The Dutchman at the "Muses on the Water"
For the summer months, Plamen Kartaloff, the imaginative general director of the Sofia Opera and Ballet, is constantly thinking up new venues for open-air performances. Lake Pancharevo, close to Sofia, has developed into a small "Bulgarian Bregenz" in its third year. After starting with "Das Rheingold" in 2020 despite the pandemic, "La donna del lago" by G. Rossini followed in 2021 as part of the festival "Muses on the Water".
Daland with the Norwegians
Act I
So what could be more natural than to let Richard Wagner's "Flying Dutchman" drop anchor on the shores of Sofia, since there are beautiful young women here who can also sing very well! Plamen Kartaloff also directed the "Dutchman" and staged the seventh work of the Bayreuth canon in Sofia since 2010, which can now confidently be called the "Bayreuth of the Balkans". For the stage design, Kartaloff was inspired by the famous British sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth (1903-1975). He was enthusiastic about the abstraction of her artwork and the associated theatrical dimensions, which he considers predestined for the stage design of the "Flying Dutchman", especially since Hepworth, like Wagner, was always inspired by nature and the world around her.
Daland with Steersman
Sandviken is set in a white projecting stage frame with stairways, while the black Dutchman ship appears like a darkly looming sculpture designed by Hepworth with the typical hole in it. At the back, a red double sail rears up, disappearing with the sinking of the Dutchman's ship, while he and Senta float apotheosiically towards heaven in a white lotus blossom.
Dutchman with Senta
It was story telling in a fine and often subtle way, always remaining true to Wagner's work – for Kartaloff it was the law. The Norwegians' ship's ropes are white, those of the Dutch red and their sailors' choir ghostly costumed and illuminated. Senta has a deeply moving dream in her bed in the middle of the stage before her ballad...
The Dutch Sailors
The legendary Kurt Rydl prepared the Bulgarian singers lyrically, but they already knew the German school from the other Wagner productions. Rydl himself sang Daland, and considering that he is no longer the youngest, still impressive – as a bearish old sailor with an all-too-commercial streak.
Erik with Senta
Markus Marquardt sang the premiere Dutchman excellently, with a melodious bass-baritone and good diction. Two Bulgarians were still on hand for the seven performances. Radostina Nikolaeva was also a first-class Senta, as she had been as Brünnhilde, Isolde and Tosca, and could sing this role at any major house further west. She has a strong charisma, a beautiful timbre and good top notes.
Kurt Rydl during the final applause
Kostadin Andreev gave Erik on 16 July, not always quite sure of his tempo. But he is a gifted performer. Daniel Ostretsov was a vocally powerful Steersman and Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva with her sonorous mezzo was a first-class Maria. The Sofia Opera Chorus proved equal to the difficult demands of the lake stage. Rosen Gergov conducted the Sofia Opera Orchestra dynamically and with great attention to detail from a side box. The acoustics could be worked on, but perhaps the orchestra should be placed in the wide space in front of the playing area.
Photos: Svetoslav Nikolov
Klaus Billand