A little more than two weeks remain until the premiere of the opera “Tannhäuser” by Richard Wagner. This will be the forth „Tannhäuser“ production on the Sofia Opera stage.

“Tannhäuser” was first performed in Sofia on 30.01.1931 under the conductorship of Hermann Stange; director: Hristo Popov; décor artist: Alexandar Milenkov. The following lead singers starred in the performance: Mihail Popov (Landgraf Herman), Stefan Makedonski (Tannhäuser), Petar Zolotovich (Wolfram von Eschenbach), Konstantin Karenin (Walter von der Vogelweide), St. Savov (Bitterolf), Georgi Hinchev (Heinrich del Streiber), Pavel Elmazov (Reinmar), Tsvetana Tabakova (Elizabeth), Lyuba Krasteva (Venus).

Seven years later, on 24.05.1938, the curtain was raised on the second production of “Tannhäuser” in Sofia. Conductor was Asen Naidenov; director: Dragan Kardzhiev; décor artist: Alexandar Milenkov; costumes: Evgeni Vaschenko. Starring: Mihail Popov (Landgraf Herman), Konstantin Karenin (Tannhäuser), Mihail Lyutzkanov (Wolfram von Eschenbach), Georgi Belev (Walter von der Vogelweide), Pavel Elmazov (Bitterolf), Georgi Hinchev (Heinrich del Streiber), Pavel Elmazov (Reinmar), Siyka Petrova and Nadya Todorova (Elizabeth), Tanya Tsokova (Venus).

Forty-five years passed before “Tannhäuser” became a part of the Sofia Opera repertoire again. This happened in 1983, with Ruslan Raichev as the third production’s conductor. Starring: Nikolay Stoilov (Landgraf Herman), Anna Tomova-Sintova, Galya Ioncheva, Lidiya Gocheva (Elizabeth) Mihail Martinov (Tannhäuser), Sabin Markov (Wolfram von Eschenbach), Zdravko Gadzhev (Walter von der Vogelweide), Stefka Mineva (Venus).

Forty-two more years pass before the audience will be able to enjoy the fourth production of “Tannhäuser” on 26.06.2025. The Sofia Opera Wagner festival will open with the premiere of “Tannhäuser”. The production will be helmed by Plamen Kartaloff, director of the Sofia Opera’s previous eight Wagner productions. Conductor will be Konstantin Trinks; scenography: Sven Jonke; costumes: Hristiyana Mihaleva-Zorbalieva; choreography: prof. Masha Ilieva; vocal preparation: Velizar Genchev. Starring: Petar Buchkov and Alexandar Nosikov (Landgraf Herman); Martin Iliev (Tannhäuser); Eleonora Dzhodzhoska-Mladenova, Tsvetana Bandalovska, Silvia Teneva (Elizabeth); Gabriela Georgieva, Radostina Nikolaeva, Liliya Kehayova (Venus); Atans Ventseslav Anastasov (Wolfram von Eschenbach) as well as Emil Pavlov, Daniel Ostretsov, Angel Antonov, Krasimir Dinev, Mihail Motaylenko, Stefan Vladimirov, Angel Hristov, Nikolay Voinov, Maria Pavlova. With the participation of the Sofia Opera orchestra and choir (choir conductor: Violeta Dimitrova).

Good luck to “Tannhäuser” at the Sofia Opera!