“Elektra” by Richard Strauss – for the first time in Bulgaria. With the premiere production the Sofia Opera will join the most prestigious opera theatres in the world, which have in their repertoire Strauss’ modernistic work. The first meeting with the audience is on 26 November.

111 years after its first performance at the Royal Opera House in Dresden, “Elektra” steps on the Bulgarian Opera stage too. All solo roles are entrusted to Bulgarian singers. About them the guest-conductor Evan-Alexis Christ says that they are at a very high level, and the musicians with wonderful virtuosity in the difficult score.

Lilia Kehayova: This is one very difficult role. One so called vocal marathon – vocal and theatrical. The opera lasts ca. 1 h and 50 minutes – and in these 1.5 hours Elektra is on the stage, from which she is singing 1.4 hours, at that quite difficult things.

Yordanka Milkova: It really requires a lot of time, in order everything to be in harmony with the orchestra and in the same time, of course, the character to be presented in a way to convince the audience.

The stage director Plamen Kartaloff puts the characters in new dimensions. “Elektra” comes with a multilayer story for revenge and hatred. And stealing up love with the bright character of Chrysothemis.

Radostina Nikolaeva: How could we live without love? Love is everything in life.

The first Bulgarian premiere of “Elektra” is on 26 November at the Sofia Opera.