"Where St. John of Rila is,is the heart of Bulgaria. In the month of May St. John of Rila will be at the Sofia Opera", said at the press conference Prof. Dr. Pavel Pavlov.
On the eve of several holy dates in Bulgarian history, the world premiere of the musical poem "The Hermit of Rila", based on the lyrics by Tihomir Pavlov and music by Stavrophorian steward Kiril Popov, will take place on the stage of the Sofia Opera and Ballet.
The performances are scheduled for 10 and 23 May and are dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the restoration of the Bulgarian Patriarchate.
On 10 May 1953, after the Third Ecclesiastical-People's Council, Metropolitan Kiril of Plovdiv was elected Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, who, although indirectly, succeeded Patriarch of Tarnovo St. Evtimiy, the last Bulgarian Patriarch until the beginning of the Turkish rule. Thus, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church was officially proclaimed Patriarchate.
Vera Petrova – Deputy Director for Artistic Matters
"I think that all of us as Bulgarians need to find our light, to return to our spirituality and not to forget the brightest personalities, legends and saints."
Stavrophorian steward Kiril Popov – composer
"I must say that the whole spectacle is actually a prayer. During the service we glorify God through prayers, readings, chants. And so here through these texts, through the music, and all of us as one big family in the hall are inspired by what Reverend John experienced here on earth and that now, he is a prayer intercessor before God for all of us.
Allow me to mention the huge role of Academician Plamen Kartaloff in making all this happen. As soon as I shared with him the discovery of this small booklet, he immediately said without hesitation that he wanted to stage it. "He told me 'Write.' And that's what happened last year. Especially during the summer and fall season my humility got this inspiration with this music. I took the liberty of using some church chants that I had written earlier. They are thematically included in the poem. I want to make special note to thank him from the bottom of my heart. I am inspired by his ideas and may it all be an inspiration to us all. I would like to mention the great merit of the Bulgarian composer and conductor Georgi Strezov, who made the orchestration in a brilliant way. In our work together I was very impressed that he was able to get into character very quickly, to feel this music and distribute it among the full orchestra. The orchestra has a huge impact and role in this musical poem. Huge and responsible is the role of the performers themselves – the Hermit of Rila, St. King Petar, and the choirs. In the Orthodox Church we definitely have a cappella performance during worship. But when we're outside the temple, as in this case, and even at that time, Tihomir Pavlov has judged so that this poem could be set to music and have the support of these choirs from an orchestra. This is not something new. My humility I am not making some revolution that religious texts will sound on stage. There is a Mass Domestique by Grechaninov that the great bass Boris Christoff recorded with maestro Georgi Robev and the choral chapel. There are more examples like this in our modern times.
My humility suggested to Maestro Kartaloff that Metropolitan Kiprian should be the conductor. He is not only a zealous contemporary Bulgarian archpriest, Metropolitan of Stara Zagora, but he has a musical education, and has a relation and practice to church music.
Let us know that we are all one big family, not just the clergy. The Church is a divine-human organism. Clergy and laity have the same rights. The only difference is that we clergy minister with God's help and pray to have a worthy ministry.
The event is dedicated to the restoration of the Bulgarian Patriarchate. The clergy also took part. This is also the author's wish. In the thirties of the twentieth century the school and the church were one. The Synod took a view of the poem and blessed it then and now. And here we are today fulfilling the wish of our forefathers by putting this musical poem on the stage of the opera. May God grant that it may be a success, that we may all be inspired, that with pure hearts we may glorify God, that we may glorify Reverend John of Rila, the Wonderworker, and that we may say blessed words.
Metropolitan Kiprian of Stara Zagora – conductor
"When I was offered to conduct "The Hermit of Rila" I accepted immediately because the music was by Father Kiril Popov. When I opened the score, I was surprised to see a symbiosis between the two – the Eastern and choral singing, the intertwining voices of children and soloists, a wonderful choir that was very quickly made a church one, soloists who had to accept in their minds that they were singing church music, and this music brings holiness, brings hope, brings peace. When one leaves the hall with peace it means that we have all achieved what we are called to do.
Thank you all for your great diligence.
Prof. Dr. Pavel Pavlov – consultant
"This is a spectacle about the all-Bulgarian patron and protector, the model of Bulgarian holiness St. John of Rila. There is hardly any other personality in our thousand-year history who to such a great extent brings together all the best traits, all the virtues and values of the Bulgarian... The poem is by an author, Tihomir Pavlov, from the generation that carried post-liberation Bulgaria on its back. These are the children born in post-liberation Bulgaria, they should build the foundations of the new Bulgarian literature, of the intellectual life in our country..."
Irinei Konstantinov – The Hermit of Rila
"There are no accidental things. They were making a film about my uncle Archimandrite Dr. Irenei and there were pictures in the Church of Sveta Nedelya. Then Father Kiril told me about the story that was coming. That's how my ordeal began. When I read the lyrics, I thought I was taking on something very serious. But my ancestral memory, all my ancestors, obliged my soul to join in the work. I stumbled upon a place I take inspiration from, I met colleagues who amazed me with the richness of their voices, their professionalism, their precision of expression. What will happen? Make happen what we are working for. It has this charge, it has this emotion, it has this message."
Atanas Mladenov – the Hermit of Rila as a young man
"The inspiration and humility and uplifting chords that run through the whole piece, the meaning-filled words we utter as our own. This is something different from what we do as opera artists. The challenge is great. It's very beautiful. I hope the profound message to come through us and reach the audience."
Veselin Mihaylov – brother of the Hermit of Rila
"I wondered whether he had really reacted so consciously or whether he had followed certain societal foundations that urge us to follow our physical needs but not to touch our essence. I answered these questions and realized that everyone has a temple, however small, deep within us. If we open these gates we will be very, very happy, satisfied, mostly humbled but not helpless. We have to work hard for our spirituality and physical development because our bodies are our temples and the spirit in these temples is our soul."
"My children, be obedient in the Lord,
humbly ask your Heavenly Father
salvation and mercy to all."
St. John of Rila
