REPORT FROM FOBI 2024: 110 years since the birth of Boris Hristov was honoured by the 54th Festival of Opera and Ballet Art - Stara Zagora

News публикувана на: 21.12.2024

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27.11.2024 Dolap.bg

Gala concert "Bulgarian basses for Boris Hristov", dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the great bass Boris Hristov, took place on 25 November 2024 on the stage of the State Opera - Stara Zagora. This is a curtain call to the remarkable personality and great patriot who left a lasting musical and performing art to the world. Under the baton of conductor Dimitar Kosev, the gala was attended by the leading bass-soloists from the operas of Burgas, Varna, Plovdiv, Rousse, Sofia and Stara Zagora - Bozhidar Bozhgilov, Delyan Slavov, Deyan Vachkov, Momchil Milanov, Peter Buchkov, Yuliyan Konstantinov. The singers presented a repertoire that is emblematic of Boris Hristov's world triumphs. The first part began with the overture to the opera Attila by Giuseppe Verdi. The aria of Procido from the opera "Sicilian Evenings" was performed by Deyan Vachkov. Peter Buchkov performed with an aria of Banquo from Verdi's opera Macbeth. Mephistopheles' couplets from op. "Faust" by Gounod was sung by Momchil Milanov. Delyan Slavov chose Fiesco's aria from Verdi's Simon Bocanegra. Again with Verdi - aria of King Philip from "Don Carlos" was presented by Julian Konstantinov. Leporello's aria from Mozart's Don Giovanni was sung by all the basses. The second part of the gala began with the overture to Verdi's opera Nabucco and the Prayer of Zakaria from the same opera performed by Momchil Milanov. From there on all arias were by Russian composers. The young, only 31 years old Bozhidar Bozhgilov - the face of his young generation brilliantly performed the aria of the elderly Prince Gremin from Op. "Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Ivan Susanin from the opera Life for the Tsar by Mikhail Glinka. Aleko's aria from Sergei Rachmaninoff's opera of the same name was Deyan Vachkov's second performance. Prince Galitsky's aria from Alexander Borodin's Prince Igor was interpreted by Delyan Slavov. The last three performances were based on music by Modest Mussorgsky. "Boris Godunov" was performed by Peter Buchkov and the aria of Boris from "Boris Godunov" by Julian Konstantinov. Then the six basses took the stage for an attractive finale - "Song of the Flea" (Ed. N. Rimsky-Korsakov). The encore was an aria to Rossini's The Barber of Seville. The audience applauded the soloists, the conductor Dimitar Kosev and the wonderful orchestra of Stara Zagora State Opera for a long time. Before the concert began, Boris Hristov's voice, recorded during his interview, was heard against the background of multimedia. He began and ended by saying that he had given his whole life, all his strength and talent in the name of Bulgaria. His deep and wise voice, his messages to the singers and to the people sounded again through the different arias: "We can be proud of our national art of singing. That is why we started with church songs, which best reflect the past of our musical art..." "I was sure that singing was my path. Opportunities for learning in Bulgaria were limited. Unable to achieve what I desired, I contented myself with singing as a chorister in our folk choirs, which included everyone from shoemaker to doctor, lawyer to engineer, etc. They were formed for a reason of those wishing to sing. In Bulgaria this passion for singing is widespread. The fact that I was given the opportunity to go to Italy, to leave the career I had started to follow as a lawyer, put me in a predicament - psychological, material. Not only to me, but to my parents. My brother and the director of the Gusla Choir, Assen Dimitrov, insisted that I take the path I wanted." "In order to be well prepared in an opera, an artist must know the parts of everyone with whom he participates in the performance. This is very important, because only in this way is he in the full atmosphere of the whole performance. He understands better the essence of the ideas...And best of all -all by heart. Don't ask me if I know the arias in "La Traviata", because I didn't sing there and I don't have any part... "I started recording the church songs through the choir "Gusla", through the choir of the "Alexander Nevsky" church. By a coincidence of circumstances, providence gave me this opportunity to manifest myself. I naturally try to always carry the name of a singer representing the Fatherland, Bulgaria, to the highest of my ability. I have slowly overcome all the most dangerous obstacles, because obstacles exist. Just like the career of the beginning artist, as well as the popular artist. I would even say that the further one goes, the greater the responsibility." "I have a preference for Boris Godunov, King Philip, the role of Ivan the Terrible or the role of Agamemnon ... I can safely say that stepping on stage, my personal self disappears. This is perhaps one of the greatest gifts that God can give to an artist. Any artist can approach this very easily - with hard work and, most importantly, with a desire, an attraction to his work, which is a gift from nature." "The direction of my life: You know that I was a lawyer. That it was Mussorgsky, perhaps, who so strongly influenced my spirit as to change the course of my life. The desire to interpret this world that he created was born in me. I think in large part I have succeeded. I don't think, by any means, that I have achieved perfection to convey his ideas. Because art is infinite. I wish that the singers who will follow me will be more interested in this field. Let them try. To go deeper than I did. And try harder, so that they, too, can draw something from this vast treasure trove. If I am successful in this work of mine, I shall be happy. If I have made a mistake, I want an apology." The gala concert "Bulgarian basses for Boris Hristov", dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the great opera artist, teacher and donor, is part of a project, a kind of continuation of the gala concerts and events organized by the Boris Hristov Museum in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Vienna, Rome, Bratislava, New York, Washington, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal. These initiatives keep the memory of Boris Hristov alive and introduce new generations of Bulgarian artists to the world. Rositsa Rancheva