Author: Hristo Nikolov
“I can’t make our audience buy tickets with our budget not yet set in stone”, the Sofia Opera and Ballet director commented.
“Mister Kartaloff, why did you leave Wagner’s most performed opera, “Tannhäuser”, for last after the Sofia Opera and Ballet has already set every other important work by this composer?”
““Tannhäuser” is a very special challenge, especially as far as the protagonist is concerned. His vocals are extremely bold and in them shines the musical language of Beethoven who was revered by Wagner. Think of the vocals in Beethoven’s Ninth symphony.
In fact, the Bulgarian audience and our guests will hear and see this symphony under Daniel Oren’s conductorship when we close this year’s summer season.
We’ve thought about setting “Rienzi” but this is one of Wagner’s early works and we have our eyes set on the composer’s most mature and masterful works. „Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg“ would be the next logical step because this is the best philosophical comedy in opera literature but the piece takes a very long time to produce, we need to keep up with the singer’s vocal preparation.
Therefore, there is a lot of intriguing work to be done by everyone even after “Tannhäuser” which is Wagner’s ninth work produced at the Sofia Opera, adding to its faceted and diverse repertoire.
““Tannhäuser” is known for intertwining realistic and fantastical scene but also for not being particularly loved by the church because in it there is a not so indirect critique towards the church’s canon. How do you deal with this and with the other aspects of the piece?”
“In “Tannhäuser”, the conflict between earthly desires and spiritual atonement arises. The scenes reflect the hard-fought battle between sensuality and Christan morals. This could hardly be interpreted as a critique of religious dogmas. More so, the universal question of human nature and salvation is posed which makes the opera timeless and captivating.
I don’t involve the church in my production and I don’t expect its opinion of it. My accent in my director’s projections is on drawing parallels between the ambivalent figure and the protagonist’s inner cosmos, going from moral degradation and succumbing to sin through atonement and salvation. The audience also has a task: it won’t just see and hear the performance but will also take part in an act of empathy and acknowledgment of human compassion.
Tannhäuser is an artist. First, we will see one side of him, trapped in the grip of his own sensual and sexual desires, an escape from his boring earthly life and the boring people he meets every day; an escape of not being able to understand. However, he finds his own way to save his soul.
On the other hand, we will witness his soul’s escape from all earthly pleasures and the boredom and satiation of free life. This escape is made in order to seek forgiveness and cleansing and the path towards those thing leads back to the earthly, to atonement in front of the power of pure love and that of human intimacy. Tannhäuser is both a participant and a catalyst in the war between two worlds. One alone falls easily in the trap of sin and then alone finds the strength to find redemption and salvation.
In my director’s vision of the story, I place Tannhäuser in the trap of two different societies. They are metaphors for two opposite societies: one of boundless sexual fantasies and free love and the other, of a closed and retrograde world of conservatism and the ruinous life of an artist. This is not a race but a war between two different life philosophies. I believe the church has nothing to do with all this.
I’m very glad my already shared thoughts and understandings have been accepted by the professional Wagnerian Dirk Haus who will oversee our festival this summer.
“I can’t deny that this season has been especially glamorous: it kicked off in high gear with Daniel Oren’s visit, as you mentioned, and continues in the same fashion with productions and visits by world-famous stars, both singers and conductors. How does this happen considering there has been no change in national subsidies nor in the way in which the state supports the stage arts compared to previous seasons?”
“The reason for this is probably our confidence in our professional understandings and the Sofia Opera’s skillful management department. The Sofia Opera is a brand for our national music tradition. We aim for perfection, for overcoming all obstacles and raising the prestige of Bulgaria’s contemporary cultural politics.”
“Ever since last year, there has been talk of different ideas for changing the way the state finances stage arts. How do you, personally, see this change happening and what must it entail?”
“You already know I’ve proven the strength and the results of the principles of self-organization and self-funding while adhering to both economical and artistic criteria, despite all odds. If someone were to ask me about this, I would spare no advice and opinion. Blessed be the leaders who don’t wait for a revolution to happen but quietly make them a reality.”
“By the way, why have you been announcing the season program in parts since last year: firstly, up until New Year’s Eve, then for the next two quarters and so on?”
“The entire season is planned very carefully and has been split into parts in advance, in order to adhere to the artistic-production program. In it, all deadlines are mentioned as well. How do I tell the audience that nothing is set in stone, including our budget? It is not guaranteed beforehand. It is only estimated. How do I make the audience buy tickets which must guarantee a surety of performances, dates and ensembles?”
“Will there be a new open stage this summer?”
“Our summer season will begin with our traditional Wagner festival. Then, it will continue with performances on open stages which we will officially announce very soon, after finishing negotiations with famous Bulgarian and international artists.
https://www.24chasa.bg/mneniya/article/20292237