These words by Academician Plamen Kartaloff refer to the performance of the whole tetralogy by Richard Wagner “Der Ring des Nibelungen”. Its second presentation begins with “Das Rheingold” on 23 July, at 18 h, at Sofia Opera and Ballet.   

On 24 July, at 18 h is the performance of “Die Walküre”. The fifteen-hour music marathon continues with “Siegfried” on 26 July, at 16 h.

The final with “Götterdämmerung” is on 29 July, at 18 h.
“During the four years of the realization for the first time in our country of the celebrated 15-hour cycle we have worked together with 52 artists, over 200 people creative and performance staff and as many technical services, ateliers and so on.

That way each one of us gives his or her personal contribution to the world celebration of the 200th Anniversary of the German composer and thinker of genius Richard Wagner”, commented the Director of Sofia Opera and Ballet Plamen Kartaloff, initiator and director of the project.

In the tetralogy all soloist are Bulgarians – mainly of Sofia Opera, and also Bulgarian artists making their career in Germany.

About “Der Ring des Nibelungen” there are two or three casts for the leading roles. Even in Wagner’s motherland there is no company of artists, which could produce the famous tetralogy only with its own soloists.
Among the artists are Martin Tsonev, Nikolay Petrov, Kostadin Andreev, Biser Georgiev, Angel Hristov, Petar Buchkov, Martin Iliev, Daniel Ostretsov, Krasimir Dinev, Iordanka Derilova, Bayasgalan Dashnyam, Tsvetana Bandalovska, Mariana Zvetkova, Blagovesta Mekki-Tsvetkova and others.

Conductor of the cycle is Erich Wächter. Set and costume designer is Nikolay Panayotov.

“For four years we have walked a long rocky way without reaching the end – like pilgrims who are covering separate segments of the long way”, said Richard Trimborn, an illustrious Wagner expert, who has worked with the most famous world conductors and who trained the Bulgarian artists for the roles in the tetralogy.

The Bulgarian and foreign critique gave high estimation of the production of “Der Ring des Nibelungen”.
Andrea Merli wrote still in 2010 in the Opera magazine, that with the production of Wagner’s tetralogy Plamen Kartaloff made and historical debut on the stage of Sofia Opera at that in authentic German language.

In his notices Dietmar Palacek admitted that he has watched “Der Ring des Nibelungen” all over the world, but what Plamen Kartaloff did on Sofia stage was something unimaginable, something, for which is not sufficient also the highest estimation.

On her side, Professor Boyanka Arnaudova pointed out in the Culture weekly, that Kartaloff’s production of the tetralogy resembles a book, which doesn’t have an end. “Once opened, it cannot be left”, asserted the music critic.
The success of the director Plamen Kartaloff was acknowledged also by the Wagner Society, one of most active music communities in the world and it is a doubtless recognition of the possibilities and the potential of the Bulgarian operatic art.

On 23 July, with the start of “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, are expected many guests from abroad. The admirers of the great German composer and philosopher are travelling to all opera theatres in the world, where the well-known work of art is being produced. And these theatres are very few and most of them prefer to make concert performances of the tetralogy. For them Sofia Opera and Ballet is the new Bayreuth and they arrive with the impatience to see something new and interesting. Thomas Krakow, President of the International Association of the Wagner Societies, thanked 2 days ago to Academician Plamen Kartaloff for his magical production. In his letter he pointed out that on his behalf and on the behalf of 137 Wagner Societies all over the world he is expecting the most impressive work of art in the history of opera to stay permanently in the repertoire of Sofia Opera and Ballet.

“Das Rheingold”      – 23.07 – 18 h

“Die Walküre”       – 24.07 – 18 h

“Siegfried”            – 26.07 – 16 h

“Götterdämmerung” – 29.07 – 18 h