The fifth performance of Richard Wagner ’ s tetralogy “ The Ring of the Nibelung ” – from 21 to 27 May – again passed with the usual and well - known excitement and great emotions inside and outside of the hall of the Sofia Opera and Ballet . Audience from 13 countries , among which visitors from Germany , Austria , Switzerland , Spain , Georgia , the USA , China and Japan , together with the Bulgarian audience followed with endless applauses each one of the four festival evenings . The innovatory staging , the guest - conductor Manfred Mayrhofer , the magnificent soloists and the chorus attracted the admirations of connoisseurs and lovers of Wagner’s work . To see the fifth edition of “ The Ring ” had come people who were experiencing the music of the German composer for the first time , as well as connoisseurs who were watching the tetralogy for a second, third and even a fourth time . This is what they said about what they saw during the performance of “Twilight of the Gods” .

Dmitry Semenovsky, Russia: I would like to note that the whole “Ring” sounds very much German. We don’t have the feeling that the performers who are singing are alien to Germany and this is especially pleasant. Another point is that, expectedly with Wagner, everything is very emotional, very powerful. The production is very good. I like the way the story was told as a sort of fairytale. I am coming to see an epic opera, something fabulous and not politics. I like the scenography very much – it is minimalistic, with very little sets. The multimedia was very impressive, it falls exactly where it should.

Prof. Hans-Peter Lehmann, Germany: In this wonderful opera house orchestra and stage are in a very good combination. The singers do sing in a good German language and the production is wonderful – that I have seen three times. It is really such wonderful, artistic – a wonderful production. I think it is first class here, no difference between what I saw in other places. And the actors, the singers in all their behaviour I love them very much. The quality is the same, but it’s such a quality that stays and interests people all the time. And therefore thank you and congratulations!

Vestimir Krastev, Bulgaria: I began to watch opera recently and I am very impressed by what I have seen. I like the story, the singers, the scenery – everything is wonderful and I’m frankly amazed! I would watch it again.

Yoana Vasilchina, Bulgaria: I’m infinitely impressed by Wagner. His first opera, which I’ve seen and which carried me away was the Sofia Opera’s production of “Tristan and Isolde”. In the tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung”, I personally liked the music. I liked very much also the scenery and most of all the horses-cones. Very high-minded and very impressive is all that. I think that the magic of opera must be seen with the eyes and felt with the heart.

Klaus Billand, Germany: Basically the production is the same, I am watching it here for the fourth time. However, some of the singers have become more mature and this is much better, some of the singers have become more confident with the text and with the vocal performance and this is the difference here which I like a lot. There’s so much fantasy in the multimedia that you can change it all the time and yet it is very interesting and I find it very, very much matching the subject.

Mikiko, Japan: In your production of “Der Ring” the voices are really impressive, very nice is also the artistic performance of the tetralogy. I am glad I have the opportunity to watch it here, in Sofia.

Teo Yorgov, Bulgaria: The story line is presented in such a way, that children and adults from 10 to 99 years could be touched by it, understand it and it still to be interesting to them and leave them with good impressions. Everything is on such a high level, it’s so well done, that it just gets stamped into the memory, it melts together and contributes to the terrific overall experience.

Malcolm Allen, UK: I think it’s really creative, imaginative production. I have seen before “The Ring” about three times and I think the balance of everything works very well here. The orchestra plays really very well, the singing is fantastic on the whole. I like the production; I like the sets and so on.

Ani Panayotova, Bulgaria: I’m not a music specialist, but from what I’ve heard I could say that the performers are terrific, they have wonderful voices. The production’s vison impressed me and it is a reason for me to wish to see it again.

Sandra Martin, UK: It’s a very impressive production. I think one has to say your singers and your orchestra are remarkably good. All credit to you for using totally Bulgarian cast. I think that’s absolutely wonderful that Bulgaria can produce so many great singers.

Viktoria Rolanska, Bulgaria: I’m watching “The Ring of the Nibelung” for the first time and I’m really impressed by the acting of the performers and by the scenography as a whole. It’s terrific that around us there are many foreigners, who have seen the tetralogy on different stages all over Europe and with who one can exchange impressions about the qualities of our production.

Atanas Krastev, Bulgaria: Terrific! According to me, the stage of the Sofia Opera is small for this “Ring”. Perhaps it should be performed on a two times bigger stage. The event is enormous and it’s very impressive as a whole. I don’t think that I could outline any of its components – the music, the performance, the scenery – everything is in harmony. That is why according to me this stage is small for what happens on it.

Teodora Zafirova, Bulgaria: This production I something phenomenal and it’s as were it opens the human soul to the Universe and to the messages, which Wagner wanted to tell us. But that’s something which is hard to describe with words. Everyone has to see the operas of this composer and touch upon his works.

Davit Kintsurashvili, Georgia: I am in Sofia for the first time and I’m very glad to be here. Honestly, I didn’t expect such a high level, the tetralogy is very complex and I’m very happy that I saw it with my eyes, that the Sofia Opera is able to present it so wonderfully. All performers, without exception Bulgarians, are just wonderful as pronunciation in German and as sensibility. I’m thankful to them and most of all to the director Plamen Kartaloff, who created such an amazing spectacle, with so much emotion! And I hope that we shall cooperate in future, after having signed a Memorandum of understanding between the Sofia Opera and Ballet and the Georgian State Opera in Tbilisi. We have great joint plans for the future.

William Lewis, USA: The orchestra sounds wonderful. Maestro Mayrhofer has done a very good job. Еverything works in this production because it’s a wonderful concept that Kartaloff has. He has so much movement on the stage, so much passion which fits the music that is being exuding from the pit, and it really exudes. The chorus is excellent. Everybody is fine, everything is fine. It’s the overall concept that makes this fantastic “Ring”.

Petter E. Skrikerud, Norway: With my wife we watched “The Ring“ for a third time here and we think it’s very good. It’s improving each time. I think there are some details about how you handle things on the stage. And I think it’s very fantastic how with simple, but still intelligent means you produce the effects with the light. And the most important thing for us is the music and the singers and that is fantastic. And we are very impressed that you can do this with only Bulgarian singers. Amazing!

Eva Skrikerud, Sweden/Norway: We think it’s very, very nice. It seems to me now it’s even more beautiful. They have changed the scenery a little bit. I have watched “The Ring” about ten times at different places. I think that your performance is very nice. We liked the singing, and the orchestra now was playing better. They have improved.

Edith Blume, Switzerland: I saw “The Ring” in Bayreuth, I saw it in Dessau… Yours is very good. The staging is very effective, very impressive. And the singers you should have sent to Bayreuth. Siegfried is awfully good and also Brünnhilde and the others. Good singers.

Zdenka Arnd, Croatia/Switzerland: I have seen “The Ring” already 7 or 8 times and for me it’s something very new, that the stage is supporting the music in another way than until now. It’s like everything is complete, everything is going ahead together – the old story is with new meaning, which is wonderful. I’m wondering that something like that I could find in Sofia, and not in Bayreuth or Vienna or Zürich or in other theatres. You did it in Füssen, in Germany and the critique was very good. And especially with these horses... Wonderful! Please, don’t let it fall asleep! Go and go and go and visit other theatres, if possible as much as possible. Because it’s really different.

Helga Ditz, Switzerland: I liked very much “Twilight of the Gods”. I was very impressed by the scenery and also by the singers. I’ve heard it with many famous singers. It was very impressive; I felt it’s difficult for the Bulgarian people to sing in German.  I’ve seen very impressive productions before, but I found this one very interesting from artistic point of view. Namely the sense, which lies very deeply and which actually is very topical and concerns us somehow also today – it was revealed very well today and I find that’s magnificent.

Vladimir Khachadoryan, France: I’m watching Wagner for the first time. The thing that I really appreciate is the gradual rise in power in this opera. It starts calmly, it’s amusing. The beginning is quite light and we are as transported by the beauty of the spectacle.

Mariana Amova, Bulgaria/France: It’s wonderful. We liked it very much. The scenography is very original. The music and the production as a whole here is really a total art, such was actually Wagner’s idea. I’m watching the “Ring of the Nibelung” for the first time. I live in France, but each time when I come back to Bulgaria, I visit performances at the Sofia Opera.

Nina Mitskanova, Bulgaria: I am glad that Wagner was staged in Bulgaria at last and people can listen to him. And I’m happy that there are people, who are coming here with great pleasure. There is a certain ethereality, and a certain fabulousness in this story – I’m feeling it that way. A beginning, which in spite of all troubles, through which one passes, ends in a life-asserting manner.

Prof. Ulrich Heider, Germany: I saw two of the pieces some years ago, but as total I saw it first time this week. It’s very lively production. It’s well that everything in it is integrated, how everything belongs together. Even the voices, so many good voices all at once for one opera house! It’s astonishing.

Monika Heider, Germany: I love Wagner since I was 16. I saw 3 productions of “The Ring”, completely different from each other – one in Hamburg, one in Frankfurt, but this one is enormous with its colours and voices. That is astonishing.

Lyudmila Savova, Bulgaria: Since 2013, I’m watching for the third time the Bulgarian “Ring”. I intend to continue visiting it. I even have an appetite for Bayreuth and for other beautiful places and I hope very much to visit them. This is a superb production. There is spirit in it. The heart opens and the mind somehow unites with it. This is a likening to God, some kind of extraordinary harmony with the world. My spirit calms down and I become very good. I didn’t expect it.

Dr. Nina Belova, Bulgaria: For the first time I’m watching “Twilight of the Gods” and the whole “Ring”. I have heard it in different performances, but not in a live production. The production of the Sofia Opera is very interesting, the voices are wonderful and the atmosphere is very nice.

Prof. Miglena Nikolchina, Bulgaria: For a second year with my family we are watching the “Ring of the Nibelung”. It is with great pleasure that we often go to the opera, but we are visiting it now as well specially for Wagner.

Prof. Svetla Maneva, Bulgaria: The mere fact I am watching the Bulgarian “Ring” for the fourth time speaks in itself. The Sofia Opera has given us a pleasure that cannot be compared with anything else. Wagner gives you lots of music!