Photo: The Sofia National Opera created a real feast at the Königswinkel Festival, Photo: Rositsa Kavaldzhieva
Author: Rositsa Kavaldzhieva
On the International Music Day, the company of the Sofia National Opera created a real musical feast at the Königswinkel Festival.
This is the name of the area around the old Bavarian town of Füssen, which covers the municipalities of Pfronten and Schwangau. They are home to several palaces restored or built by the Wittelsbach dynasty, the most famous of which is the fabulous Neuschwanstein Castle. Set amidst many beautiful natural scenes – imposing alpine hills and deep mountain lakes, they attract a huge number of tourists captivated by the romantic fate of the 'fairy king' or 'mad king' Ludwig II – the powerful patron of the genius German composer Richard Wagner.
Ludwig II failed to see his dream opera house built, but in 1999 the Festspielhaus Neuschwanstein was built on the shores of Lake Forgensee, directly opposite the fairytale castle, according to the original designs, in an updated form. Every year a musical is presented there, which tells the exciting and tragic fate of the ruler.
In 2015, the company of the Sofia National Opera performed Wagner operas in this theatre for the first time. It presented to German audiences and Wagnerians from all over the world the first Bulgarian production by acad. Kartaloff of the whole tetralogy "Der Ring des Nibelungen". The success was so great that the town hall of Füssen set itself the goal of creating a classical music festival. And lo and behold – this year, our National Opera Theatre is again guest with two performances of "Die Walküre", in a new production of the second opera from the tetralogy.
When you have already achieved success, the challenge is even greater because the audience has expectations, and in this audience there are great appreciators and connoisseurs who have followed dozens of Wagner productions. I am very happy to say that the Sofia Opera has met these expectations. I watched and listened to a world-class performance, and the 10-minute final applause, accompanied by foot-stomping and shouts of "Bravo!", and the happy faces of the people, proved to me that they shared my appreciation.
"It was so exciting! I haven't seen a "Die Walküre" this good in a long time! You know the productions around the world and especially in Germany. We are very lucky to have such a production here because we had the opportunity to really watch Wagner, not some ideas of some director who has ideas for everything but Wagner. Plamen Kartaloff knows the action, the libretto, the score, and he recreates them on stage, so I was able to listen to the music – excellent singers and orchestra! I was in Sofia in 2015 for the first production of the "Ring". The quality of the performance has grown so much since then," said Thomas Krakow – 14 years president of the Wagner Society in Leipzig, who specially came to greet the singer-artists and Maestro Plamen Kartaloff on stage.
The BNR microphone also preserved the first reaction of the stage director and Director of our National Opera Theatre Acad. Plamen Kartaloff after the performance.
RK: How do you feel, Maestro? Are you happy?
PlK: "After the excitement comes a moment of satisfaction. I am really very happy! The colleagues did their best and it is the audience that gives the final evaluation. Stamping our feet, shouting "Bravo!", coming back several times for applause – this is our work being appreciated and recognized!"
RK: What have been the biggest challenges this time around, coming back to this stage?
PlK: "Sofia Opera has a name. We had a strong start in 2015 and after the recognition Sofia Opera received with the whole "Der Ring des Nibelungen", the challenges are now to do something better, one step further. I created a new production, as we couldn't even think of touring the old one again. This gave me the reason to add to "Die Walküre" the other three operas – for Sofia and for touring outside the country.
RK: What is the next opera you see on stage in Füssen?
PlK: On this stage I see us showing the whole "Ring", because it was made for it, and I hope that will happen very soon!"
Listen to the whole conversation in the audio file.