FROM FOBI 2024: "Rhine Gold" by the Sofia Opera lowered the curtain on 54. Festival of Opera and Ballet Art- Stara Zagora

News публикувана на: 26.12.2024

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10.12.2024 Dolap.bg On December 4, 2024 Sofia Opera and Ballet's "Das Rheingold" put an impressive finale to the 54th edition of the opera. Festival of Opera and Ballet Art (FOBI). After last year's triumph of Die Walküre (remember the Amazons with the red horses) , again as the finale of FOBI, Das Rheingold immersed the audience in the musical universe of the great Richard Wagner. The work was composed in the mid-19th century as a "prologue" (though written last) to the Ring of the Nibelung tetralogy, which contained Die Walküre, Siegfried, and The Sunset of the Gods. From the first to the last bar, the music of Das Rheingold is cosmic. It transports you to the heights, to the realm of the gods and the underworld of the Nibelung, by the Rhine, between heaven and earth, charging you with an unsuspected energy. It meets you with gods and mere mortals, with mermaids and giants, with tricksters, swindlers and criminals, with love and duty... Probably there is nothing new under the sun, because even more than 150 years ago Wagner was fascinated by the eternal problems of humanity - life and death, love and hate, good and evil, power, curse and inevitable fate, wisdom and folly...He seeks an answer for this imperfect world and finds it in greed and dishonour, in the lust for power and gold. At the bottom of the Rhine, guarded by lovely nymphs, lies a fabulous treasure - the Rhine Gold. And in gold lies a deep secret - whoever manages to forge a ring from it will gain power over the whole world, but will never know love. The evil dwarf Alberich manages to get his hands on the treasure and steals it away to his dark kingdom. But the gods also have a greedy eye for the gold - their father Wotan and his assistant Loge try to take Alberich's possessions by cunning. But this is not easy - especially when two giants and the gentle Fraia, goddess of youth, intervene in the story... Hans Kudlich's set design is unique and impressive. It takes enormous talent and inspiration to transport the audience into unknown worlds and make them part of the space. The costumes by Hristiana Mikhaleva-Zorbalieva are a work of art. The production team, headed by director acad. Plamen Kartalov. His productions are always non-standard and unconventional. But with Wagner's operas, which have obviously been in his blood for years, the maestro is stepping into new dimensions and boldly showing the way for the revival of opera and ballet art. What more does one need to be satisfied with the proposed performance - 150 minutes of superb music (without intermission) presented by wonderful singers and artists - Wotan - Veselin Mikhailov, Fricka - Mariana Tsvetkova, Alberich - Plamen Dimitrov, Loge - Daniel Ostretsov, Mime - Krassimir Dinev, Fafner - Peter Buchkov, Fasolt - Stefan Vladimirov, Doner - Svetozar Rangelov, Fro - Chrysimir Damyanov, Fraya - Silvana Pravcheva, Erda - Vesela Yaneva and the Rhine daughters Voglinde - Stanislava Momekova, Velgunde - Ina Petrova and Floshilde Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva; multimedia and lighting effects, Stara Zagora intervention with the participation of students from NUMSI "Hristina Morfova" led by Mirena Mitreva and children from DYSSOB "Margaritki" led by Jasmina Cholakova and a perfect orchestra conducted by Maestro Evan - Alexis Krist. The festival audience, which packed the hall, showed its appreciation and applauded the high art of the Sofia Opera troupe for a long time. Circumstances permitting, the 55th FOBI will again end with a Wagner opera. From November 21 to December 4, 2024, millennial Stara Zagora was the capital of high opera and ballet art. Almost all events were premieres or first time performances on the stage of the 100-year-old opera house. The National Ballet of El Salvador visited Bulgaria for the first time. Inspiring meetings, concerts and talks were held. "100 years of the State Opera and 54 memorable editions of the Festival of Opera and Ballet Art in Stara Zagora! I am excited and proud of it!" wrote Mayor Zhivko Todorov. After the dramatic events of the 20th century, after regime changes and national catastrophes, after falls and rises, an art remains alive, inspiring and brilliant. The Bulgarian Stara Zagora opera and ballet tradition has not just a memory, it has a path, a greatness, a history and a future. The audience of Stara Zagora has sophisticated taste and senses for colorful emotions, which this year will take them to the temple of the beloved art. It will always be an occasion for admiration, for fascinating escapes, for delight and knowledge, but also for pride that we are part of the new modern European culture. Good luck, artists! Good luck, FOBI 2025!"

Rositsa Rancheva