Dear friends!
We’re happy to share that rehearsals of the three-act opera “Tannhäuser”: the ninth Wagner piece in our repertoire, are off to a successful start.
Director Plamen Kartaloff was present at the first rehearsal with the artists and cotutors. He greeted everyone and wished the production success. “Tannhäuser” is again performed by Bulgarian singers only. This is the Sofia Opera’s huge achievement. In recent years, the Sofia Opera and its orchestra and ensemble has shown the world it can go toe to toe with every other theater which can afford to produce Richard Wagner’s works. This is also thanks to acad. Kartaloff’s active policy of discovering new voices to perform in Wagner’s operas.
“The year of 2025 is of great significance for the Christian catholic world. Every twenty-five years, the Holy gates of the Vatican cathedral “St. Peter” open and pilgrims from all over the world go there in order to receive forgiveness and blessing”, Plamen Kartaloff said at the start of the meeting.
In my director’s vision of the story, Tannhäuser is trapped between two different societies. They are metaphors for two opposite societies: one of boundless sexual fantasies and free love and the other, of a closed and retrograde world of conservatism which is ruinous for the life of an artist. Canon and boredom destroy fantasy and imagination.
What are these two societies? They are two closed societies, each with its own goals and understanding of life, with different philosophies, strives and their own context of morality. One of them says: “Do whatever your heart desires!” and the other: “Do as good manners dictate and follow the etiquette!” The similarity between these two societies is that both of them support the arts and bring the world of art together.
“The score of “Tannhäuser” is the score of the free man: free of prejudices and the limitations of reason. This anniversary production of ours is a cleansing of sort, a spiritual salvation and forgiveness.”
With these heartfelt words, a long work process began which will lead up to the premiere of “Tannhäuser” on the 26th of June at the opening of the traditional Sofia Opera Wagner festival.
Performers and production crew of “Tannhäuser”, an opera by Richard Wagner:
Tannhäuser, knight and troubadour: Martin Iliev
Herman, landgrave of Thuringia: Petar Buchkov, Alexandar Nosikov
Elisabeth, count’s nephew: Eleonora Dzhodzhoska, Silvia Teneva, Tsvetana Bandalovska
Venus: Radostina Nikolaeva, Gabriela Georgieva, Lilia Kehayova
Wolfram von Eschenbach, knight and troubadour: Atanas Mladenov, Ventseslav Anastasov
Walter von der Vogelweide, knight and troubadour: Emil Pavlov, Daniel Ostretsov
Bitterolf, knight and troubadour: Stefan Vladimirov, Mihail Motaylenko
Heinrich der Schreiber, knight and troubadour: Angel Antonov, Krasimir Dinev
Reinmar von Zweter, knight and troubadour: Angel Hristov, Nikolay Voinov
Shepherd: Maria Pavlova
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Production team:
Conductor: Konstantin Trinks
Director: Plamen Kartaloff
Score preparation: Velizar Genchev
Scenographer: Sven Yonke
Costume designer: Hristiana Mihaleva-Zorbalieva
Plastics: Maria Ilieva
Artistic lighting: Ivan Lushicic Liik
Choir conductor: Violeta Dimitrova
Assistant director: Yuliya Krasteva
Assistants to the director: Vyara Karabelyova, Stefka Georgieva, Teodor Georgiev
Concertmasters: Maria Evstatieva, Slava Atanasova
Cotutors: Yolanta Smolyanova, Agnes Dankova, Tomas Gribov, Mira Teofilova, Stoyan Martinov, Denitsa Petrova, Svetlana Ananievska
The Sofia Opera orchestra, choir and ballet
The Sofia Opera stage equipment staff and artistic studios
