst, mit der er sich in seine Rollengestaltung wirft – dass er jedesmal um sein Leben zu singen scheint ist da beinahe noch untertrieben. Demgegenüber blieb Martin Iliev am 10. Juli gesanglich von Anfang an ganz auf Linie, ein echter Heldentenor auch er, beeindruckend durch seine stimmliche Potenz wie auch intelligente Rollengestaltung, und zugleich im zweiten Akt ein gehöriges Mass an Leidenschaft an den Tag legend. Wohl dem Haus, das gleich zwei solche tenoralen Kaliber in seinem Ensemble hat!

Womit wir schliesslich bei der Kundry wären, jener rätselhaftesten aller Frauengestalten in Wagners Kosmos. Radostina Nikolaeva begann die Premiere etwas zurückhaltend, aber spätestens im zweiten Akt war von übergrossem Respekt gegenüber der Partie nichts mehr zu spüren, und nach dem berüchtigten Mehr-als-zwei-Oktaven-Sprung bei „und lachte“ legte sie endgültig alle Vorsicht beiseite, riskierte Höhe um Höhe – und gewann, bis hin zu einem Fluch, der unter die Haut ging. Damit einhergehend intensivierte sich ihre Darstellung – aus der noch etwas harmlos wirkenden Verführerin, die ihren Helden mit Andeutungen indischer Tanzgesten nicht wirklich zu beeindrucken wusste, erwuchs die grosse geläuterte Persönlichkeit, welche zu den letzten Takten des dritten Aktes mit nobler Grandezza über die Bühne schritt, um als letzte vor dem Mysterium des Grals auf die Knie zu fallen. Dieser Leistung stand am 10. Juli Gergana Rusekova in keinster Weise nach. Von Natur aus mit satter Mittellage und prägnanter Höhe gesegnet, war sie vom ersten Augenblick an stimmlich wie szenisch hochpräsent und steigerte sich im Verlauf des zweiten Aktes in einen wahren Rausch. Damit einhergehend die tiefe Identifikation mit der breiten emotionalen Palette dieser Figur, sichtbar auch und vor allem im dritten Akt, der ja der Darstellerin bekanntlich eine weitestgehend stille, aber umso differenziertere Präsenz abverlangt.

Ergänzt wurde diese Solistenriege durch Hrisinir Damyanov und Stefan Vladimirov als Gralsritter sowie Rada Toteva, Ina Petrova, Krasimir Dinev und Kalin Dushkov als Knappen, allesamt mit viel Inbrunst und der nötigen Verve auch für diese kleineren Rollen. Die Blumenmädchen Lyubov Metodieva, Mariela Alexandrova, Ina Petrova, Mirela Yabandzhieva, Angelina Mancheva und Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva waren zunächst als amazonisch gewandete Einzelkämpferinnen unterwegs, bevor sie im weiteren Verlauf zu mehr Homogenität fanden – deutlich verbessert gelang dies dann in der Derniere. Die im Programmheft ungenannt gebliebene Stimme aus der Höhe wurde jeweils von Blagovesta Mekki-Tzvetkova mit warmem Mezzo beigesteuert.

Als weiterer – und im Falle des Parsifal unverzichtbarer – Pluspunkt dieser Aufführung erwiesen sich die Chöre, allen voran die Gralsritter. Mögen andere Häuser zahlenmässig vielleicht umfangreichere Heerscharen auf die Bühne schicken, an Klanggewalt und Schönstimmigkeit kann es der Chor der Oper Sofia wohl mit jedem anderen aufnehmen. Wie schon durch die Bank bei den Solisten, ist auch hier die bemerkenswert deutliche Aussprache des ja doch ungewohnten deutschen Idioms besonders hervorzuheben und zeugt von der langen und intensiven Probenarbeit in den Monaten der Vorbereitung. Mit dabei auch der Kinderchor des bulgarischen Rundfunks, mit jubelnder Höhe und jugendlicher Unbeschwertheit von der Erlösung kündend.

Die Grundzüge seiner Inszenierung hat Plamen Kartaloff im Programmheft ausführlich skizziert. Für ihn ist diese Oper ein Abbild unserer Beziehung mit der spirituellen Welt. Dies werde vor allem durch die Mystik der Musik getragen, welche es daher für den Regisseur zu visualisieren gelte. Hiermit setzt er ein deutliches Zeichen gegen das Regietheater und vertraut auf die Kraft der Abstraktion und Reduktion, wie sie ja auch für Wagners Partitur kennzeichnend ist. Daher spiele dieser Parsifal ausserhalb von Raum und Zeit, als Spiegelung des unendlichen Prozesses von Geburt, Leben, Tod und Reinkarnation – ein Mysterium der parallelen Welten.

Dieser Ansatz wird in dem von Sven und Ivana Jonke vom Designerteam Numen entworfenen Bühnenbild weitgehend reflektiert. Es besticht durch den sorgsam gewählten Einsatz einfachster Mittel und Strukturen, die im Verlauf des Stücks teils überraschende Lösungen ermöglichen. Wenn sich der Vorhang nach dem Vorspiel hebt, beherrschen eine Reihe herabhängender, kunstvoll verknoteter Stoffbahnen eine Bühne, die in mystisches Blau getaucht ist, welches sich alsbald lichtet und ruhig bewegten, von ferne an Nordlichter gemahnenden Hintergrundprojektionen weicht. Die Knappen meditieren regungslos im Lotossitz und werden von Gurnemanz, wie alle Gralsritter ganz in weiss gekleidet (die geschmackvoll aufeinander abgestimmten Kostüme wurden von Stanka Vauda entworfen), zum Dienst gerufen. Dieser bleibt für lange Zeit die einzige individuelle Persönlichkeit in einem grossen, gesichtslosen Kollektiv von Gralsrittern, die kaum je die weiten Kapuzen ihrer weissen Ordensgewänder zurückschlagen und sich als ein Block bewegen, der sichtlich sein Innerstes vor der Aussenwelt abschirmen möchte. Eine Art okkulter Loge also, und in der Tat liegt für das bulgarische Publikum die Assoziation mit der „Weissen Bruderschaft“ des Petar Dunov auf der Hand, einem anthroposophisch beeinflussten Geheimbund des 20. Jahrhunderts, der auch heute noch im öffentlichen Bewusstsein eine wichtige Rolle spielt. Als diese Menge den Blick auf Amfortas freigibt, ist das Leiden des Gralskönigs vom ersten Moment an nicht nur am blutverschmierten Gewand sichtbar, sondern wird durch die Ausdruckskraft von Atanas Mladenov schier körperlich spürbar – dieser Mensch hat wirklich Schmerzen! Auf dem Weg zum morgendlichen Bad bleibt der Zug noch einmal im Hintergrund stehen, und Amfortas lauscht dem ersten Teil der Gurnemanzerzählung, regungslos zunächst, bis ihm die Verheissung einer Erlösung durch den „reinen Toren“ neue Kräfte zu verleihen scheint. Kundry ist da bereits lange zurück aus arab’schen Landen, wahrlich ein „wildes Weib“ mit wirrer Mähne und leopardengeflecktem Kleid, meist am Boden liegend, und nur beim Auftritt des Amfortas wie durch magnetische Gegenpolung ruckweise von ihm weggestossen. Während Gurnemanz die Geschichte des Grals erzählt, zeigen sich erstmals die postulierten Parallelwelten im überraschenden Einsatz der Drehbühne: schon optisch durch das stimmungsvoll ausgewogene Lichtdesign von Andrej Hajdinjak als zweite Ebene charakterisiert und durch die Drehbewegung noch verstärkt, sehen wir konzentrierte Rückblicke auf Schlüsselstellen der Vorgeschichte: Titurels Gralskönigtum, Klingsors Selbstentmannung, sein Zaubergarten als erotischer Gegenentwurf zur Brüderschaft, das Eindringen des Amfortas in denselben samt Verlust des heiligen Speeres und seine Verwundung, als er in Kundrys Armen liegt. Der Schwan nimmt die Gestalt eines durch den Pfeil verwundeten Tänzers an, der bei „siehst du den Blick“ noch einmal überraschend zum Leben erwacht – auch dies eine ungewöhnlich intensive Lösung. Statt aber zur Einsicht zu reifen, gefällt sich Parsifal weiterhin in bewusst jugendlich gehaltenem Auftreten und strotzt geradezu vor Energie, die er später im zweiten Akt noch zu einer veritablen Prügelszene mit den im Zaubergarten angetroffenen Helden nutzen wird.

Die Verwandlung der verworrenen Natur in die geordnete Welt der Gralsburg erfolgt auf verblüffend einfache Weise: die Knoten lösen sich, die Stoffbahnen hängen nunmehr senkrecht herab und bilden die rückwärtigen Säulenstrukturen des Gralstempels, auf denen mittels unaufdringlich fliessender Videoprojektionen die Ereignisse der Gralsszene schemenhaft verdoppelt werden und das Geschehen dadurch – wie in einem Spiegelsaal – an räumlicher Tiefe gewinnt. Parsifal nimmt die Beobachterstelle ein, die zuvor von Gurnemanz besetzt war, und folgt den Ritualen der Gralsbrüder, welche zunächst, eng aneinander geklammert, in pfeilförmiger Schlachtordnung auftreten, bevor sie, rücklings im Kreis auf den Boden liegend, das Wunder der Gralswerdung feiern. Der Gral nämlich wird nicht enthüllt, er geschieht – ein wahrhafter coup de theatre: senkrecht im Kreis herabhängende und am Boden befestigte Seile werden durch die einsetzende Rotation der Drehbühne nach und nach ineinander verdrillt und auf diese Weise zur geometrischen Illusion eines gigantischen Kelchs geformt – ästhetisches Erlebnis nicht nur für den Mathematiker, der sich so manche trübe Stunde mit diversen Kegelschnitten abgequält hat. Erst zum Schluss des Rituals hin löst sich das strenge Kollektiv der Brüderschaft auf, und einzelne Gralsritter beginnen damit, die Knoten der ursprünglichen natürlichen Anordnung wiederherzustellen, so dass sich Parsifal zum Aktschluss plötzlich wieder verwundert-ratlos in der anfänglichen Szenerie wiederfindet, während sich im Hintergrund Kundry bereits auf den Weg in den Zaubergarten macht.

Klingsors Welt erscheint zunächst recht technokratisch geprägt. Zum Weckruf an Kundry steht er auf einer bühnenbeherrschenden Metallkonstruktion und experimentiert mit einer optischen Anordnung von Spiegeln und Lasern, um schliesslich – mit viel Mühe und mehrfach geknickt – einen grünen Lichtstrahl bis hinauf in die Höhen des Schnürbodens zustande zu bringen: seine spirituelle Verbindung zu höheren Mächten muss artifiziell und indirekt bleiben; umso handfester allerdings seine Auseinandersetzung mit Kundry. Für die nachfolgende Blumenmädchenszene weicht dieses Podium einem gigantischen aufblasbaren und daher immer wieder aufs Neue aufwallenden roten Kissen, auf dem sich die Verführerinnen tummeln und durch das Schwenken roter Gazeschleier auf sich aufmerksam machen. Parsifal taucht ein in die plastisch gemachten Wogen der Versuchung, ohne darin unterzugehen. Leider verliert sich der Auftritt Kundrys, jetzt als rothaariger Vamp gekleidet, zunächst etwas; erst als sich die Bewegungen des Kissens nach und nach beruhigen, kann die grosse Szene zwischen ihr und Parsifal ihre ganze Wirkung entfalten – im Meer erotischer Leidenschaften gefangen suchen beide immer wieder neue Wege zueinander. Als sie sich schliesslich zum erleuchtenden Kuss finden, steht Klingsor im Hintergrund wurfbereit parat, zieht allerdings unverrichteter Dinge wieder von dannen. Während Kundry sichtlich mehr und mehr am ewig sich wiederholenden Scheitern ihres Daseins verzweifelt, findet Parsifal zu seiner Sendung, und Klingsors finaler Speerwurf – wie so oft während einer kurzen Verdunkelung nur angedeutet – bleibt vergebens: das Luftkissen sinkt in sich zusammen, die Macht des Zauberers ist gebrochen.

So sehr sich Parsifal zunächst beinahe kindisch über die Rückgewinnung des Speeres gefreut hat, so sehr leidet er während des Vorspiels zum 3. Akt an dessen Gewicht, wenn er in der Manier des sich auf dem Kreuzweg Befindlichen damit an einzeln vor sich hinsiechenden Gralsrittern vorbeiwankt. Kundry ist zur Büsserin im langen schwarzen Haar gereift, nur einige rote Strähnchen erinnern noch an ihre parallele Existenz. Die Erkenntnisszene, Kundrys Taufe und der Karfreitagszauber werden wieder durch jetzt teilweise beinahe psychedelisch eingefärbte Videoprojektionen untermalt, welche dem Bühnenraum unaufhörlich neue Nuancierungen verleihen – was für ein Unterschied zur Blümchentapete im Wiener Wagnerspital! Die letzte Überraschung dann nach der nochmaligen Verwandlung zum Gralstempel: anstelle der real baumelnden Seile aus dem ersten Akt baut sich die Silhouette des Kelchs jetzt wundersam aus Laserstrahlen auf – die Gralswerdung lässt uns endgültig in die Welt des Metaphysischen eintauchen. Hier kann sich die Wunde des Amfortas schliessen, hier sinken die Gralsritter vor dem Mysterium auf den Boden, hier kniet schliesslich auch Kundry, jetzt ganz in Weiss auch sie, bevor sie – entseelt oder anbetend, das bleibt offen – gänzlich niedersinkt.

In Summe also eine Wiedergabe, welche der Komplexität des Stücks in ihren originellen Momenten mehr als gerecht wird, und zugleich in ihrer Schlüssigkeit und Innigkeit beglückt. Und so verliess man das Theater dankbar für eine kathartische Erfahrung wie in unzähligen vorhergegangenen Aufführungen kaum je erlebt. Plamen Kartaloff und seinem Team ist hier ein Meisterstück gelungen. Auf die am 13. bzw. 20. August geplante Ausstrahlung im bulgarischen Fernsehen darf man sehr gespannt sein, und hoffen, dass diese Produktion bald wieder aufgenommen wird und viele Wagnerianer dann den Weg nach Sofia finden.

Peter Reichl

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LA RONDINE secondo titolo del cartellone d’opera del FESTIVAL PUCCINI di Torre del Lago sarà in scena sabato 15 luglio (replica 5 agosto)

Friday, 14 July 2017

Firma la regia dello spettacolo Plamen Kartaloff che così definisce la partitura ”la musica brucia di emozione, passione, ironia, seduzione in ogni battuta e in ogni segno della partitura”

Sul podio Beatrice Venezi alla guida di grandi stelle, Donata D’Annunzio Lombardi e Leonardo Caimi e un cast di giovani bravissimi interpreti nati dall’Accademia del Festival Puccini

Cresce l’attesa per il debutto del secondo titolo del cartellone del Festival Puccini LA RONDINE, di cui si celebrano quest’anno i 100 anni dalla prima rappresentazione. L’opera, a torto relegata fra le opere minori del Maestro, vide la sua per la prima messa in scena il 27 marzo del 1917 al Thèâtre du Casino di Monte-Carlo. La partitura dell’opera fu completata nell’aprile 1916, dopo l’entrata in guerra dell’Italia e fu rappresentata per la prima volta in campo neutro a Monte-Carlo dove fu accolta con successo trionfale. Anche a Bologna il 2 giugno dello stesso anno per la prima italiana, l’accoglienza fu calorosa. Alle successive rappresentazioni in Italia invece l’accoglienza fu tiepida tanto che Puccini si convinse della necessità di sottoporre il lavoro a diverse revisioni. Nel Teatro di Torre del Lago l’ultima rappresentazione è del 2007 mentre la prima volta fu messa in scena nel 1988.

(Io operetta non la farò mai! scriveva Puccini a proposito de La Rondine che era diventato un vero e proprio caso per i musicologi impegnati nella discussione se definirla opera o operetta. La Rondine commedia musicale su libretto di Giuseppe Adami ha come protagonista Magda una giovane inguaribilmente romantica che trascorre le sue giornate nella Parigi del Secondo Impero e aspira ad un amore autentico. Con la complicità di Prunier, un amico poeta, i cui versi le hanno fatto tornare alla memoria la prima innocente esperienza amorosa, Magda decide di concedere una breve evasione alla propria esistenza: si reca, travestita da Grisette, in un locale notturno, e qui incontra Ruggero, un giovane aristocratico di provincia, di passaggio per Parigi. Fra i due sboccia a prima vista una passione così intensa che induce Magda ad abbandonare la capitale per rifugiarsi con il suo amato in un remoto angolo della Costa Azzurra. Qui viene assalita dal rimorso di aver nascosto a Ruggero il suo passato, e quando il giovane le annuncia di aver ottenuto dai genitori il consenso alle nozze, essa si accorge di non poter essere la moglie sognata dal suo uomo. Rivela dunque all’innamorato la verità e gli fa comprendere la necessità di separarsi. Inutilmente Ruggero la supplica di non abbandonarlo: Magda, soffocando il dolore, si allontana per sempre.

“La Rondine” del Centenario nel Gran Teatro all’aperto di Torre del Lago, vedrà due rappresentazioni 15 luglio e 5 Agosto con un allestimento scenico del Teatro del Giglio di Lucca, le scene sono di Giuliano Spinelli e vedrà impegnati nei ruoli dei protagonisti Donata D’annunzio Lombardi, che vestirà i panni di Magda, nella prima recita , nel ruolo di Lisette Elisabetta Zizzo mentre Ruggero sarà interpretato da Leonardo Caimi. Completano il cast Alberto Petricca nel ruolo di Prunier e Davide Mura nel ruolo di Rambaldo. Al loro fianco si esibiranno Alessandro Biagiotti (Perichaud), Emmanuel Lombardi (Gobin), Claudio Ottino (Crebillon), Anna Paola Troiano (Yvette), Anna Russo (Bianca) e Donatella de Caro (Suzy).

Un maggiordomo Andrea Del Conte Un cantore Giulia Filippi, Un giovine Carlo avarese

Una grisette Beatrice Cresti, Una donnina Beatrice StellaAltra donnina Micaela D’AlessandroAssistente alla regia Lorenzo D’amicoOrchestra del Festival Puccini

Coro del Festival Puccini direttore Salvo Sgrò

Sul podio Beatrice Venezi, giovane direttrice che a Torre del Lago ha debuttato lo scorso anno e che torna sul podio del 63° Festival Puccini. Beatrice Venezi ha scelto di presentare La Rondine nella sua prima versione (1917) proprio per marcare la celebrazione dei 100 anni dalla prima fortunata rappresentazione.

La Regia è affidata a Plamen Kartaloff, regista bulgaro e direttore artistico del Teatro Nazionale di Sofia specializzato nella regia d’opera Kartaloff ha una biografia creativa estremamente ricca, con un elenco di spettacoli operistici da lui firmati sui palcoscenici più famosi in Germania, Svizzera, Grecia, Serbia, Croazia, Romania, Egitto, Stati Uniti d’America, Australia. Di La Rondine dice “autografo lirico geniale di Puccini esprime un vero e proprio mistero segreto dell’animo umano….. Lo sguardo appassionato e profondo di Puccini sembra uscire dallo spartito coinvolgendo tutti i cantanti in una folle passione giovanile, in un gioco musicale e scenico, dinamico e cinematografico. La musica brucia di emozione, passione, ironia, seduzione in ogni battuta e in ogni segno della partitura. Un caleidoscopio di mistero amoroso, poesia, desiderio. La trama di un ritratto in estasi e ottimismo tra realtà e illusione.

La Rondine sarà in replica il 5 agosto

BIGLIETTERIA 0584 359322- ticketoffice@puccinifestival.it

Biglietti da € 159 a € 19.50

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BELOGRADCHIK BECOMES CAPITAL OF THE OPERA

Sunday, 09 July 2017

Haidouk Velko, Adam and Eva, the Madonna and the monks. The thousand years old scenery of the Belogradchik Rocks was stage of battles and revolts, of happy celebrations and fairs, it saw the apogee and the decline of empires and peoples. There is hardly in the world a human construction, which continues nature with such harmony as the Belogradchik Fortress. Kilometres of ancient mouldings lock themselves over the town with high walls, behind which Romans, Bulgarians, Turks and again Bulgarian armies observed the surroundings, and beneath, huddled in the West Balkan, succeed villages, temples and monasteries, vineyards and secret sanctuaries.

In front of this natural set for a second year in succession the Sofia Opera and Ballet will present the festival “Opera of the Peaks” from 21 July to 5 August. The works by Giuseppe Verdi, Gioachino Rossini, Giacomo Puccini, Mikis Theodorakis, George Gershwin, Ludwig Minkus and the eternal Richard Wagner will transfer the spectators in the worlds of tragic events, meetings between heaven and earth and collisions of strong characters.

The festival starts on 21 July with the opera “Nabucco” by Verdi and continues with “Don Carlo”, “Tosca”, “La Cenerentola” and several ballet spectacles. All this will happen in the first yard of the Belogradchik Fortress, among the centuries old defence walls and with the fairy-tale set of the rocks. The stage, on which singers and ballet dancers will present the classical masterpieces, is already erected. The Magura Cave with its mysterious paintings and rock mouldings will be the stage for the festival impression “Gods, Giants, Dwarfs, Valkyries” after music by Richard Wagner.

The Sofia Opera and Ballet and especially its Director Acad. Plamen Kartaloff are the creators of one of the best productions after the works by Richard Wagner in the modern opera world. Their tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” is a musical and visual magnificence, which since several years attracts new and new spectators in Sofia. For a second year in succession, the guests and the inhabitants of Belogradchik will see parts of the tetralogy, presented in the Magura Cave. In the four operas from the series about the Nibelungs the characters pass from the underground kingdom to the magic woods and the castle of the Gods “Valhalla”. In the spectacles the cave will be the natural set in the battles and the vicissitudes of fate of Siegfried, Brünnhilde, Mime, Wotan. The spectacles in the cave begin at 11 h. on several days in succession of the festival.

The evening opera and ballets are with starting hour 20 h. in the fortress. The Belogradchik Fortress is really a unique place for opera spectacles not only because of their set – the rocks and the stone walls create an acoustic, which emphasizes the beauty of music.

The first edition of the festival “Opera of the Peaks” last year had one main disadvantage for the guests of Belogradchik – there was lacking a really good place to eat. Since several months, this problem was solved with the opening of the restaurant “Pri Ivan”, in which the guests can taste an authentic local and Serbian kitchen, as well as real Italian pasta and pizzas. The wine list of local wines complements the pleasant spending of the summer evenings, and as continuation of the opera atmosphere, the terrace reveals a view towards the rocks, Belogradchik and its surroundings. Restaurant “Pri Ivan” is among the sponsors of the music feast.

In the days between the spectacles in Belogradchik, the Sofia Opera will present for the first time also the festival “Fortress of the Ages” in Vidin. The dates of all performances you can see on the website of the Sofia Opera and Ballet and on Severozapazenabg.com.

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BELOGRADCHIK BECOMES CAPITAL OF THE OPERA

Sunday, 09 July 2017

Haidouk Velko, Adam and Eva, the Madonna and the monks. The thousand years old scenery of the Belogradchik Rocks was stage of battles and revolts, of happy celebrations and fairs, it saw the apogee and the decline of empires and peoples. There is hardly in the world a human construction, which continues nature with such harmony as the Belogradchik Fortress. Kilometres of ancient mouldings lock themselves over the town with high walls, behind which Romans, Bulgarians, Turks and again Bulgarian armies observed the surroundings, and beneath, huddled in the West Balkan, succeed villages, temples and monasteries, vineyards and secret sanctuaries.

In front of this natural set for a second year in succession the Sofia Opera and Ballet will present the festival “Opera of the Peaks” from 21 July to 5 August. The works by Giuseppe Verdi, Gioachino Rossini, Giacomo Puccini, Mikis Theodorakis, George Gershwin, Ludwig Minkus and the eternal Richard Wagner will transfer the spectators in the worlds of tragic events, meetings between heaven and earth and collisions of strong characters.

The festival starts on 21 July with the opera “Nabucco” by Verdi and continues with “Don Carlo”, “Tosca”, “La Cenerentola” and several ballet spectacles. All this will happen in the first yard of the Belogradchik Fortress, among the centuries old defence walls and with the fairy-tale set of the rocks. The stage, on which singers and ballet dancers will present the classical masterpieces, is already erected. The Magura Cave with its mysterious paintings and rock mouldings will be the stage for the festival impression “Gods, Giants, Dwarfs, Valkyries” after music by Richard Wagner.

The Sofia Opera and Ballet and especially its Director Acad. Plamen Kartaloff are the creators of one of the best productions after the works by Richard Wagner in the modern opera world. Their tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” is a musical and visual magnificence, which since several years attracts new and new spectators in Sofia. For a second year in succession, the guests and the inhabitants of Belogradchik will see parts of the tetralogy, presented in the Magura Cave. In the four operas from the series about the Nibelungs the characters pass from the underground kingdom to the magic woods and the castle of the Gods “Valhalla”. In the spectacles the cave will be the natural set in the battles and the vicissitudes of fate of Siegfried, Brünnhilde, Mime, Wotan. The spectacles in the cave begin at 11 h. on several days in succession of the festival.

The evening opera and ballets are with starting hour 20 h. in the fortress. The Belogradchik Fortress is really a unique place for opera spectacles not only because of their set – the rocks and the stone walls create an acoustic, which emphasizes the beauty of music.

The first edition of the festival “Opera of the Peaks” last year had one main disadvantage for the guests of Belogradchik – there was lacking a really good place to eat. Since several months, this problem was solved with the opening of the restaurant “Pri Ivan”, in which the guests can taste an authentic local and Serbian kitchen, as well as real Italian pasta and pizzas. The wine list of local wines complements the pleasant spending of the summer evenings, and as continuation of the opera atmosphere, the terrace reveals a view towards the rocks, Belogradchik and its surroundings. Restaurant “Pri Ivan” is among the sponsors of the music feast.

In the days between the spectacles in Belogradchik, the Sofia Opera will present for the first time also the festival “Fortress of the Ages” in Vidin. The dates of all performances you can see on the website of the Sofia Opera and Ballet and on Severozapazenabg.com.

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Newspaper Weekend, Eliana Mitova 8 – 14 July 2017, page 68 – 6 HOURS WAGNER AND NOONE GOES AWAY

Sunday, 09 July 2017

With admiration music lovers from the country and such, who have arrived specially from abroad, welcomed the first Bulgarian production of Wagner’s mystery “Parsifal”, which gave a possibility of our first opera theatre to prove, that it is on a world level. The company of the Sofia Opera has already an invitation from the eminent “Bolshoi Theatre” to perform the long opera by Wagner in Moscow.

The challenge – 6 hours (with the intervals) – is worthy. The producer Academician Plamen Kartaloff uses in the best possible way the singer’s soloist cast, the orchestra, the chorus and the ballet. The technical services and ateliers of the Sofia Opera have faultlessly manufactured the sets. The costumes by Stanka Vauda are impressive, and the chorus master Violeta Dimitrova could match her colleagues in Bayreuth. Cheerful mood imported in the mystery the Children’s choir of the Bulgarian National Radio with director Venetsia Karamanova – the lady, who inherited the legend Hristo Nedyalkov.

In the society there is a general opinion, that we, the Bulgarians, aren’t good for Wagner – we don’t have singers for his long operas with hard vocal parts. Kartaloff refuted also this statement – the tenor Kostadin Andreev is a strong Wagner voice, the soft baritone of Atanas Mladenov, who created recently a remarkable Eugene Onegin, is wonderful as Amfortas. Best words deserve both performers of Kundry, who will alternate in the role – Radostina Nikolaeva and Gergana Rusekova. Both knights of the Grail are worthily defending their roles – Daniel Ostretsov and Stefan Vladimirov.

The seducers are probably also seducers in life: Lyubov Metodieva, Mariela Aleksandrova, Ina Petrova, Mirela Yabandzhieva, Angelina Mancheva, Aleksandrina Stoyanova. On the conductor’s stand is the stable and unflinching maestro Constantin Trinks. The audience – especially the German speaking spectators – commented the good pronunciation of the Bulgarians, who impeccably coped with the difficult language. The merit is of Richard Trimborn – an adherent of the legendary conductors Karajan, Sawallisch, Kleiber, who was charged with the musical training. Obviously the pure-blooded German didn’t listen attentively only to the notes, but also to the syllables and to the words. In spite of this, maestro Plamen Kartaloff has foreseen also subtitles. They are a deed of Prof. Ana Dimova and Yulia Krasteva. Congratulations deserve also the conductor Velizar Genchev, whose expert mastery gave its reflection in the musical training. The artistic lighting by Andrej Hajdinjak immersed the whole spectacle into mysterious colours.

Unfortunately, the politics were not in the hall of the Sofia Opera. Here was Georgi Yordanov – the cult Minister of Culture from the socialist epoch, who doesn’t miss a premiere. Missing weren’t also eminent musicians and connoisseurs – the virtuous pianist Antonia Boneva, Prof. Boyanka Arnaudova, representatives of the Wagner societies. The great Bulgarian opera prima Stefka Evstatieva has arrived from America and deservingly accepted congratulations. Kartaloff himself gave her many kisses and shared: “She was my Elisabeth in “Don Carlo”. Here was also Valeria Kartaloff – wife of the director, in the recent past – a wonderful opera performer. Valeria has succeeded to preserve untouched her appearance – slim, with perfect make-up, very elegant. The great opera director Vera Nemirova appeared with her mother – the opera artist from the recent past Sonja Nemirova. Both of them are for a short time in Bulgaria, that is why they don’t miss a spectacle at the Opera.

“Parsifal” is a work, which has been produced over and over again on the international stages, but we have to rediscover a new and our world in its interpretation – without seeking an approach to the German theatre of the everyday problems of today of the street or the day. We are attracted by the unearthly, divine burning in the spiritual and sparkling mystic of the plot”, said Kartaloff.

The spectacle continued six hours, but no one went away before the final. Acad. Plamen Kartaloff sets off for Italy right after the premiere, in order to produce “La Rondine” by Puccini. There is also another curious news: next year the collective of our first opera theatre will be guest-performer with Wagner at “Bolshoi Theatre” in Moscow.

Eliana Mitova

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DER NEUE MERKER – Sofia Opera: PARSIFAL – First performance in Bulgaria / detailed abstract

Sunday, 09 July 2017

Meanwhile the National Opera Sofia has made itself an international name with its worth seeing important works by Richard Wagner, always as Bulgarian first performances. At that great value was and is placed on a substantial observation of Wagner’s statement on the work and his stage directions. The West European director’s theatre was here clearly rejected. The tireless motor behind this pioneer movement is the Director Prof. Plamen Kartaloff, who has directed so far one very heeded “Ring des Nibelungen”, which has already guest-performed in the festival hall Füssen and in May next year will be to see at Bolschoi Theater Moscow. In the past year, Kartaloff came out with one also magnificent new production of “Tristan und Isolde”. So that it was hardly surprising, that as next work by the Bayreuth master appeared “Parsifal” – to some extent as a matter of heart – the more so as Richard Trimborn, music coach of the Bulgarian singers by the rehearsal of all these music dramas, also preferred “Parsifal” for the Sofia stage. These two men seem to harmonize with each other humanly and artistically fort the best, sure enough one element of the continuing already several years success. So it came in the beginning of July to the Bulgarian first performance of “Parsifal”, anyway 135 years after the premiere.

By the conception of this “Parsifal” for Kartaloff it is before all about the communication of emotional contents, whereby the categories brotherhood, humanity and love of neighbour come in connection with divine radiation and spiritual cure. The spiritual mystery of the “Parsifal” legend, as well as the philosophical messages of the characters and their striving for a “final nirvana” should stay in the centre. To show this requires a high grad of abstraction and a fine elaborated direction of the characters, which both are to experience expressively still in Act I and through the entire piece.

After one overture, played solemnly and with mystical aplomb one looks into the holy wood made of artfully interwoven with each other cloth bands, which by the transformation to the castle of the Grail imperceptibly turned into columns. That in doing so time turned into space, suggested the walking of Gurnemanz with Parsifal in this fast imperceptibly transforming itself scenery. In a retrospective we see on the revolving stage how Klingsor steals the spear from Amfortas. Amfortas shows in on an invalid chair in white garment with the blood trail of the wound – one can catch sight of him later in the stage background when he takes a bath in the lake. Gurnemanz and the knights appear in the tastefully fashioned by Stanka Vauda white costumes with the typical cowls of a monk and with that they make an effective contrast to the rather dark scenery by Numen+Ivanka Jonke. The light design by Andrej Hajdinjak is always tuned with the full of atmosphere scenes. The wounded swan is a feathered ballet dancer, who this way imparts a stronger personality to the animal and requires from Parsifal more intense feelings of guilt. Very fanciful and with big symbolic power acts the raising of the Grail in Act I: while Amfortas – and Titurel stands in doing so in front of him – raises his hands, the Grail forms itself from the interweaving of several ropes hanging from the ceiling of the stage, which let us guess the vessel in its structure – just one example for the abstraction grade, with which the director works here. One interesting accent Kartaloff puts at the end of Act I: instead of being expelled as “drake” by Gurnemanz, the last one leaves immediately and Parsifal remains alone on the stage. After the experience, one recognizes at his inspired facial expression, that he has understood his task to redeem Amfortas and therefore he sets out “knowing” to the odyssey…

In Act II Klingsor acts subversively on a platform in the rear part of the stage, on which is installed a rack, which produces laser beams – probably an expression of his vain attempts to find a solution for his irresolvable problematic. The magic garden unfolds itself thereafter in the real sense of the word in the form of a huge red air cushion, in which the six flower maidens from group 1 and 2 – the rest of the women’s chorus sings from the back stage – and later Kundry court around Parsifal. Again and again, this air cushion acts like a big red mouth, in any case an obvious association with the kiss happening on it. In the background threatens constantly Klingsor‘s sphere of impact, from here he throws also the spear on Parsifal, which doesn’t quite succeed.

In Act III we see again the holly wood, now illuminated a little bit more richly in contrast, and the following transformation to the columns of the temple of the Grail in the last scene. After that Parsifal redeems Amfortas from his wound, he raises in the heights the spear in the middle of the stage under the Grail, forming itself from the ropes, which by the laser effects now illuminate much more brightly as in Act I – the unification of the Grail and the spear becomes in this way optically impactful documented. The Grail knights lie in circle around Parsifal and so they suggest the renewal of the Order of the Grail. Kundry sings in the front lifeless on the ground – everything just the same as Wagner wanted it, as it however would be unimaginable in Wagners’s director’s theatre of today… In return, the director’s team manages with relatively limited means, which however are applied very effectively in their optical association, to reach a high grade of expression of the piece, which allows it to be understandable also for the Bulgarian audience, which predominantly hasn’t experienced it yet. Accordingly was also the strong applause at the end.

With the young conductor Constantin Trinks succeeded what Plamen Kartaloff has set as maxim for the synergy of music and action namely by this work by Wagner – the visualization of music. The orchestra of the Sofia Opera and Ballet allows itself to be heard from its best side, with fine intonation by the mostly solemn tempos, without falling into inappropriate pathos. One noticed in each phrase, that during the passed years it has developed a big understanding and feeling for Wagner’s music. Only the glass bells could be intonated better. The Chorus of the Sofia Opera, directed by Violeta Dimitrova, was choreographed in the best way and sang powerfully at good transparency. Venetsia Karamanova conducted the Children’s Choir of the Bulgarian National Radio.

During all these years Plamen Kartaloff has grown a remarkable cast of good Wagner singers, with the help of Richard Trimborn and through intense rehearsals. This cast allows him now to cast the main parts even double! All singers made this premiere evening their respective debuts in these roles and this already with absolutely considerable result: Kostadin Andreev gave one very baritone shaded but with powerful tenor aplomb provided Parsifal, who like already by his Siegfried in the “Ring” acts very vigorously. He certainly has to continue working on his German in order to be understood better also while singing. The still very young Atanas Mladenov sang one lyrically emphasized Amfortas with great clarity of the words. He was Gunther in the “Ring”. Angel Hristov, who was Hagen and Hunding in the “Ring”, shaped Gurnemanz with his sustainable, for this part not so big bass, with great clarity of the words almost contemplative. Biser Georgiev gave one powerful Klingsor with one slightly too guttural and not always understandable bass baritone, which he however managed to master well with his intense performance. The Sofia Isolde Radostina Nikolaeva sang one good Kundry, even if the splendid high tones of her soprano were more convincing than her depths, which are also required by Kundry. Artistically she made her best. Petar Buchkov was one appealing Titurel. In the widely well casted subsidiary roles sang Hrisimir Damyanov and Stefan Vladimirov as First and Second Grail Knight. Rada Toreva, Ina Petrova, Krasimir Dinev and Kalin Dushkov embodied the Esquires. Vocally and optically stimulating acted the Flower maidens from group 1 and 2, Lyubov Metodieva, Mariela Alexandova, Ina Petrova, Mirela Yabandzhieva, Angelina Mancheva and Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva

With this production of “Parsifal” the National Opera Sofia continued impressively its so successful way to Richard Wagner. The production would be an honour for some big theatres in West Europe.
For now last performance on 10 July 2017.

Klaus Billand

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Newspaper Standart – “Parsifal” – a new triumph for the Sofia Opera

Saturday, 08 July 2017

The Wagnerians enjoy the spectacles on 6, 8 and 10 July at 18 h

The Sofia Opera and Ballet creates a triumph in succession – the unique spectacle “Parsifal”. Richard Wagner’s masterpiece is an international event for the classical stage of the capital – expected are hundreds of admirers of the German composer to arrive in our country for the next spectacles. The music lovers will enjoy the four-hour spectacle on 6, 8 and 10 July. Its director Plamen Kartaloff says: “135 years after its writing, “Parsifal” appears at last also at the Sofia Opera. Our soloists are magnificent – I don’t give them to any theatre of the world, because they are unique Wagner interpreters. Our orchestra is incredible – it plays with the most perfect and expensive instruments. And “Parsifal” is a nirvana. Most important is the emotional impact of the work. We have to discover the perfect rhythm, to give an impetus for the dynamic of the vision and the acting. Without destroying and irritating the experiences, to keep the consciousness awake.” The Academician, who achieved a real furore among the Wagnerians from all over the world with the celebrated tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” and with “Tristan und Isolde”, offers a challenge in succession for the senses and the soul.

“Parsifal” is a work, which has been produced over and over again on the international stages, but we have to rediscover a new and our world in its interpretation – without seeking an approach to the German theatre of the everyday problems of today of the street or the day. We are attracted by the unearthly, divine burning in the spiritual and sparkling mystic of the fantasy action. Unique are the philosophical messages, the musical and poetical projections in the dramaturgy of Wagner. The sacral Wagner drama is beyond the time and the place of the concreteness. In “Parsifal” reflects the endless life circulation including birth, life, death and reincarnation.

The most important in it, of course, is the music – with its mysticism, esoteric and religious sensitivity, with its visualization. “Parsifal” is an image of spiritual community, in which the ideas for the brotherhood, the humility, the love for the fellow-man are interweaved with the divine radiation and the spiritual cure. The stage mystery “Parsifal” is an image of our connection with the spiritual world – in it the music raises the senses into the boundless temple of the soul. A privilege of everyone who can avow himself in it.”, comments Kartaloff.

Set designer is Sven Jonke from Croatia, costume designer is Stanka Vauda. A gigantic 7-meter high Grail is the top in the vision.

Among the phenomenal soloists are Gergana Rusekova, Radostina Nikolaeva, Kostadin Andreev…

Kartaloff tells more, that at the Bayreuth Festival “Parsifal” continues 6 hours – with two intervals with taking a bite in the restaurants and the gardens around the theatre.

The Academician conducts several more events. At the moment runs also the traditional summer festival “Opera in the Park”, which is being held for the eight time on the territory of the Military Academy.

The natural exterior strengthens the messages, which the opera and ballet spectacles send to the spectators from different ages. The park, well-known with its unique landscape architecture, was open for access nine years ago, and in 2010, after Kartaloff’s idea started also the prestigious forum, at which the audience receives a more different and more intense perception.

The fans are expecting the spectacles from “Stage of the Peaks” under the Belogradchik Rocks – one really amazing experience, and now maestro Kartaloff will mount his artists also on a barge. This will happen at the foot of the Baba Vida Towers in the beginning of August.

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BNR, Rositsa Kavaldzhieva – THE FIRST “PARSIFAL” ON BULGARIAN STAGE – POETRY IN EVERY DETAIL


Saturday, 08 July 2017

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DER NEUE MERKER – Sofia Opera: PARSIFAL. Abstract from the premiere (first performance in Bulgaria)

Wednesday, 05 July 2017

Bildergebnis für sofia opera and ballet

Yesterday evening Wagner‘s sacred festival drama “Parsifal” celebrated its considerable first performance in Bulgaria at the Sofia Opera and Ballet, which – as here one often reports – appeared during the last years with interesting and very successful Wagner productions. The tireless motor behind this pioneer movement is the Director Prof. Plamen Kartaloff, who also by this “Parsifal”, like already before by the “Ring” and “Tristan und Isolde”, was leading the direction. With their set design Numen + Ivanka Jonke, as well as the extremely full of fantasy and taste costume designer Stanka Vauda and the light designer Andrej Hajdinjak, he created an interpretation, which by a high grade of abstraction puts in the centre the spiritual mystery of this legend, as well as the philosophical messages of the characters and their longing for a “final nirvana”. With little, but very effectively applied in their optical association means, was achieved a high grade of expression of the piece, which allows to be understandable also for the Bulgarian audience, which predominantly hasn’t experienced it yet. Accordingly was also the strong applause at the end.

With the conductor Constantin Trinks succeeded what Plamen Kartaloff has set as maxim for the synergy of music and action namely by this work by Wagner – the visualization of music. The orchestra of the Sofia Opera and Ballet allowed itself to be heard from its best side, with fine intonation by the mostly solemn tempos, without falling into inappropriate pathos. The directed by Violeta Dimitrova chorus of the Sofia Opera was choreographed very well and sang powerfully at good transparency. All singers made this evening their respective debuts in these roles and this already with absolutely considerable result: Kostadin Andreev gave one energetic Parsifal, the still very young Atanas Mladenov sang one lyrically emphasized Amfortas, Angel Hristov shaped Gurnemanz with great clarity of the words almost contemplative, Biser Georgiev gave one powerful Klingsor and the Sofia Isolde Radostina Nikolaeva sang one widely pleasing Kundry. More detailed abstract follows. Next performances on 6, 8 and 10 July 2017.

Klaus Billand from Sofia

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Photos from the premiere of “PARSIFAL” by Richard Wagner on 4.07

Wednesday, 05 July 2017

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Bulgarian National Television – The Sofia Opera and Ballet with two summer festivals in Belogradchik and Vidin

Sunday, 02 July 2017

The Sofia Opera and Ballet with two festivals in Belogradchik and in Vidin in the end of July and in the beginning of August. The innovative idea of the director Plamen Kartaloff – “Opera of the Peaks – Belogradchik Rocks”, are spectacles in the open air. Many are the guests, who came in 2016, much more they will be in 2017, when will be the second edition of the famous summer festival. The Sofia Opera and Ballet for the first time will be guest-performer also in Vidin with the festival “Baba Vida Fortress of the Ages”.

The purpose of the Sofia Opera and Ballet and of the municipalities in Belogradchik and Vidin is to develop the cultural tourism in North-West Bulgaria.

Acad. Plamen Kartaloff – Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet: “What I would like to emphasize deeply is to give a new cultural impulse in this wonderful region of Bulgaria and together with the artists, the orchestra, the ballet of the Sofia Opera, with the entire technique to create festive evenings for audience not only from the region, but also from the country and from abroad.

The Festival “Opera of the Peaks – Belogradchik Rocks” will be held for a second year. A special event is the visit of the Magura Cave for the unusual spectacle “Wagner Magura: Gods, Giants, Dwarfs and Valkyries”.

Boris Nikolov – Mayor of the Belogradchik Municipality: “Great is the interest, there are many kind comments. We had visits also from other countries – from Serbia, Romania, Macedonia, from all over Bulgaria.

On three stages will be the “Fortress of the Ages” Summer Festival, which will be held in August in Vidin. The spectacles will be on a barge on the Danube River, in the Baba Vida Fortress and in front of Stambol Kapia.

Ognyan Tsenkov – Mayor of Vidin Municipality: Vidin has history, it has greatness, it has eternity. I consider that the holding of the summer festival will have also in future presence as initiative in our cultural calendar.

Both festivals give the possibility to feel favourite works in a unique way.

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THE SOFIA OPERA PERFORMED “BORISLAV” AT THE HISARYA FORTRESS IN LOVECH

Sunday, 02 July 2017

The work by Maestro G. Atanasov marked the beginning of the celebrations at the occasion of 830 years of the Lovech peace

With endless applauses citizens and guests of Lovech saw off the performance of the Sofia Opera of “Borislav” by Maestro Georgi Atanasov at the historical Hisarya Fortress over the city. With it started the celebrations, dedicated to the 830th Anniversary of the signing of the Lovech peace, with which was set the beginning of the Second Bulgarian kingdom. The Anniversary of the unsuccessful siege of the Lovech Fortress by the army of the Byzantine Emperor Isaak II Angelos and the events, connected with it, were an accent in the statement of the Mayor of the city Kornelia Marinova. She greeted with “Welcome” the cast of the Sofia Opera and personally the stage director of “Borislav” Plamen Kartaloff, Director of the theatre. As a token of special respect Maestro Kartaloff received from the Mayor of Lovech a crystal with the coat-of-arms of the city. “This symbol is very special, we hand it only to close friends”, said Kornelia Marinova.

The high spirits were felt hours before the beginning of the spectacle, while the spectators were filling the whole space in front of the improvised stage and till the end of the evening. Applauses were accompanying the final of many scenes of the first Bulgarian historical opera. Nightingales, which since the early afternoon were filling the fortress with their magical songs, “included” themselves as soloists still with the first chords of the work by Maestro Georgi Atanasov.

The event was respected by the Deputy Minister of Culture Rumen Dimitrov, representatives of the city administration and the local business, many citizens. Long time after the end of the spectacle everybody expressed their enthusiasm from what they saw and heard from the soloists, the chorus and the orchestra of the Sofia Opera with conductor Zhorzh Dimitrov.

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Newspaper Politika – Wagner makes the artists fly higher

Sunday, 02 July 2017

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Photos from a rehearsal of “PARSIFAL” by Richard Wagner – premiere – 4 July


Sunday, 18 June 2017

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“BORISLAV” OF THE SOFIA OPERA OPENS THE CELEBRATIONS OF THE FAMOUS LOVECH FORTRESS

Saturday, 17 June 2017

With the famous opera “Borislav” by Maestro Georgi Atanasov, the Sofia Opera opens the celebrations for the 830th Anniversary of the signing of the Lovech peace – beginning of the Second Bulgarian state

With the production of the opera “Borislav” of the Sofia Opera on the open stage of the Middle Age fortress in Lovech will start the celebrations, dedicated to the 830th Anniversary of the signing of the Lovech peace, with which was set the beginning of the Second Bulgarian kingdom.

The Anniversary of the unsuccessful siege of the Lovech Fortress by the army of the Byzantine Emperor Isaak II Angelos will be marked with the opera “Borislav” by Maestro Georgi Atanasov.

What is the story of the fortress?

Three months the fortress was under siege. They didn’t succeed to take it. With the signing of the peace contract all lands, in which the brothers Asen and Petar managed to rise up a revolt, were acknowledged for free Bulgarian territory. Byzantium acknowledged Asen and Petar as kings and with this began the Second Bulgarian kingdom.

With the production of “Borislav” by the stage director Academician Plamen Kartaloff, Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet, tonight, at the fortress will be marked the beginning of the celebrations, which will continue during the entire summer season also with exhibitions, historical revivals and other spectacles.

About the history of the opera “Borislav” by Maestro Georgi Atanasov

“Borislav” is the first Bulgarian historical opera. It is dedicated to Borislav – the great voivode of King Ivan Asen II. Its author is our great composer Maestro Georgi Atanasov. The libretto is by Nikolay T. Popov, after Ivan Vazov’s play of the same name. The success of this drama, which was performed in 1909 in Sofia, was amazing. “Borislav”, wrote in his memories Simeon Radev, ruled the capital, marched triumphantly in the country and gave to one otherwise indifferent to artistic beauty people a noisy rapture. The fathers with romantic imagination were giving to their children the name of Borislav.”

Inspired by the play of the people’s poet, Maestro Atanasov was writing quickly and tensely and in October 1910 he was ready with the piano scores of “Borislav”. Two months later was completed also the orchestration. The work was written after the type of the Italian Verdi opera, it has built strong conflicts and dramatic scenes. In it is shown the fight for love and power, for supremacy of the national interests above the personal speculations and intrigues.

The premiere of the opera “Borislav” was in the distant 1911, on 4 March, on the stage of “Operna druzhba”. Similarly to Ivan Vazov’s drama, it had great success. The production was by Dragomir Kazakov and in it took part the best forces of our opera of that time. After 106 years, “Borislav” returned again on the stage of our first opera theatre in the country. Director of the production is Acad. Plamen Kartaloff.

In the spectacle “Borislav, the Great Voivode of King Ivan Asen II” participate:

Svetozar Rangelov, Lyubov Metodieva, Atanas Mladenov, Tsvetan Tsvetkov, Dimitar Stanchev, Nikolay Milev, Slavi Manov, Anton Radev /Furkas and Soldier/, Daniel Ostretsov, Blagovesta Mekki-Tsvetkova, Elena Marinova, Silvana Pravcheva, Aleksandar Nosikov, Ilia Iliev, Rumyana Petrova, Mario Petrov, Stefan Sahatchiev, Mario Krastev.

Conductor: Zhorzh Dimitrov

Director: Plamen Kartaloff

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STUDENTS WITH DISTINCTIONS АТ THE COMPETITION FOR “PARSIFAL” OF THE SOFIA OPERA

Friday, 16 June 2017

The three pupils of the National School of Fine Arts “Ilia Petrov” will be present at the premiere of Wagner’s last opera

Unusually started the press conference at the Sofia Opera, dedicated to the upcoming premiere in Bulgaria of Richard Wagner’s work “Parsifal”. In the presence of journalists, of the artistic team and the performers in Wagner’s last opera three pupils of the National School of Fine Arts “Ilia Petrov” were distinguished among the participants at the competition on theme “The Legend of Parsifal and the Quest for the Holy Grail”.

The distinguished Mira Dzhantova, Todor Rabadzhiyski and Preslav Vladov were awarded their diplomas and invitations for the premiere of “Parsifal” by the director of the work Plamen Kartaloff, Director of the Sofia Opera.

The Manager of the artistic team from specialty “Illustration and Layout of the Book” Aleksandra Gogova, Professor at the school and at the National Academy of Art, thanked on behalf of all the participants at the competition for its holding. Besides the distinguished ones, their works presented also the students from the tenth and eleventh class at the National School of Fine Arts Aleksandar Todorov, Irina Dzhonkova, Kristina Ivanova, Mihail Kostov, Georgi Dobryanski, Bogomil Lyubikov, Zhoro Metodiev, Nia Tsenkova and Lyudmila Otuzbirova.

Their 12 posters and graphical imprints, selected for participation in the competition, together with a work of a first-year student from specialty “Advertisement Design” of the National Academy of Art, will be exposed at the Central foyer of the Sofia Opera on the days of the four premiere spectacles of “Parsifal” – 4, 6, 8 and 10 July at 18:00 h.

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“PARSIFAL AND THE OVERCOMING OF EVIL” – A LECTURE BY THOMAS MEYER, SWITZERLAND

Friday, 16 June 2017

As an event, accompanying the premiere of “Parsifal” by Richard Wagner, on 8 July, Saturday, 2017 at 11.00 h in the Marble Foyer of the Sofia Opera and Ballet after the invitation of the Antroposophical Society in Bulgaria the Swiss author, editor, publisher and lector THOMAS MEYER will give a lecture on the theme “PARSIFAL AND THE OVERCOMING OF EVIL” – one hot issue, in front of which is standing today the entire humankind.

As an addition to the theme will be presented the newly published book by Thomas Meyer in Bulgarian language “Under the Sign of Five”, published by

Antroposophical Publishing House “Daskalov”.

There will be a consecutive translation.

THOMAS MEYER was born in Switzerland in 1950. He graduated in humanitarian sciences, history and philosophy.

He is founder of the Publishing House “Perseus Verlag” in Basel and editor of the monthly magazine “Der Europäer” (“The European”), which is issued also in a variant in English “The Prеsent Age”.

He is author of many articles and books, among which “Light for the New Millenium”, “Reality, Truth and Evil”, “Facts, Questions and Perspectives for 11 September 2001”, as well as biographies of D.N. Dunlop and Ludwig Polzer-Hoditz.

He is giving lectures on different themes all over the world. He has produced also several dramas in Basel.

The Antroposophical Publishing House “Daskalov” has published two books of his in translation in Bulgarian: “The Personal Mission of Rudolf Steiner” and “Clairvoyance and Consciousness: The Tao Impulse in Evolution”. Upcoming is the publishing of his book “Under the Sign of Five”, the theme of which are the five spiritual events and the tasks of the human being in the present age.

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THE TOURISTIC BRANCH SUPPORTS THE SOFIA OPERA FOR A MUSEUM OF THE SOFIA OPERA GLORY

Friday, 09 June 2017

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Bulgarian National Radio, Angela Kamenova – Vidin welcomes the Sofia Opera and Ballet on 3 stages


Monday, 05 June 2017

On three stages will be the Summer Festival of the Sofia Opera and Ballet “Fortress of the Ages”, which will be held in August in Vidin. The spectacles will be on a barge in the Danube River, in the Baba Vida Castle and in front of Stambol Kapia, said the Secretary of Vidin Municipality Ivanela Andreeva:

“On the barge will be presented two works – “Il tabarro” and “Gianni Schicchi”. The ballet will be installed in the central town part, on the square, in front of Stambol Kapia. There will be performed “Swan Lake” – one of the productions, which will be played in two evenings, and the second production, which will be presented in the third evening, is “Zorba the Greek”. During the time, in which will be the spectacles of the Opera, on the barge in the day there will be spectacles for children. The action will take place around and in the Baba Vida Fortress.”

In the beginning of next week the playbills will be ready and will be announced the sale of tickets.

Angela Kamenova

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GEORGI DIMITROV CONDUCTS “RIGOLETTO” ON 19 AND 20 MAY

Friday, 19 May 2017

The well-known Bulgarian musician Georgi Dimitrov will conduct both spectacles of “Rigoletto” by G. Verdi at the Sofia Opera on 19 and 20 May at 19:00 h

His musical education began by the well-known violin pedagogue B. Rosenberg. In 1971 he graduated from the Bulgarian State Conservatory – Sofia (today National Academy of Music “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov”), where he studied Orchestra conducting by Prof. Vladi Simeonov and Violin by the well-known Bulgarian violinist and music pedagogue Prof. Mihail Balkanski. He specialized by Yevgeny Mravinsky and Arvīds Jansons in Leningrad (today St. Petersburg).

From 1972 to 1981, he was conductor of the Plovdiv Philharmonics, and from 1981 to 1985 he was Chief Conductor of the Ruse Opera. Till 1990 he was Director of the Ruse Opera, as well as conductor at the Sofia Opera. In the period 1990–1995 he was conductor of the Symphonic Orchestra of the Republic of San Marino. In 2004 he was awarded the highest distinction of the Republic of San Marino – Cavalier of the Saint Agatha Order.

He has conducted all Bulgarian orchestras and was invited as guest-conductor of many well-known orchestras and opera theatres in Russia, Romania, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Poland, the Czech Republic, Cuba, Mexico, Spain and others.

His repertoire includes symphonic works and opera titles, premiere performances of works by Konstantin Iliev, Simeon Pironkov, Lazar Nikolov, Krasimir Kyurkchiyski, Georgi Arnaudov, as well as works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Anton Bruckner, Gustav Mahler, Arnold Schönberg, Leonard Bernstein, Sergei Prokofiev.

Impressing are his productions of “Nabucco”, „Aida”, “La traviata”, „Un ballo in maschera”. “Otello”, “Don Carlo”, “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi, “La bohème”, “Tosca” by Puccini, “Norma” by Bellini, “L’elisir d’amore” and “Lucia di Lammermoor” by Donizetti, “Cavalleria rusticana” by Mascagni, “The Queen of Spades” by Tchaikovsky.

Since season 1995-1996 Georgi Dimitrov was Music Director and Chief Conductor of the Plovdiv Philharmonics, subsequently of the Opera-Philharmonic Society – Plovdiv and realized many projects, tours in Bulgaria and abroad, as well as the opening of the European Month of Culture, broadcasted directly on Eurovision.

Since 2000 Georgi Dimitrov was Director of the Opera-Philharmonic Society – Ruse, and from 2005 to 2009 he was Director of the Opera-Philharmonic Society – Plovdiv. Since 2009 he was conductor at the Opera-Philharmonic Society – Ruse. Since 2013 he is freelance conductor.

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Union of Bulgarian Journalists, Author: Iveta Balevska – Wagner’s opera “Parsifal” sets out to the Bulgarian music lovers

Friday, 12 May 2017

10.05.2017 /17:13 | Author: Iveta Balevska | Source: Union of Bulgarian Journalists / Sofia Opera

For a second year the Sofia Opera and ballet starts a project, directed to the uniting and the popularization of the work of the great German composer Richard Wagner among the Bulgarian audience.

The music lovers will have the chance to enjoy Wagner’s last opera “Parsifal”, which will be presented on Bulgarian stage for the first time. The premiere will be in July this year.

The initiative for the productions of all Wagner’s works started in 2010 with the presentation of the tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” (“Das Rheingold”, “Die Walküre”, “Siegfried”, “Götterdämmerung”) and “Tristan und Isolde”.

The spectacles passed with unprecedented success

and brought to the Sofia Opera a new world recognition. Lovers of the operatic art and of Wagner’s music from all Europe arrived in Sofia, in order to enjoy the majestic spectacles, entirely with performance of Bulgarian singers.

The management of the Sofia Opera in the face of the director and stage director of the production of “Parsifal” Acad. Plamen Kartaloff sets for a goal a transformation of Richard Wagner’s work into a recognizable symbol among the Bulgarian audience of all ages.

A new moment in the popularization of the work of the great composer,

as well as a new director’s approach is the initiative for holding of special meetings with the audience during the director’s rehearsals. The production is entirely with the participation only of Bulgarian actors and singers.

By means of the presence at the director’s rehearsals, the lovers of the operatic art acquaint themselves closely with some of the close-ups of the director’s scores in the interpretation of the work –

A mystical and mysterious philosophical work.

“Bulgaria has the necessity of a new age of striving and longing for native art”, emphasized Acad. Plamen Kartaloff and he added that “…the producing of “Parsifal” is a possibility for revelation and a way to enlightenment of the spirit – a way, which drinks in a devotional-ritual communication with the symbolic meaning of the Holy Grail in this mythological drama of the music genius Wagner”.

By means of interactive approaches, engaging and attracting the attention of the audience, the Sofia Opera Theatre contributes also to the conservation of the European cultural heritage in the field of the operatic art.

http://www.sbj-bg.eu/index.php?t=35461

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WAGNER IN ADVANCE FOR THE MOST IMPATIENT

Friday, 12 May 2017

Open rehearsal of “Parsifal” for the upcoming premiere

Dozens most enthusiastic Wagnerians with impatience waited till the next unique experience at the Sofia Opera. This time – under the form of the first open director’s rehearsal for the long-expected premiere of “Parsifal” on 4 July. The registration for the meeting coincided with the holidays, but enthusiasts didn’t miss, on the contrary. Some of them, like the doyen among the present ones, the living in Germany for many years lover of the opera Boris Kontohov, several times checked everything, until they assured themselves that they are among the registered for the event.

Similar meetings are not a frequently met phenomenon at the world opera theatres, where quite often “stars” require closed rehearsals until the coming out of the production on stage. This is why the present ones in the New chamber hall of the Opera several dozens Wagnerians accepted with approval the words of Maestro Kartaloff that we must respect and appreciate the artists of the theatre, who have chosen it for their way and destiny. Every one of the participated in the rehearsal soloists Atanas Mladenov, Kostadin Andreev, Petar Buchkov, Angel Hristov, Krasimir Dinev, Gergana Rusekova, Kalin Dushkov, Stefan Vladimirov, the chorus with chorus master Violeta Dimitrova, the répétiteur Milen Stanev and the production team were welcomed and saw off with long applauses.

Uniqueness of the event added the having sounded at the very beginning overture of Wagner’s last opera “Parsifal” and the opening words of the director Plamen Kartaloff, with which he introduced the present ones in the atmosphere of the work and in his conception for the production.

A special interest provoked the performed fragments and the acting of all performers.

Opinions and questions after the end of the first of its kind similar open rehearsal didn’t miss. It will be followed by others, with which the future spectators of this Wagnerian title will be transferred to the premiere spectacles on 4, 6, 8 and 10 July. Boris Kontohov expressed delight with what he has seen and congratulated the director and the production team for the way, in which everything was presented. Questions and impressions with Plamen Kartaloff shared the present correspondents of the agencies TASS, France-presse and Xinhua, and also the representatives of different print and electronic Bulgarian media.

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W A G N E R F O R A L L – 9.5.2017/11.00 H.

Monday, 08 May 2017

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FESTIVAL “OPERA OF THE PEAKS – BELOGRADCHIK ROCKS” 2017

Wednesday, 19 April 2017

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The Sofia Opera with a new Chamber hall for Lazarus Saturday

Monday, 10 April 2017

On the bright holiday, artists will present the concert “Masterpieces of the Musical Treasury for Children”

On 8 April, at 10:30 h, at the Sofia Opera and ballet is upcoming the opening of the new Chamber hall, which is situated on the sixth floor. The sanctification will be performed by a priest from the St. Sofia Church. And at 11:00 h is upcoming the first performance on this stage – the concert “Masterpieces of the Musical Treasury for Children”.

The children, friends of the Opera, will have the possibility to see again their favourite characters from the spectacles: “Winnie-the-Pooh”, “Lilly and the Magic Pearl”, “Die Zauberflöte”, “The Golden Apple”, “Little Red Riding Hood”, “Shegobishko on the Wonder Island”, “Cinderella” and many others.

The idea to come to life the known to many generations of children “Chamber hall” is of Academician Plamen Kartaloff, Director of the Sofia Opera and ballet. From Italy, Bergamo, from the company “Ceta” were bought the necessary facilities – amphitheatrically arranged metal constructions, elegant soft chairs from the company “Armani”, with which to be furnished a new spectator’s hall with 111 seats. The stage will be placed frontally, with face to the audience and in this way is granted the exceptional possibility for the children to watch and enjoy from close the play of the artists.

The hall gives a splendid possibility in it to be realized chamber concerts too.

Daniel Bonanomi – representative of the company “Ceta” shared: “Our works manufactures metal constructions for stadiums, for opera theatres and cinemas. I am always present at their installation. Because I have heard many good words about your Opera, I arrived personally, in order to assist at the designing of the entire hall. You will receive an absolutely new Chamber hall, with an ideal stage, with seats, which “Armani” uses at its fashion shows. When the light goes down and the spectacle begins, if some child wants to go out for a while and then to come back again, it and its parent will be able to orient themselves thanks to the little lights – small lamps, installed on the steps, how to return to their seats. On the seats themselves are put the numbers of the seats.

I would like very much to stay for the opening of the hall on 8 April, but after three days I leave for Italy. I believe that I will come again in Sofia, because I was fascinated by your ballet, by the beautiful girls in it and by their splendid dance. I am happy that in your capital I met many smiling faces and at that of people, who were entering the Opera.

I wish good-luck to “Chamber stage”!”

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The Bulgarian National Radio – The interest of the foreign tourists in opera and ballet in our country is getting stronge

Monday, 10 April 2017

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Monitor newspaper – Wagner enters the Magura Cave

Friday, 07 April 2017

The company of the Sofia Opera will assault the stage of Bolshoi Theatre.

Our home musicians will depart for Russia between 12 and 24 March next year, where they will present six of their productions.

In September this year, they will be guest-performers for a second time in the Bavarian town Füssen, where they will present “Tristan und Isolde” by Wagner and “Turandot” by Puccini.

This year will continue the initiative “Opera on the Square”.

It will be dedicated to Vasil Levski, at the occasion of his 180th Anniversary.

On 17 July in front of the monument of the Apostle will be given a concert after “Oratorio for Levski” by Boyan Ikonomov

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“PARSIFAL” – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN BULGARIA! 4 – 6 – 8 – 10 JULY 2017 – THE PERFORMERS ABOUT THEIR ROLES

Thursday, 30 March 2017

PARSIFAL

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN BULGARIA!

4 – 6 – 8 – 10 JULY 2017

The newest Wagner production of the Sofia Opera

Conductor CONSTANTIN TRINKS

Director PLAMEN KARTALOFF

Set Design SVEN JONKE

Costumes STANKA VAUDA

Chorus Master VIOLETA DIMITROVA

Musical Training RICHARD TRIMBORN, VELIZAR GENCHEV

“PARSIFAL” – THE PERFORMERS ABOUT THEIR ROLES

KOSTADIN ANDREEV – PARSIFAL

Parsifal is one endlessly exciting character for me, because the music, which develops him, combines in itself from the childish and the naïve through the male and the heroic to the esoteric and the mystical element.

ATANAS MLADENOV – AMFORTAS

Amfortas is a tragic character of the agony and the self-destruction, absorbed in endless sorrow and hard sleepless nights, full of wails for the only and sole end – the one of absolution through death…

PETAR BUCHKOV – TITUREL

I am exceptionally flattered to be included in the next Wagner project of Acad. Kartaloff. For nothing in the world I would miss my participation in “Parsifal”. Even though it appears in only one act, my role is important and well chosen. Through it the plot line finds its worthy final. I am filled with enthusiasm and impatience for the reaction of the audience and the critique!

ANGEL HRISTOV – GURNEMANZ

This role offers everything, about what is dreaming one bass. The values, followed by Gurnemanz and the knights of the Grail are very close to me and are something, to which everyone – Christian or not – should strive.

NIKOLAY PETROV – GURNEMANZ

This is a role, filled with endless vocal and actor’s challenges, which requires maximal mobilization and concentration. I’m beginning with it with the necessary respect and undisguised hope for success.

BISER GEORGIEV – KLINGSOR

Klingsor is the negative character, an image of the destructive power and of the darkness. In Wagner’s mystical and metaphysical dramaturgy the evil is beaten by the pure and immaculate soul of Parsifal. A complex actor’s task, but it’s not alien to me as stylistic, because Alberich from the tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen” was a supreme trial in my career.

GERGANA RUSEKOVA – KUNDRY

I have the chance to be selected by Maestro Kartaloff for the most interesting, mystical and multi-layer role, which I have made until now. It has no analogue in the opera literature. I have a big challenge and a privilege to participate in this project.

RADOSTINA NIKOLAEVA – KUNDRY

Kundry is a big challenge for me – from a vocal point of view, as well as as actor’s recreation. One many-sided, endlessly interesting character, which provokes the developing of extreme emotional human frames of mind and the resources of the singer to the utmost limit. It keeps me in tension and provokes me philosophically.

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BTA – FRANCESCO ROSA WILL CONDUCT “LAKMÉ” AT THE SOFIA OPERA

Friday, 24 March 2017

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Programme of the talk “Lakmé”– opera by Léo Delibes 22.03.2017

Saturday, 18 March 2017

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Let’s remember about “Opera of the Peaks” – the material is by MANAGER.BG

Friday, 17 March 2017

The Sofia Opera enjoys numerous positive reviews, after having succeeded to move over 1500 spectators between 5 and 7 August with the festival “Opera of the Peaks – Belogradchik Rocks”. The tickets for this surprizing and provoking the curiosity festival ran out in advance, for less than two weeks after their release for sale, and with every day passed the interest in the expected event was growing.

The audience of the Sofia Opera and ballet enjoyed the opera and ballet art among the rock phenomena in Belogradchik, in combination with Wagner’s magic, offered in the Magura Cave.

The idea and the directing was of the Director of the Opera Acad. Plamen Kartaloff. “The Belogradchik Fortress is not just a historical monument, but also a synonym of national courage, heroism and striving for freedom of the Bulgarians from this region. The admiration for the beauties of nature and the majestic rocks mixes with the emotions and the traces of our glorious history”, shared he. “Why not continue to attract foreign audience in Bulgaria? Why not go there, where nature has been so generous to us, and we as if are not living with it? And as we know, this region is absolutely thirsty for art!” – noticed Kartaloff.

“Big is our hope that the recorded during this amazing festival film material will turn into a conquering artistic document, which should reach more spectators on our planet”, comment people from the opera, having in mind a recording of the event.

“This was a real magic! The world must know what’s happening here! At the feet of this natural phenomenon your opera offered real peaks of vocal art! Let the beauty of this new festival reach all Bulgarian and European music lovers! Please deliver our admiration to your wonderful artists, to your amazing orchestra, to all those, who have built this unforgettable stage among your indescribable nature!”, declared Imre Latszi from Hungary.

“Incredible! The Belogradchik Rocks turned out to be fantastic sets for your opera and ballet spectacles! The idea about this brilliant event is of genius! I wish you the festival “Opera of the Peaks” to live long!”, considers Zdenka Lisic, Serbia.

“We are amazed at what we experienced and by your conquering spectacle in the womb of the fairy-tail Magura! What a chance it is to be among the first spectators of one epochal premiere of Wagner’s masterpieces in the natural and so fantastic environment of the cave stalactites and stalagmites! Oh, how does Wagner sound among the peace of eternity! Let’s honour this incredible project!”, said Elvira Braculescu from Romania.

“The musical transition, which you offered us in the mysterious Magura is an unprecedented event! I wish to more fortunate people to see and hear the conquering performances of your brilliant artists! Everything here was perfectly organized and my dream is for us to be again among this beauty! We are expecting your invitation for next year!”, added Hanka Novogurska from Poland

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THE SOFIA OPERA WON THE OVATIONS OF ITB – BERLIN

Wednesday, 15 March 2017

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WAGNER FOR STUDENTS

Saturday, 11 March 2017

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Talk “Prince Igor” – opera by Alexander Borodin 15.03.2017

Saturday, 11 March 2017

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THE NEW PRINCE IGOR AT THE SOFIA OPERA AND BALLET

Thursday, 02 March 2017

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CARLOS ALMAGUER WILL BE GUEST-PERFORMER IN “TOSCA” AFTER A FURORE AS SCARPIA IN NICE


Thursday, 02 March 2017

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Fiorenza Cedolins in “Tosca” on 5 March at the Sofia Opera

Thursday, 23 February 2017

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KAMEN CHANEV ON 5 MARCH IN “TOSCA” AND ON 9 MARCH IN “UN BALLO IN MASCHERA”

Tuesday, 21 February 2017

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1 March 2017 – Talk – “Borislav – The great voivode of King Ivan-Asen II” – by Maestro Georgi Atanasov

Tuesday, 21 February 2017

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CARLOS ALMAGUER – Baron Scarpia in TOSCA on 4 March and Renato in UN BALLO IN MASCHERA on 9 March

Tuesday, 21 February 2017

Carlos Almaguer, baritone

Carlos Almaguer is considered as one of the most important dramatic baritone voices today.

Born in Mexico D.F where he learned to play different musical instruments and started his singing studies with Maestro Francisco Amador. In the beginning, he won the 3rd and 1st place in different emissions on Carlo Morelli Singing Competition. Later in Barcelona, he was awarded at the Francisco Viñas Competition with a scholarship at Siena, Italy.

In Spain he met the great baritone Vicente Sardinero who becomes his teacher of singing and vocal training, which led him to win several international singing competitions, most notably in Spain: the Francisco Viñas, Jaime Aragall, Julian Gayarre, Francisca Cuart, Verviers in Belgium, among others.

His international career has transpired in a spectacular way on the best stages in the world, in countries like Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Greece, Rumania, Bulgaria, Australia, Switzerland, Hungary, China, Israel, Chile, United States of America, England, Ireland, Netherlands, France, Korea, Denmark, Costa Rica, Russia etc. interpreting the most representative roles in the international lyric written for his tessitura like Alfio (“Cavalleria Rusticana” by P. Mascagni), Enrico (“Lucia de Lamermoor” by G. Donizetti), Amonasro (“Aida”), Don Carlo di Vargas (“La Forza del Destino”), Rigoletto (“Rigoletto”), Il Conte di Luna (“Il Trovatore”), Miller (“Luisa Miller”), Renato (“Un Ballo in Maschera”), Ezio (“Attila”), Nabuccodonosor (“Nabucco”), Iago (“Otello”), Simon (“Simon Boccanegra”), Macbeth (“Macbeth”), Rolando (“La Battaglia di Legnano”), Monforte (“I Vesperi Sicilliani”) by G. Verdi, Tonio (“I Pagliacci”) by R. Leoncavallo, Carlo Gerard (“Andrea Chénier”) by U. Giordano, Jack Rance (“La Fanciulla del West”), Michele (“Il Tabarro”), Scarpia (“Tosca”) by G. Puccini.

Some of the theaters that stand out in his career are: Teatro Massimo di Palermo, Arena di Verona, Teatro Luciano Pavarotti – Modena, Bassano del Grappa, Opera di Torino, Teatro San Carlo Di Napoli, Teatro comunale di Bologna, Teatro Carlo Felice de Genova, Teatro de Pàdova, Opera Frankfurt, Opera Leipzing, Deutsche Opera Berlin, Hamburg, Opera Strasburg, Opera de Toulon, Opera de Marselle, Opera Bern, Opera de Nantes, Winer Staatsoper, Opera de Lousan, Carnegie Hall, Opera Budapest, Opera Bucarest, Opera Kanasawa, Opera Montpelier, Melbourne, Opera Atenas, Opera de México, Opera Liceu de Barcelona, Teatro Gayarre Pampolna, Opera de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Opera de Wallonie (Liej), Covent Garden-Royal Opera House, Teatro Municipal de Chile, Amsterdam en la Sala de Conciertos Concertgebouw, Opera Pekin, Opera Tel-Aviv, Opera Nacional de México, also Opera Festival Sanvolinna, Festival de Trapani, Festival Puccini Torre del Lago, Festival de Opera de Taormina, Opera Nacional Timisoara, Romania and others.

Among the awards he has received is the Award of Critics of artists, journalists and musicians from Mexico and La Medalla Dr. Alfonso Ortíz Tirado en Alamos Sonora, México.

Carlos Almaguer as Scarpia in “Tosca” at l’Opéra de Marseille, 13.03.2015

At last we rediscover the impressive Scarpia of Carlos Almaguer, applauded in Montpellier about ten years ago… After his effective appearance, the Mexican baritone gave us pleasure with his ferocity. At the opera, when we were children, we loved to be frightened, but as we are not children anymore, few Scarpias could frighten us, but this one was just terrible.

- www.anaclase.com – Bertrand Bolognesi

The Mexican baritone Carlos Almaguer recreated an especially biting and manipulative Scarpia, a character, depicted with strength and measure, with his entire brutality, but also with the necessary ambiguity, thanks to a declamation perfectly accorded with the singing. His scene with Tosca in Act II is impressive with its theatricality, but still at the end of Act I he imposes himself as a very great actor.

- Opera online – Emmanuel Andrieu

The last one is Carlos Almaguer, a massive, alarming, cruel, sombre and black voice of a baritone, who masters his art. With an ideal projection, power, self-confident acting, the Mexican is exactly at his place in this role.

- Opera.Marseille.fr – Michel Egea

In the interpretation of Scarpia, Carlos Almaguer doesn’t lack the high estimation of the music lovers: the Mexican baritone keeps his unique vocal power …

- Magazine des arts – Christian Colombeau

“Tosca” by Giacomo Puccini at l’Opéra de Nice (January 2017)

With the production of l’Opéra de Marseilles, signed by Louis Désiré, l’Opéra de Nice offers one version of “Tosca” in the beginning of the year. Produced for the first time in the Phocean city in March 2015, we discovered it at l’Opéra de Saint-Etienne in November the same year, and then we said everything good which we thought (however with a little flat regarding the final scene). Like in Saint-Etienne, the music part is one of the great satisfactions of the evening. At the head of the Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, the Italian conductor Renato Balsadonna opens with a strong and beautiful precision the double weft of a score, weaved from leitmotiv, but not less articulated on a sensual recurrent lyricism.

In the title role, the Bulgarian soprano Svetla Vassileva convinces. With her beautiful hair colour raven’s wing and her noble profile, the young singer has a brave step. Her stylized gestures make from the character a fatal woman, in front of which all men lose their mind. Her voice combines with sensuality with Puccini‘s nuances, and her trembling “Vissi d’arte” gives her the full right to be ardently applauded. Her Mario, the Spanish tenor Alejandro Roy, also gains evident success. The voice is solid, well built, his timbre lacks however a character, identity and besides it seems a little bit opaque. Let’s congratulate also the performance of Thomas Dear (Angelotti), Jean-Marc Salzmann (Sacristan) and Frédéric Diquero (Spoletta), who fill with talent their duty.

But the main interpreter of this “Tosca” resides in Scarpia of the Mexican baritone Carlos Almaguer, undoubtedly one of the best titulars of the role today. He has a well tempered timbre, a voice with a spectre, well defined in its colours, and a singing, carried out by a dramatic pulsation, which one can feel fast instinctively. His Scarpia, brutal still with his arrival in the church, terrifying during the “Te deum“, with a voice, projecting itself in the middle of this sound vortex, knows how to make himself cunning, cynical, perverse in Act II, without ever trying to impose himself with force against the orchestral exasperation, but interpreting the score the way it was written, i.e. trusting to the music.

In brief, the reader must have understood that this “Tosca” was worthy before all because its Scarpia!

Emmanuel Andrieu

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On 18.02 the world-known bass Roberto Scandiuzzi in the role of Filippo II

Wednesday, 15 February 2017

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