Exotic "Magic Flute" with premiere

News публикувана на: 02.12.2016

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Exotic "Magic Flute" with premiere in Stara Zagora Opera House

On December 2, at 19.00 on the stage of the Stara Zagora Opera will be presented for the first time the new production of Mozart's masterpiece "The Magic Flute". After "The Marriage of Figaro", this is the second production of the "Opera in a suitcase" cycle, which started with great success in the last creative season. In the Year of Mozart, the Stara Zagora Opera pays tribute to the Austrian genius with the realization of his most brilliant opera titles in an accessible and attractive format for all ages. Within one and a half hours, the audience encounters selected moments from the iconic opera titles and has the opportunity to enjoy the most beautiful musical and vocal fragments without disturbing the musical dramaturgy of the works. The performance of Mozart's opera The Magic Flute is directed by Denis Ivanov. The talented artist is also the author of the set and costumes. The performance will be conducted by the young conductor Dimitar Kosev. Participants: Soloists Peter Kunev, Ignat Zhelev, Alexander Baranov-guest, Ivaylo Yovchev, Ivan Kabamitov, Teodor Petkov, Victoria Pigova-guest, Diana Georgieva-guest, Desi Stefanova, Yanitsa Nesheva, Teodor Petkov, Ivan Kolev, Neli Necheva, Prolet Pencheva, Margarita Yovcheva, Kamelia Stoycheva, Emilia Djurova, Elena Petrova, Neli Necheva, Michaela Berova, Ivona Ivanova, students from the NUMSI "Christina Morfova", orchestra and choir of the State Opera-Stara Zagora.

Director Denis Ivanov:

"The Magic Flute", like any fairy tale, gives room for imagination. That's why I'm taking the action to the Orient, to the world of Scheherazade and 1001 Nights, to the fairy-tale 15th century - the age of princesses and knights, of the man of honour fighting for the "lady of the heart", the time of orientalists and wizards.

In the play I try to bring out the theme of personal choices that everyone makes at a very young age. The other main message in the play is about tolerance between people of different civilizations and religions in a globalizing world.

In today's fast-paced life, in a world where everyone is pursuing their own goals, whether noble or not, we need, more than ever, to learn to "pause" and "think": "Why?" "For what?" "Should we?" "At what cost?" "Is there not something else, something more important?" "Is this the thing we need?" "Will chasing our goal cause us to lose the goal itself?" 225 years ago, two geniuses "thought of these things" and, ahead of their time, created a monumental work that became a "bible" and "preached" from the podiums the ideas of beauty, nobility and HUMAN GOODNESS - benefactors that have incredible power and that move the world.

For me, as a director and artist, the encroachment on this genius of ideas, philosophy and moral aesthetics opera of Mozart and Schikaneder is extremely risky and responsible, because the format "opera in a suitcase" defines a different attitude - interpretive and expositional of the overall performance.

With The Magic Flute, this is very difficult because the work was written and thought about for years and is destined to be performed in its original form because absolutely everything in this work is semiotic and a message, from the plot to the organization and numbering of the movements - 22 in number. Everything in this opera is a melding of wisdoms, ancient philosophies, myths and idealistic ideas and views about humanity and its spiritual development.

"The Magic Flute is a fairy-tale opera, but although the plot is fairy-tale, there are sacred ideas about life woven into a romantic - comic - fairy-tale wrapper, with a light and clean storyline, without delving into the "details" and "circumstances" that make the opera so popular and loved by adults and children alike.

"The Magic Flute is a landmark opera in my professional life because it was the first performance I attended "on my own". It was back in 2004, I was fourteen years old. That's when I decided to go to the opera and got a ticket for the first random performance that was coming up. I only remember some moments of the show as "pictures" in my mind, but I remember being blown away /the show was really done very fabulously, with effects, good lighting - as I recall and interesting art work/.

Then I, the young man who understood nothing of opera, sitting in the cosy hall of the Old Theatre /where the Opera played for many years, due to the fire in the building/ discovered the magic and power of musical and performing art.

That is why I am very excited about the incredible opportunity to do my own interpretation of this opera. I also expect a fourteen year old kid to come to my performance and if I can provoke in him a feeling similar to mine, years ago - I will be very happy.

I don't approve of the current trend worldwide, where there is a "race" between directorial concepts "Who will make a more original and more provocative production". "The Magic Flute is a fairy tale and this is ignored by most directors. The power of this opera lies in the fairy tale itself. From the moment the curtain rises, the audience must be transported into the world of fairy tales, that wonderful childhood world of love and courage where anything is possible, a world of wondrous tales with magical illustrations - colourful, exotic, magical.

I abstract from any background of the plot and characters and present them in the course of the action - with their reactions and feelings, character development in the difficult and fateful situations of choice, involved in the battle between Light and Darkness - Day and Night."