BTA correspendant in Skopje Marinela Velichkova
Skopje, 19.05.2024 02:25 (BTA)
"Die Walküre" by the Sofia Opera and Ballet brought the full hall of the National Opera and Ballet in Skopje to its feet. The four-hour spectacle, directed by Plamen Kartaloff, was presented as part of the 52nd edition of the May Music Evenings in the Republic of North Macedonia, and among the audience was the country's President Gordana Siljanovska.
"I have never experienced such pleasure, so long, so passionately. Nietzsche was right when he said that without music the world would not be what it is. Public diplomacy is not like cultural diplomacy. I don't think any of us felt tired during those five hours. I don't know which was more perfect – the conductor, the director, the singers, the orchestra, the choreography, the set design. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I needed something like that. And I think art can achieve the impossible. It happened to me. There was little left for me to stand up and shout "bravo", Siljanovska told the participants after the performance.
The Director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet and director of the performance Plamen Kartaloff thanked for the "generous and hospitable welcome" of the management of the National Opera and Ballet in Skopje.
"I want to assure you that our contacts will be truly fruitful. We look forward to welcoming you in Sofia in September to show how cultural diplomacy works," Kartaloff said.
More than 130 members of the Sofia Opera and Ballet arrived in Skopje a few days ago – soloists, orchestra, a small ballet ensemble and all the technical staff needed to bring the Scandinavian mythology to life on stage and to be applauded by the audience in Skopje, where for the first time an opera by Richard Wagner is being presented as part of the May Music Evenings, the 52nd edition of which is being held this month in the Republic of North Macedonia.
Directed by Plamen Kartaloff, conducted by Evan-Alexis Christ, set design by Hans Kudlich, costumes by Hristiana Mihaleva-Zorbalieva, and starring by Thomas Hall as Wotan, Mariana Zvetkova as Fricka, Martin Iliev as Siegmund, Angel Hristov as Hunding, Gergana Rusekova as Brünnhilde, and Tsvetana Bandalovska as Sieglinde.
The event was organized with the support of the Ministries of Culture of Bulgaria and the Republic of North Macedonia, and its partner is the Bulgarian Cultural Information Centre in Skopje.