"There are 2 types of people who adore Wagner and who cannot stand him. Simply because Wagner requires effort to enter into this world of his. This is "The Lord of the Ring" in operatic language. If one is prepared, if one gets into the music, into the language, because if one doesn't know it, it's hard to understand it," opera singer Tsvetana Bandalovska told in "Bulgaria Sutrin".
Audiences today are much more prepared for opera than in the last century.
"In the 21st century, it doesn't take that much effort. We have such media, we have movies, cinema, people are prepared for this dynamic music. If we take the singing out of Wagner's operas, we will have a gorgeous film music. Modern audiences are much more prepared than they were at the turn of the last century. No one has left indifferent, that is the biggest success," added opera singer Mariana Zvetkova for Bulgaria ON AIR.
Tsvetkova's character was not originally included in Wagner's story.
"My character Ortrud is fictional addition. She was not part of the Lohengrin myth. She is a true modern representative of Wall Street – she wants to succeed at the cost of everything, anti politics, anti government, anti dictatorship, it's a different type of character," the opera singer said.
The character that Bandalovska embodies, Elsa, is a person of faith.
"Elsa's faith is in this higher being that she invokes through her inner strength, that comes from the Grail world, an angel to stand behind her, to protect her, and that's quite relevant – when one has no faith, one is lost. The story doesn't end with Ortrud's victory," she added.