"Der fliegende Holländer", Wagner's most popular and most frequently staged opera, has its premiere at the third "Muses of Water" festival by the lake in Pancharevo. The spectacle of the Sofia Opera and Ballet is with the participation of two world performers – Kurt Rydl and Markus Marquardt. In the midst of the rehearsals, the two talk with Daniel Dimitrov in front of the BTA camera.

"We worked very well with the director Plamen Kartaloff. He is such a musician! And he knows everything about Wagner's operas. He has staged the entire Wagnerian "Ring" with Bulgarian performers – it's incredible," commented the baritone Markus Marquardt, in the role of the Dutchman. For 22 years he has been singing in the ensemble of the Dresden Opera, but apart from that he has performed at La Scala di Milano, in Toronto, at the Vienna State Opera...

"For me it never mattered whether the opera was small or big. It is important to have a good atmosphere and to work with nice people. I have sung in all the great opera houses of the world. It is important for me, especially now, to be well received, to feel good and to perform to the best of my ability.

That's why I love coming here and appreciate it," says Kurt Rydl. The famous bass is in the role of Daland, a Norwegian sailor.

THE OPERA AND THE LAKE

" It is a good experience to sing outside, under the open sky, in beautiful nature. I've sung under the stars many times and I've been really amazed by what I see here. It's always nice to be in a new country and a new place. And it's always an adventure because you don't know what the acoustics are going to be like, where the orchestra is going to be and whether you're going to have a good relationship with the conductor. But, as it turns out, here we will have direct contact. Besides, we'll be able to follow him on a big screen. So far, rehearsals have shown that it works," tells Kurt Rydl.

"A few days ago, my agent called me and asked me if I would sing in "Der fliegende Holländer" in Sofia. I said: "Of course!", because I have never been in Bulgaria. And it will be a great experience for me. Especially because of the stage and the lake, and that's fantastic," says Markus Marquardt.

DOES THE NEW LOOK OF PROF. KARTALOFF CHANGE THE ESSENCE AND SPIRIT OF THE OPERA?

"No, Markus Marquart is adamant. Because he knows everything about opera. It's just another look. It doesn't change everything inside out, but he just has another point of view. Which is quite a small change."

" His vision and imagination are really very curious to me, as I have been involved in six different productions of "Der fliegende Holländer" so far. Kartaloff gave me a new insight that suggests you are not so much a person, but rather a spirit or something like a spirit through which human emotions pass. Kartaloff has a cinematic look, which is really interesting", Marquart continues.

THE HOMELAND OF BORIS CHRISTOFF, GHIAUROV AND GHIUZELEV

Kurt Rydl does not hide his excitement that he is coming to the country of his idol – Nicolai Ghiaurov. "I have sung with him so much – in Vienna and all over the world, as well as with Nicola Ghiuzelev. Once, even when Boris Christoff could not sing in "Attila", I sang instead him. Therefore, it is an honour and a great joy for me to be here, in this great home of great basses, from whom I have received recognition and respect. So, coming here is like coming home", says Kurt Rydl.

He also worked with Anna Tomowa-Sintow. "We have known each other for many years. She is a great singer. As is Ghena Dimitrova. My debut at the La Scala di Milano in 1983 was in "Turandot" with Ghena Dimitrova. So I've always had a relationship with the greatest Bulgarian artists".

So far, Markus Marquardt has not had professional contact with Bulgarian artists. "But I know who Boris Christoff is, for example," he says.

"The best thing is that all the people – the colleagues, on the stage and off, are such nice people. This makes me feel very comfortable", he adds, and does not hide his desire to return to Bulgaria again.