Stability in the crisis
Photo: Петър Галев / Petar Galev
26 Feb 2021“Zhivotat Dnes” newspaper / Petar Galev

Stability in the crisis

This isn’t my first comment about the Sofia Opera and Ballet, but I have never supposed that this cultural institution would turn out to be leading also in a field, at first sight distant from its main activity. There is hardly someone, who doesn’t know that our National Opera has long ago crossed the geographic borders of the country and is moving the audience all around the world. It turned out that the leading theatre at Vrabcha Str. in the Capital this time delighted us not only with spectacles of highest quality. The Opera became one of the islands of stability in the crisis. Instead of complaining and moaning from the hard times for the art, Plamen Kartaloff’s team reconstructed seriously the activity, which allowed the performances to continue. But don’t imagine work in defiance of danger. On the contrary! The operas and ballets are presented at complex security measures. In the first place, the chairs in the stalls are removed so that the orchestra could have more space and work at the necessary safe distance. The spectators are seated on the balconies, but at an interval of one seat. And in order no one to get “confused”, on the free chairs are put beautiful flowers. And, of course, everybody wears a mask, according to the requirements of the health authorities. And the intervals are removed or shortened in duration. This way we have access to the favourite theatre without risking our health.

And in these times, the visit of a spectacle is not just a pleasure and entertainment. It is something like a navel string, which give us back the energy, the sense to exist, the faith that everything is yet not done away, closed, delayed for indefinite time. This is why it seems to me that as much fragile art can be as a manifestation of life, there are its representatives, who showed reason and strength, which can be envied by quite a lot of institutions, called upon by default to fight against crisis situations.

Author: Petar Galev

http://www.jivotatdnes.bg/nachalo/news/redaktorski-komentar/stabilnost-v-krizata