Erich Wächter: Such team of starts is the best thing which has happened to me for 40 years in the profession

“In the country of chaos we are the country of madness…” So explained the Director of Sofia Opera and Ballet maestro Plamen Kartaloff at the press conference the audacity in the conditions of crisis to stage the opera “Samson et Dalila” with 11 guest-artists. Among them are the world-known director Hugo de Ana, the star of the Wiener Staatsoper Nadia Krasteva, the conductor Erich Wächter, the tenors Endrik Wottrich and Peter Svensson and a whole constellation of leading soloists of Sofia Opera and Ballet, among which Tsveta Sarambelieva, Daniela Dyakova, Kostadin Andreev, Biser Georgiev, Stanislav Trifonov, Svilen Nikolov and others.

 “To make opera is challenging and difficult, especially with such team of international stars whose participation would be honour for the greatest opera theatres, declared the director  Hugo de Ana, who is in Bulgaria with a part of his permanent team – the assistant-director Filippo Tonon and the choreographer Leda Loiodice. This is a new, different spectacle, prepared specially for Sofia. It is made with another means of expression, with special sensuality and spirit. The spectator is invited on his own to discover the spectacle, to become a party in the action. The opera isn’t a museum, where one could sit and observe. Opera is interaction, that is why our expectations are also to you” turned Hugo de Ana to the journalists by joking: “We are in the hands of the conductor”.

“I didn’t know Nadia Krasteva bofore, but I am obsessed by the talent of this singer, declared Erich Wächter. 40 years I am in this profession, but such a team of stars is the best thing, which has happened to me. 11 years Camille Saint-Saëns worked on the opera “Samson et Dalila”. He conceived it as an oratorio, and then, encouraged by Ferencz Liszt, he developed it in three acts. This is felt in Act I and III. An extraordinarily complex work of art, that is why in the most opera theatres, including in Germany, it isn’t produced often”, pointed out Erich Wächter.

“This opera wasn’t staged in Sofia since 1932, reminded Nadia Krasteva, by thanking for the opportunity to be in her fatherland and sing for the Bulgarian audience. This is an exceptionally melodic work of art, which has got into the hands of such great masters like Hugo de Ana and Erich Wächter and such wonderful team of true stars, declared Nadia Krasteva.

“These amazing, natural, genuine voices in East Europe are a real wonder, declared the tenor Endrik Wottrich. They sound complete, emotional, because fortunately they are not deformed by the opera engineering, which now prevails in the West. I feel the support of the entire team, the production carries sensuality, spirit, it creates the feeling of community. This is very important, because the opera is a common deed”, said Endrik Wottrich.

“Each month, since September, we present one new title, declared Plamen Kartaloff, Director of Sofia Opera and Ballet. In September it was “Don Carlo”, in October we presented the premiere of “Town Musicians of Bremen”, in November the ballet “Sleeping Beauty”, and now, in December “Samson et Dalila”. In January are upcoming two revivals of “Prince Igor” and “Turandot” in Japan, and in February is the next opera premiere of “Tristan und Isolde”. Most interesting is to work in the time of crisis, there is no money, but we won’t stop, declared at the press conference maestrо Plamen Kartaloff.