From Sofia to Istanbul: Elektra’s revenge
The opera “Elektra” by Richard Strauss, inspired by Ancient Greek mythology, will be set in Istanbul by the Sofia Opera and Ballet. Director Plamen Kartaloff commented:
“Elektra is a soul-shaking piece. It’s like a river of sounds raging in the depths.”
The event will take place today, as a part of the 16th International opera and ballet festival in Istanbul, the Sofia Opera informed.
“The piece by Richard Strauss, inspired by Sophocles’ tragedy, combines the themes of revenge and family relationships with the composer’s unique music taste and Hofmannsthal’s impressive libretto”, the Turkish artist Deniz Burak Bayrak wrote.
He quoted Kartaloff’s words: “Elektra’s directorship was built as a sequence of scenes which are in constant motion. Its rhythm reminds of a movie montage as the audience is drawn into this dynamic drama.”
Kartaloff said the following regarding Strauss’ score:
“He has given us everything we need in order to reinvent our own imagination. With the right interpretation and teamwork every performance can breathe new life into this timeless piece.”
The director notes:
“The motifs of revenge and guilt still echo to this day. Elektra is not only a classical piece but also a warning for the contemporary man. The desire for revenge is an inherent and lasting trait of human nature.
He adds:
“Elektra is a monumentally powerful opera. It’s stage version requires a kaleidoscope-like visual interpretation: constantly changing and full of tension”, maestro Kartaloff added.
The opera “Elektra” will be performed at the “Kemal Ataturk” Cultural center in Istanbul, this night. Conductor: Evan-Alexis Christ.
Starring in Plamen Kartaloff’s performance: Liliya Kehayova (Elektra), Tsvetana Bandalovska (Hrisotemis), Gergana Rusekova (Clytemnestra), Atanas Mladenov (Orest), Daniel Ostretsov (Egist) as well as Petar Buchkov, Stanislava Momekova, Diana Vasileva, Rosen Nenchev, Stefan Vladimirov, Silvana Pravcheva, Vesela Yaneva, Violeta Radomirska, Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva, Ina Petrova, Maria Pavlova and the Sofia Opera orchestra.
Scenography: Sven Jonke; costumes: Leo Kulash; choreography: Fredy Franzutti; lighting: Andrei Haidinyak.
A year ago, the Sofia Opera was invited to take part in the event marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Turkish republic with two performances of “Tosca” by Giacomo Puccini in Ankara and Istanbul.
“This new invitation for the Istanbul opera and ballet festival shows that music is the fastest and easiest way for people to come closer no matter where they are”, Plamen Kartaloff, director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet, said.
“Elektra” was also performed internationally in 2023, at one of the most prestigious opera festivals in the city of Tegu, South Korea. The “Elektra” production won the Grand prize. This opera was performed for the first time in Korea and in the country’s seventy-five years long opera history.
A month ago, at the 31st opera festival in Bydgoscz, Poland, the Sofia Opera’s “Elektra” was also performed for the first time there.
“The chance to shake the audience this much doesn’t come often, even for the best opera ensembles. This was the case now”, Alisia Polevska wrote.
The opera and ballet festival in Istanbul takes place from the 10th of May till the 3rd of June.
Twenty performances of eleven different pieces are included in the festival schedule, presented by both Turkish and visiting artists.
Among the pieces mentioned are the opera “Cinderella” by Rossini, adapted for children, the world premiere of the opera “Gilgamesh” by Ahmet Adnan Saigyun, the ballet “Ana Karenina” (a production of the “Aifman” Saint Petersburg ballet) and many others.
https://www.mediapool.bg/sofiyskata-opera-i-balet-predstavya-elektra-v-istanbul-news371709.html