A timeless parable of St. Ivan Rilski’s life, death and God-pleasing deeds: Bulgaria’s most venerable saint, heavenly guardian and patron of the Bulgarian people, was performed for a third consecutive year (with performances the previous two years having taken place on an open stage) from the 11th to the 13th of July. This is the musical poem “The Hermit of Rila”; score by Father Kiril Popov and script by Tihomir Pavlov (1937).
Praise goes out to the Sofia Opera team with director Plamen Kartaloff at the helm as well as to the entire ensemble: lead singers, choir, orchestra, a children’s vocal-instrumental formation with director Dimitar Kostantsaliev, for ringing the bell of Bulgarian self-awareness with a respect-worthy consistency, in these complex and dramatic times. “St. Alexander Nevsky” square couldn’t have been a better choice for this honest eulogy: a bow before St. Ivan Rilski’ s deeds and his memory. Everything, from the initial ringing of the bell to the dynamic action unfolding on the impressive stage is a show of admiration and respect to the Hermit of Rila’s memory. His messages, his suffering in the name of the people and his honest dedication to God sound not only like the deepest, most profound confession but also as an appeal to us not to forget who we are, where we came from and where we’re headed. Messages which only increase in importance with time, regarding our future as a nation.
The beautiful and truly spiritual score orchestrated by Georgi Strezov and performed by the Sofia Opera orchestra, with conductor Zhorzh Dimitrov quite successfully matches the grand influence of the exceptionally effective 3d mapping effects projected onto the front façade of “Alexander Nevsky”: this is all thanks to the directorship. They bring the notion of praise of faith and patriotism to this unusual performance, the fantastical effect desired by the director and the feeling of past, present and future all coming together.
The finale: the light effects figure of the Hermit of Rila, turns into a powerful and influential accent of this intriguing historical tale recreated through music and words and performed on stage in a very honest and truly God-pleasing manner by all participants in the three performances.
Author: Dimitar Sotirov.