"Gianni Schicchi"
will be performed on 25 and 26 March, at 19 h at The Sofia Opera and Ballet.
The One-act opera was written by Giacomo Puccini. The libretto is by Giovacchino Forzano. The first production was in New York on 14 December 1918, in one evening with Puccini’s both one-act operas "Il tabarro" and "Suor Angelica"), forming a triptych.
In the base of the plot are lines from Canto XXX from "Inferno" (Dante’s "Divine Comedy"), dedicated to the adventurer and cheater Gianni Schicchi, punished for his sins. He plaid a role before a dying rich man and drafted a false will on his behalf. The action takes place in Florence in 1299. The rich old man Buoso Donati dies, leaving by will all his fortune to the monastery. Having their expectations dashed, the heirs decide to call for help the cheater Gianni Schicchi, who himself was interested by blood in the heritage – his daughter Lauretta was fiancée of Rinuccio, nephew of the deceased Buoso.
As nobody in town still knew about the old man’s death, Gianni lied in the bed, presenting himself for the ill rich man, and ordered to call a notary public. The pretended Donati dictated to him his last will, leaving all his property to… Gianni Schicchi, i.e. to himself. The heirs were cheated again, but they were forced to keep silent, the exposure of their participation in the falsification of the will would threaten them with a harsh punishment.
"Gianni Schicchi" is a dark comedy, the only opera by Puccini of this type, an excellent example of a contemporary opera buffa, based on the traditions of Verdi’s "Falstaff". The expressive recitative, the flowing like spring melodicism, the sharp typicality, the vehement tempo distinct the music of this opera.
One interesting fact – the film director Woody Allen made in 2008 his debut as opera director with the dark comedy "Gianni Schicchi". For his production he got the Puccini Award, which was boycotted by the citizens of Florence. Jealous of this success of Allen, they exclaimed in different Internet sites: "Is there no Italian whom to give the award, but it was given to an American!"
25.03.2015 19:00
"GIANNI SCHICCHI" –
Participants:
Biser Georgiev, Ramona Tullumani, Tsveta Sarambelieva, Daniel Ostretsov, Krasimir Dinev, Elena Stoyanova, Antonia Ivanova, Angel Hristov, Svetozar Rangelov, Veselin Mihaylov, Blagovesta Tsvetkova-Mekki, Ilia Iliev, Aleksandar Georgiev, Kiril Stoyanov, Miroslav Andreev
Guest-performer will be the soloist of the Albanian National Opera: Ramona Tullumani.
On 25 March Ramona Tullumani will sing the role of Lauretta in the opera "Gianni Schicchi” by Puccini.
In 2008 Tullumani was selected by Raina Kabaivanska to take part in the Eighth International Master Class at the New Bulgarian University, together with other young performers from five countries.
Tullumani is one of the leading sopranos of the Tirana Opera. She takes part every year in the programme of the Ohrid Summer, at the Ancient Theatre of Ohrid.
The singer is known among the intellectuals in Albania as a friend of the Bulgarian culture. At the Festive forum in Tirana, dedicated to our Day of the National Revival Leaders, organized by our Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tullumani gave a concert with opera classic.
Ramona has Bulgarian roots. Her great-grandfather Georgi Lilov was a construction engineer and was helping to architect Lazar Parashkevov by the construction of the Sofia Opera.
In 1963, Nikoleta Lilova, daughter of Georgi Lilov, Ramona’s grandmother, married the Albanian Ramiz Kovaçi. At that time, Mr. Kovach was studying opera singing by Prof. Hristo Brambarov. After his graduation, he departed with his wife to Tirana, Albania.
Ramiz Kovaçi is the best known baritone in Albania. He was awarded the title National artist. He is bearer of many awards.
Ramona Tullumani was born in the family of artists, which means, like she declares, that her fate was predestined to be connected with art. Since the age of 6, she was dealing with piano, but later her interests were connected with opera singing. "My first idol was my grandfather, Ramiz Kovaçi, and after that my father, Edmond Tullumani, who learnt me how to work. For me there are two important moments, when I step on the stage. The first one is in the beginning. Then the excitement is exceptionally great. Out of the excitement comes also the desire to show out at any cost. That way imperceptibly I enter into the role. The other important moment is the end, when I’m clashing with the reaction of the audience, of the community. The applauses mean that I have managed very well. I like the role of Violetta from "La traviata". I am singing with joy in "Lucia di Lammermoor", in "La bohème", "L’elisir d’amore" and others. I am a lyric singer and for me the Italian repertoire is above all things!"
Conductor VELIZAR GENCHEV
"THE CONCERT" – ballet
“The Concert” is a comedy ballet with choreography inspired by the style of vaudeville. The etiquette allows you to laugh heartily, while you are watching it, shared about it the choreographer Kipling Houston, producer of the work.
This is maybe the most popular ballet in the spectacle “Great American Choreographers”, produced at the Sofia Opera. It has been played almost without interruption since the 50-ies of the ХХ century, when it was written. It is called “somnambulic” and “masterpiece of art of comic ballet”. Full with absurd twists, it begins as classical Chopin concert, but at the end the dancers turn into butterflies.
Kipling Houston admits that when he was working in 2013 at Sofia Opera and Ballet, he knew the names of everybody, even those of door-keepers. “I learned that from Balanchine – shared Houston. He turned by name to everyone from the ballet, even to people he had seen only once. He knew, that this was the way everybody to feel a part of great theatre, great success and great dream.”
“In our company there are exceptional ballerinas and ballet dancers, pointed out Sara-Nora Krysteva, Ballet Director at Sofia Opera and Ballet. This year we shall work again for a fourth time with “American Ballet for Bulgaria”. I am exceptionally proud, but also moved, that the organizers place their confidence in the ballet company of the Sofia Opera and Ballet”.
Participants:
Marta Petkova, Tsetso Ivanov, Kiril Ivanov, Lyudmila Ilieva, Vihra Madzharova
Conductor BORIS SPASOV
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26.03.2015 19:00
Participants:
Biser Georgiev, Силвия Тенева, Tsveta Sarambelieva, Daniel Ostretsov, Krasimir Dinev, Elena Stoyanova, Antonia Ivanova, Angel Hristov, Svetozar Rangelov, Veselin Mihaylov, Blagovesta Tsvetkova-Mekki, Ilia Iliev, Aleksandar Georgiev, Kiril Stoyanov, Miroslav Andreev
Conductor VELIZAR GENCHEV
"THE CONCERT” – ballet
Participants:
Marta Petkova, Tsetso Ivanov, Kiril Ivanov, Lyudmila Ilieva, Vihra Madzharova
Conductor BORIS SPASOV