"Das Rheingold" – the first part of "Der Ring des Nibelungen" tetralogy – marked the beginning of the Wagner Festival at the Sofia Opera and Ballet.
The spectacle was greeted with great enthusiasm by the audience, and the thunderous applause after the end was for the fantastic soloists, orchestra and production team of the new "Ring".
Wagnerians from Norway, the UK, Luxembourg, Germany and Australia commented excitedly on the impressive direction and set design, and the interpretation of the soloists and orchestra. They were especially intrigued by the fact that the singing ensemble is entirely Bulgarian.
For the opening of the festival, we had special guests from the music critics and notable experts of Richard Wagner's works Tony Cooper from Opera Critic – London, Andrea Merli, Italy, Klaus Billand from Der Neue Merker – Vienna, Alan Neilson from OperaWire – London, Phil Ward from Opera Now – London, Gregor Tassie, Glasgow, Jürgen König – Radio Berlin/Brandenburg, Germany. They left exceptionally flattering feedback about "Das Rheingold" as a vision of director Plamen Kartaloff and set designer Hans Kudlich, as a philosophical construction of the spectacle and its perfect interpretation. The costumes by Hristiana Zorbalieva and the artistic lighting by Andrej Hjidinjak were a strong highlight of the production and reflected the innovative directorial idea in perfect harmony.
Maestro Constantin Trinks also had his admirers, who came from Germany and Great Britain to applaud the Sofia "Ring".
Fantastic! Fabulous! Stunning! That was the sound of the excited spectators, who in the full hall were immersed in the magic of Wagner's music.
Guest of the premiere was the Minister of Culture Krastyu Krastev, who was very impressed by the performance. Sending a huge basket of flowers, he expressed his special congratulations to Acad. Kartaloff and all the artists, hoping to watch the next spectacles.
Here are the soloists and the production team who opened the Sofia Opera Wagner Festival in inspired fashion.
DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN
a solemn stage performance for three days and a prelude;
libretto and music by Richard Wagner
Eve – "Das Rheingold",
First day – "Die Walküre",
Day Two – "Siegfried",
Day Three – "Götterdämmerung"
"Der Ring des Nibelungen" interweaves complex narrative and conceptual motifs. The action of the cycle takes place on earth, in the waters of the Rhine, underground, in Valhalla – in the sky, among humans, dwarves, gods and ends with a cosmic catastrophe that encompasses the universe.
What does "Rhine Gold" – an eve in 4 scenes – tell us?
At the bottom of the Rhine lies a golden treasure. Its owner will gain omnipotence if he gives up love. The treasure is guarded by the three daughters of the Rhine – Woglinde, Wellgunde and Floßhilde. The Nibelung Alberich, learning the secret of the treasure, steals it and renounces love for the sake of power.
The giants Fasolt and Fafner have built Valhalla Castle for the gods and the souls of the dead heroes. As a reward for their work, they want the goddess of youth and love, Freia. Having lost Freia, the gods grow old, the land bears no fruit. The goddess must be ransomed from the giants.
The lord of the gods, Wotan, along with the god of fire, the cunning Loge, descend into the caves of the Nibelungs who guard their treasures. The lord of the Nibelungs, Alberich, possesses not only the untold treasures he has stolen from the Daughters of the Rhine, but also supreme power. The helmet, forged to his order by the blacksmith Mime, allows him to change his appearance, and the magic ring gives him power over men and gods. But Loge and Wotan manage to outwit Alberich and take away all his treasures, including the ring. Alberich curses the ring and those who receive it. As ransom for Freia, Wotan and Loge are forced to give the giants all the gold, the helmet, and the ring. Alberich's curse begins to come true. Upon dividing the spoils, Fafner kills his brother. After freeing Freia, the gods head with her across the rainbow bridge into Valhalla.
In the dark river depths, the Daughters of the Rhine mourn the loss of their treasures.
Curious!
The characters in the opera "Rhine Gold" are gods, giants, Nibelungs and the Daughters of the Rhine. Each character has their own musical leitmotif that shows their changing moods in different situations.
Some historical researchers claim that the Nibelungs are descendants of Pippin the Terrible, the ancestor of the Carolingian dynasty. The family subsequently spread its influence over Alsace, Burgundy and Bavaria. It branched off into multiple lineages, which in the early 8th century came to be called the Nibelungs. The fabulous wealth of the Nibelungs dynasty gave rise to many myths and legends, including the famous 12th-century German epic The Song of the Nibelungen. Over time, the word "Nibelungs" became a byword and was used to refer to a mythical clan of dwarves, rulers and treasure keepers. They are cunning and evil and live underground. Linguists translate the word "Nibelung" from German as fog or darkness – children of darkness.
Tickets for the next Sofia Opera Wagner Festival spectacles can be bought here.
Gallery
