It was a real present for the friends of the opera to have the chance to applause the marvellous mezzo-soprano Nadia Krasteva. And, second, the management of Sofia Opera since some time already succeeds to wake and keep awake the interest of its audience to entirely new or totally forgotten works from the opera repertoire. This was the case with Wagner’s tetralogy “Der Ring des Nibelungen”, which was performed as a whole for the first time on the Balkans and provoked a sensation with international response. Now such is the case with the opera by Camille Saint-Saëns, a work, which was not presented in the last 80 years in Sofia. (Before there were two performances in 1923 and in1932, as well as one in 1968 at the Opera in Ruse).

Except for shining in the main part of Dalila, Nadia Krasteva played a decisive role for the choice of this work. She expressed her desire to sing exactly this role on her native stage. For her it is a „divine music”. She admits also that her debut in the role of Dalila in the USA was exceptionally successful and that she had wonderful memories of this enthusiastic reception. The Bulgarian audience already knows her fiery Carmen. It is understandable this success to be followed by another passionate character – by Dalila. At that Nadia Krasteva possesses a strong, in all respects well-sounding voice, dark coloured timbre, impressive look, as well as acting skill, therefore everything, which is necessary for the representation of this character. From stage and musical point of view Dalila absolutely suits Nadia Krasteva and this will surely be her next famous role.

The director Hugo de Ana, well-known with his specific director’s solutions and complex work, puts high requirements to the soloist Nadia Krasteva, as well as to the entire ensemble. They have to represent a homogeneous part of the total appearance, by taking part in the ballet scenes too. As it was expected, Hugo de Ana again placed an emphasis on a set design, based on light effects. Characteristic for his choice of the costumes is the collision between the ascetic clothes of the Hebrews and the kitsch garments of the Philistines, which in the last act turn the temple into a real cabaret.

As a whole we can speak of a triumphal evening for Nadia Krasteva, as well as of enthusiastic audience, very long applauses for the soloists, the chorus, the ballet and the conductor after the final drop of the stage curtain.   

Irena Gadeleva (Bulgarian National Radio), Boryana Yosifova (correspondent of the Bulgarian National Radio in Vienna), 2015