20 October - 26 October

LOHENGRIN

Richard Wagner

Duration 4:15 Intermission 2
Main Hall 1000 Sofia, ul. "Vrabcha" №1
Performed in German, with Bulgarian and English subtitles
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LOHENGRIN

Preview

Orchestra and choir of the Sofia Opera.

Men's Choir of the Bulgarian National Radio.

Technical services and studios of the Sofia Opera and Ballet.

Synopsis

Wagner used the poem "Parzival" by Wolfram von Eschenbach as the source for the plot. The material, borrowed from sagas, legends and poems, was creatively revised to create an original concept that reflects contemporary philosophical and ethical concerns.

Count Telramund, who seeks to acquire the Principality of Brabant, accuses the Brabant princess Elsa of having killed her brother. King Heinrich decides that Elsa's guilt must be established by a so-called "God's judgment", in which the accuser enters into a duel with a knight defending the honour of the accused. The royal herald appeals to the knights to intercede in Elsa's defence, while in the meantime she pleads with heaven for help. At the second summons a swan appears towing a boat with a knight. This knight takes over Elsa's defence and defeats Telramund, but spares his life. As a reward for his feat, he asks for Elsa's hand in marriage, but makes one condition – she must not ask him who he is or where he came from. If the vow is broken, they will be parted forever. Elsa agrees.

The defeated Telramund and his wife Ortrud, an evil sorceress, are banished by the King, but return to take revenge on Elsa and the unknown knight. Ortrud wants to destroy Elsa and to this end seeks to instil in her a distrust of her husband. As Elsa and Lohengrin's wedding cortege approaches the temple, Ortrud blocks the entrance and declares that she, Count Telramund's wife, must enter first, as Elsa's husband's name is known to no one. Before the sight of Lohengrin, Ortrud falls silent. But Telramund insists that the knight tell his name. The unknown is silent, awaiting Elsa's answer. She endures the ordeal, but the first doubts creep into her soul.

After the marriage ceremony, Elsa breaks her promise and asks her husband to tell his name and lineage. At that moment Telramund rushes into the chambers and tries to kill the knight, but is struck down by his sword. Saddened by Elsa's infidelity, the knight promises to reveal his name.

Before the King and the people, he announces that his name is Lohengrin, son of Parsifal, the leader of the community of the Knights of the Holy Grail, which is located on the inaccessible Mount Monsalvat, and has come to earth to save an innocent maiden. He can remain among men as long as faith in him lives. Now Lohengrin must part with Elsa.

A white boat pulled by a swan arrives on the river. The knight returns the swan to the form of a young man – this is Gottfried, Elsa's supposedly dead brother, transformed into a bird by the magic of Ortrud. A white dove flies in to take away Lohengrin, who boards the boat. Elsa falls breathless into her brother's arms.

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Music

Richard Wagner
Composer

Richard Wagner

2024-10-20 16:00

Kostadin Andreev
Lohengrin

Kostadin Andreev

Bjarni Thor Kristinsson
Heinrich der Vogler, German king

Bjarni Thor Kristinsson

Tsvetana Bandalovska
Elsa von Brabant, Princess

Tsvetana Bandalovska

Kalin Dushkov
Duke Gottfried, her younger brother

Kalin Dushkov

Ventseslav Anastasov
Friedrich of Telramund, a Count of Brabant

Ventseslav Anastasov

Mariana Zvetkova
Ortrud, Telramund's wife (For the first time)

Mariana Zvetkova

Atanas Mladenov
The King's Herald

Atanas Mladenov

2024-10-26 18:00

Daniel Ostretsov
Lohengrin (For the first time)

Daniel Ostretsov

Bjarni Thor Kristinsson
Heinrich der Vogler, German king

Bjarni Thor Kristinsson

Radostina Nikolaeva
Elsa von Brabant, Princess

Radostina Nikolaeva

Kalin Dushkov
Duke Gottfried, her younger brother

Kalin Dushkov

Ventseslav Anastasov
Friedrich of Telramund, a Count of Brabant

Ventseslav Anastasov

Gabriela Georgieva
Ortrud, Telramund's wife

Gabriela Georgieva

Atanas Mladenov
The King's Herald

Atanas Mladenov

Four Knights of Brabant

Four pages

Production Team:

Evan-Alexis Christ
Conductor

Evan-Alexis Christ

Plamen Kartaloff
Director

Plamen Kartaloff

Julia Krasteva
Assistant director

Julia Krasteva

Kammersängerin Anna Tomowa-Sintow
Stylistic preparation

Kammersängerin Anna Tomowa-Sintow

Hans Kudlich
Set designer

Hans Kudlich

Sven Jonke
Scenography in collaboration with

Sven Jonke

Gudrun Geiblinger
Scenography in collaboration with

Gudrun Geiblinger

Mario Dice
Costume Designer

Mario Dice

Zach Blane
Lighting Designer

Zach Blane

Michael Sollinger
Laser effects

Michael Sollinger

Nela Stoyanova
Assistant set designer

Nela Stoyanova

Christian Stoyanov
Assistant set designer

Christian Stoyanov

Violeta Dimitrova
Chorus Master

Violeta Dimitrova

Frank Flade
Choir consultant

Frank Flade

Lyubomira Alexandrova
Conductor of the BNR male choir

Lyubomira Alexandrova

Yolanta Smolyanova
Musical preparation (Responsible Co-repetiteur)

Yolanta Smolyanova

Agnes Dankova
Co-repetiteur

Agnes Dankova

Stoyan Martinov
Co-repetiteur

Stoyan Martinov

Svetlana Ananievska
Co-repetiteur

Svetlana Ananievska

Monica Gvozdeva
Co-repetiteur

Monica Gvozdeva

Translation

Lalka Todorova