The production of “Die Walküre”: the second part of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” tetralogy by Richard Wagner, opens the season at the “Giuseppe Verdi” theater in Salerno, Italy. This is the first time the audience will be able to enjoy one of Wagner’s operas in this theater bearing Verdi’s name. Tickets for both performances are sold out.

“Verdi and Wagner together, finally”, Plamen Kartaloff shared excitedly. His inspired directorship of Richard Wagner’s operas has attracted long-lasting attention for more than fifteen years, drawing in both Bulgarian and international Wagner experts and fans of the German meister’s work to the Sofia Opera.

As per tradition, an audience was present during the dress rehearsal of “Die Walküre” as well as local students and pupils. On the 10^th of April, the viewers’ wild applause marked the first entire performance of one of Wagner’s operas in Salerno.

Daniel Oren is the artistic director of the “Verdi” theater in Salerno; he has visited the Sofia Opera on two occasions; the first time, he opened the current opera season with a performance of “Turandot” by Giacomo Puccini then conducted “Requiem” by Giuseppe Verdi in November, the same year. He’s expected to close the Sofia Opera’s summer festival “Opera at the Square” on the 8^th of August, in front of the Saint Alexander Nevsky Cathedral with a grand performance of Ludwig Van Beethoven’s ninth symphony starring lead singers Jessica Pratt, Violeta Radomirska, Gregory Kunde and Alexandar Vinogradov.

We wish our artists good luck with the performances of “Die Walküre” on the 11^th and 13^th of April. Special thanks go out to BNT journalist Irina Tsoneva and operator Ivan Mushkarov for covering the event.

Starring:

Wotan
Olafur Sigurdarson

Frika
Mariana Tsvetkova

Siegmund
Martin Iliev

Hunding
Bjarni Thor Christinson

Brunhilde
Gergana Rusekova

Sieglinde
Tsvetana Bandalovska

Helmwige
Stanislava Momekova

Ortlinde
Silvia Teneva

Gerhilde
Lyubov Metodieva

Waltraute
Ina Petrova

Siegrune
Elena Mehandzhiyska

Rossweise
Tsveta Sarambelieva

Grimgerde
Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva

Schwertleite
Vesela Yaneva

Also starring: Bogomil Menkize, Dario Yovchevski, Deyan Ivanov, Ivan Georgiev, Ivan Shopov, Matthew Whittle, Radul Roglev, Teodor Vodenicharov

The Sofia Opera orchestra

Conductor
Evan-Alexis Christ

Director
Plamen Kartaloff

Scenographer
Hans Kudlich

Costumes
Hristiyana Mihaleva-Zorbalieva

Artistic lighting
Andrei Heidinyak

Multimedia
Elena Shopova

Constructive development
Engineer Georgi Georgiev

Assistant-director
Yuliya Krasteva

Choreographer
Riolina Topalova

Production head
Kristiyan Stoyanov

Design and sculpting
Boryan Belchev

Assistant-directors
Vera Beleva
Teodor Georgiev
Stefka Georgieva

Cotutor
Yolanta Smolyanova