On the eve of 10 October, Giuseppe Verdi's birthday, the Sofia Opera presented a star-studded cast in the composer's opera “La Traviata”.
Кaroline Podolak in the role of Violetta Valéry, Emanuele D'Aguanno in the role of Alfredo Germont and Jonutz Pasku in the role of Georges Germont, conducted by Oliver von Dohnányi, orchestra, chorus and ballet recreated the show's star-studded tragic love story! Directed by Plamen Kartaloff.
Participants were also the soloists:
Silvana Pravcheva – Flora Bervoix
Ivanka Ninova – Annina
Hrisimir Damyanov – Vicomte de Létorières
Petar Buchkov – Baron Douphol
Nikolay Voynov – Marquis d'Obigny
Angel Hristov – Doctor Grenvil
Slavi Manov – Joseph
Here's what shared our excited audience after the spectacle:
"Wonderful spectacle! I am in awe of Verdi's music and this performance we heard from your splendid orchestra conducted by Oliver von Dohnányi! There were some outstanding talents in this production today, including shining performances by Karoline Podolak as Violetta Valéry, Emanuele D'Aguanno as Alfredo, and Jonutz Pasku as Georges Germont! Here tonight are a dozen teachers and about 40 students from the Nicholas Roerich Private School! We are all excited and very enthusiastic about the content and message of this staging! It is wonderful that the performance has amazed all our teachers and students, provoking in them the desire to visit your opera and ballet masterpieces more often!"
- Evelina Krasteva, teacher the Nicholas Roerich Private School
"As we had not attended any spectacles of the Sofia Opera before, it is not by chance that we chose "La Traviata" as an irrevocable occasion to experience this unforgettable performance! We enjoyed much beauty, Verdi's brilliant music, the atmosphere of Paris of that era, the unique voices of the soloists and the chorus, and the performance of this unique orchestra! All this is reason enough not to miss the already interesting titles of Bulgarian and world opera and ballet classics! Thank you for introducing us to the wonderful world of opera today!"
- Antonia and Yana, programmers
"Amazing production! We are enchanted by the atmosphere of the stage, the authentic sets and the impressive artistic lighting! We have no words to describe how much the performance of the brilliant soprano Karloline Podolak as Violetta Valéry impacted us! All the artists were fantastic and gave their best! I saw this production for the first time on the stage of the Sofia Opera and I am glad that I had the chance to attend a true cultural event, which the audience also appreciated with the most raucous applause possible!"
- Petar Nikolov
"What we saw tonight is probably the most wonderful opera production we have ever seen! The direction of this production has achieved the uplifting impact of the charming characters, achieved extraordinary drama and the strong impact of the original artistic decisions and emotional mise-en-scenes! We were impressed by the presence here of many foreigners who, on the sidelines during the intervals, shared their admiration for the acting of the artists, their unforgettable vocal data and the orchestra, which today exceeded all our expectations! Congratulations from all of us to your wonderful team who today conveyed to us the magic and charm of our beloved opera!"
- Asen Bahtev
"This evening the Sofia Opera made a great gesture to its loyal audience and gave us the opportunity to enjoy both our distinguished artists and the unique voices of the guest soloists Karoline Podolak /Violetta Valéry/, Jonutz Pasku /Georges Germont/ and Emanuele D'Aguanno /Alfredo/! The scenography immersed us in the beauty of the Parisian atmosphere! The orchestra, under the direction of Oliver von Dohnányi, showed us all the splendor of Verdi's work and we joined in the audience's delight as they reacted spontaneously and emotionally to each of our favorite arias! We are already dreaming of new encounters on your fabulous stage!"
- Desislava Bahteva
"This is the first time we have seen this opera and now we understand how difficult it is to put into words all the fascination and admiration we felt during this unforgettable spectacle! At one point we forgot where we were, delighted by the music and the dramatic action, which today had several climaxes! The elevated mood that overcame us, the strong feelings we experienced, all show the gracious impact of the great art of opera! You gave us a fascinating experience that was accompanied by alternating emotions and so we leave charged with the beauty created by your wonderful team and these unique artists!"
- Hristina and Stefan Стефан