1 OCTOBER – INTERNATIONAL MUSIC DAY

THE SOFIA OPERA ON 1 OCTOBER AT 16.00 h

OPENS FESTIVELY SEASON 2017/2018 
WITH WAGNER’S MASTERPIECE “PARSIFAL”

Dear friends of the Sofia Opera,

The premiere spectacles of Wagner’s majestic opera “Parsifal” in July 2017 attracted connoisseurs of the operatic art from all over the world. In front of the TV cameras and the reporter’s microphones, the spectators of all ages expressed moving and enthusiastic evaluations of the magical production and inspired music interpretation, of the brilliant performance of the orchestra and the chorus, and the achieved vocal tops of the soloists of the Sofia Opera and ballet.

Because of the great interest and the numerous inquiries from the country and abroad, the Sofia Opera opens the new season 2017/2018 with its newest production “Parsifal”.

The great desire of the entire team of the Sofia Opera and according to the words of the director Plamen Kartaloff Wagner’s masterpiece has to “awake the nap in the not tempted one, to prepare him for high pilotage, to be like a discoverer of new tastes and like one new Parsifal to be ready for a “healing journey of the human soul towards the world and towards itself”.




Wagner’s repertoire of our first opera theatre developed a new interest and a new taste, a new audience and the most valuable – a new generation of excellent artists – interpreters, soloists, members of the orchestra and of the chorus. It gave world popularity of the theatre and made commeasurable the sense of the profession and of the labour in the field of operatic art with the one of artists from the stages of the biggest and with centuries old traditions opera theatres, capitals, countries”.

“Parsifal” on the Sofia stage inspiredly evoked the spontaneous and eloquent estimations, given by eminent musical critics:

Klaus Billand (“Der Neue Merker“): “Wagner‘s sacred festival mystery “Parsifal” celebrated its considerable first performance in Bulgaria at the Sofia Opera and Ballet, which – as here one often reports – appeared during the last years with interesting and very successful Wagner productions. The tireless motor for this pioneer movement is Plamen Kartaloff, who also now with “Parsifal”, like before by the “Ring” and “Tristan und Isolde” leads the direction. With his set and costume designers (N. Panayotov, M. Tabachki and Sv. Jonke), as well as the extremely full of fantasy and taste costume designer (St. Vauda) and the light designer (A. Hajdinjak), he created an interpretation, which – by a high grade of abstraction – puts in the centre the spiritual mystery of this legend, as well as the philosophical messages of the characters and their longing for “final nirvana”.

The conductor Constantin Trinks managed with what the director had set as maxim for the synergy of music and action namely by this work by Wagner – the visualization of music.

The orchestra of the Sofia Opera and Ballet allowed itself to be heard from its best side, with fine sound production by the mostly solemn tempos, without falling into inappropriate pathos. The directed by Violeta Dimitrova chorus of the Sofia Opera was choreographed very well and sang powerfully at good transparency.

All singers made their debut in these roles and this already with such a considerable result: Kostadin Andreev showed one energetic Parsifal, the still very young Atanas Mladenov sang one lyrically emphasized Amfortas, Angel Hristov presented Gurnemanz with a great clarity of the words fast contemplative, Biser Georgiev gave one persistent Klingsor and the Sofia Isolde Radostina Nikolaeva sang one very pleasing Kundry… This is why were the unceasing applauses in the end.”

Thomas Meyer – Antroposoph, writer and publisher of the monthly magazines Der Europäer (The European) and The Present Age in Basel: “In the premiere spectacles of “Parsifal” at the Sofia Opera was prevailing a special sacred mood by the singers, as well as in the orchestra, and in the choruses. At that the direction was encouraging movements, which otherwise hardly could be seen in Wagner’s productions, where often are observed long lasting static poses. Especially in Act II for example it was delightfully by Kundry’s plastic. This way the spectator could follow lively and with unabating interest the music drama, supported also by the Bulgarian and English surtitles. Because Wagner’s music without text is like coffee without caffeine. As a whole: a big filled in with mood unity of singers and musicians, which was transferred over the entire audience. Everybody was listening with real Slavonic veneration and concentration. The applauses after the spectacles were long lasting and came from the hearts of the spectators”.

In the spectacle “Parsifal” on 1 October 2017 at 16:00 h will take part:

Kostadin Andreev – Parsifal
Radostina Nikolaeva – Kundry
Angel Hristov – Gurnemanz
Atanas Mladenov – Amfortas
Biser Georgiev – Klingsor
Petar Buchkov – Titurel
Two Knights – Daniel Ostretsov, Stefan Vladimirov

Conductor – Ira Levin
Director – Plamen Kartaloff
Set Design – Sven Jonke
Costumes – Stanka Vauda

Chorus Master – Violeta Dimitrova
Musical Training – Richard Trimborn
Soloists, orchestra, chorus and ballet of the Sofia Opera

The opera is performed in German with surtitles in Bulgarian and English.

WE ARE EXPECTING YOU,

Your Sofia Opera