The opera-puppet performance of the opera "Turandot"

News публикувана на: 14.03.2018

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The fairy tale "Turandot" premiered on Stara Zagora stage

For the first time in the history of opera art in Bulgaria, a major opera will be presented with puppets

The opera-puppet performance of the opera "Turandot" by Puccini will be performed by the State Opera-Stara Zagora and with the participation of the State Puppet Theatre - Stara Zagora. The premiere will take place on the stage of the Stara Zagora Opera House on March 29, the next performance is on April 12, and on July 13 the performance will be a guest of the Mozart Festival in Pravets. The grandiose task has been entrusted to an outstanding international creative team, consisting of proven artists in both arts - opera and puppet theatre. The directors are Ognyan Draganov and Darin Petkov, set and costume design Katalin Ionescu-Arbore /Romania/, Vasil Rokomanov and Silva Bachvarova, artistic lighting Vasko Lisichov /Macedonia/, sculpture Hze Fu-Chen /Taiwan/, choirmaster Mladen Stanev. Conductor Vladimir Boshnakov. Dragana Radakovic from Serbia will perform the role of Princess Turandot, Italian tenor Dario di Vietri will be Calaf, Tsvetelina Vassileva /Liu/, Julian Konstantinov /Timur/. On 12 April, Tanya Ivanova will be in the role of Turandot, Kamen Chanev will be Calaf, Plamen Kumpikov will be Timur, and Rusalina Mochukova will be Liu, conducted by Naiden Todorov. Also taking part are the soloists Alexander Krunev /March 29/, Teodor Petkov /April 12/, Georgi Dinev, Ivaylo Yovchev, choir, orchestra of the State Opera-Stara Zagora, puppet artists from the State Puppet Theatre-Stara Zagora, children from the DYSSOB "Margaritki" at the State Opera-Stara Zagora and representatives of the Pre-Bulgarian School of Survival "Baga-Tur".

The creative team relies on the classical presentation of the fairytale story in the opera "Turandot". The basis of the director's concept is the transformation of the Chinese princess Turandot from a child into a woman. This transformation takes place in front of the viewer's eyes - Turandot, who approaches the world around her as if she were playing with dolls, is suddenly confronted with reality and no longer has the strength to resist. Using the power of puppetry, director Ognyan Draganov in tandem with puppet actor and director Darin Petkov will present to the viewer the touching Chinese fairy tale in an extraordinary way with a lot of plasticity, dance, theatrical means of expression and spectacular stage vision. Romanian artist Katalin Arbore unleashes her boundless talent in paintings illustrating the authentic Chinese national colour. Masks, kimonos, traditional Chinese costumes, wigs and ornaments add to the lavish spectacle of the show. An impressive puppet presence is also envisaged in the set design, in which the main characters will be portrayed with moving mechanical figures and vivid artistic canvases. Puppets that come to life. The "puppet part" - heads, constructions, costumes of the puppets are designed by the famous Bulgarian master artists Vasil Rokomanov and Silva Bachvarova. The audience will be further provoked by an unusual finale of the opera, which was not completed by the composer and this allows some freedom in interpretation /according to the creative team/.

The project "Turandot" breaks the traditional notions of opera performance. Not because the time has come when the director's imagination has finished with the usual means of expression and is looking for all kinds of ways to make a more "revolutionary" statement on the operatic stage. The search for the different, without disturbing the true intention of the composer and playwright, but to arouse the curiosity of the audience, young and old, towards the new "opera artist" - the puppet /marionette/. The aim is to make the audience believe that it can be so, that the PUPPET is that unwritten image in the opera score that can strengthen the main theme, to nuance it even more.

The opera with puppets "Turandot" will be presented at the XIVth edition of the International Music Festival "Mozart Holidays" in Pravets, but the ambition of the project is not limited to that. The aim is for this opera to have a long stage life, to become a leading repertoire title of the Stara Zagora Opera and to be presented on various prestigious stages in Bulgaria and abroad.

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