Author: Miglena Stoicheva
The event attracts worldwide interest this year as well
The Sofia Opera opens its Wagner festival. As per tradition, the event attracts many Wagner fans from all over the world. This year, the 150th anniversary of the Bayreuth festival is also celebrated, the latter of which was created by Wagner himself. That is why the Sofia Opera changed the dates for its performances, in order to give the opportunity for the biggest fans to first visit the Bulgarian festival and then: the German one.
The Sofia Wagner festival has turned into a recognizable brand, not just for the Bulgarian audience but all over the world. Traditionally, the event’s highlight is the grandest piece on its repertoire: the “Der Ring des Nibelungen” tetralogy. The German composer’s operas are no longer an exotic addition to the Bulgarian music repertoire. The amazing thing is, in just sixteen years the Wagner productions in Bulgaria turned into a living organism living its own life. Each year, the performances undergo a series of creative development, with fifty Bulgarian lead singers having performed in the nine Wagner pieces the Sofia Opera has set and continues to develop.
Daniel Lara, a journalist from Argentina: “To me, the Sofia Opera’s production of the “Ring” is very impressive because it’s contemporary and at the same time very considerate in regards to tradition. This made a very good impression on me. Besides what I saw on stage, I was also stunned by the quality of the singing, by this Bulgarian talent. It is not usual to see a troupe which can produce the “Ring” using its own singers for 99,9% of the roles, on such a high level.”
Director Plamen Kartaloff reveals the secret to the Sofia Opera’s success with Wagner’s operas.
Prof. Plamen Kartaloff, director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet: “The singers must be chosen so that their own character best suits the role because except vocality, there is also personality. We’re merciless in this regard, we only choose the best singers which will do justice to Wagner and will handle his work responsibly.”
Forging “Der Ring des Nibelungen” is a feat for every world opera theater. The troupes which managed to do it on their own are not many. That is why the Bulgarian Wagner festival is a phenomenon which deservedly wins worldwide praise.
https://bntnews.bg/news/zapochva-vagneroviyat-festival-v-sofiya-1395293news.html