Dear friends!

On 1 October – World Music Day, and the day on which the Sofia Opera will present “Die Walküre” at the Festival Theatre in Füssen, Germany – we invite you to share the beginning of the television broadcast on Bulgarian National Television of Richard Wagner's spectacular tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen”.

The recording was made during the premiere spectacles in July, when the impressive Wagner Festival of the Sofia Opera took place.  

The new production of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” is director Plamen Kartaloff's latest masterpiece. The “Ring” meets the director's stunning fantasy for the second time and becomes yet another of his masterful interpretations of the German composer's work.

Sofia Opera's new production was highly praised in the international press and among the audience were guests from Europe, the USA and Australia. The soloist cast includes the greatest stars of the Sofia Opera – Martin Iliev, Tsvetana Bandalovska, Radostina Nikolaeva, Kostadin Andreev, Mariana Zvetkova, Nikolay Petrov, Gergana Rusekova, Petar Buchkov, Daniel Ostretsov, Krasimir Dinev, as well as guests Iordanka Derilova, Thomas Hall and Krisztián Cser. The scenography is by Hans Kudlich, the artistic lighting by Andrej Hajdinjak, the costumes by Hristiana Mihaleva-Zorbalieva.

The conductor on the four nights of the premiere spectacles was Constantin Trinks, a fantastic conductor whose musicianship and understanding of Wagner's music captivated the entire hall.

The recording of “Der Ring des Nibelungen” was a huge challenge for the BNT team. It was the first time in the history of television that such a large-scale work was filmed, which lasted about 16 hours. The best solution was sought and found for the placement of the cameras, so as not to interfere during the action on the stage and also the audience. The TV team did a rehearsal with cameras during the general rehearsals and had the privilege to receive the invaluable support of Acad. Kartaloff in order to record the production most faithfully and in synchronicity with the director's concept. The directors of the largest opera work ever filmed were Acad. Plamen Kartaloff and Milen Ivanov, director of photography is Katya Grueva, responsible cameraman is Georgi Iliev, editor – Bronislava Ignatova. The entire tetralogy will be broadcast with subtitles in Bulgarian.

On 1 October, at 13.30 h, the first part of “Das Rheingold” will be broadcast on BNT 1. Until 17 December, all opera lovers will have the opportunity to watch “Der Ring des Nibelungen” every Sunday in the new version of the Sofia Opera.

Let's share these magical spectacles together and enjoy the wonderful music of Richard Wagner!