07 august 2024 "Rigoletto" For The First Time At The "Opera At The Sanctuary"

The "Opera at the Sanctuary" festival, realized for the fifth time by the State Opera - Burgas, in a wonderful partnership with the Municipality of Primorsko, this year will present three titles from the world opera treasury: "Rigoletto" by Giuseppe Vedri - on August 10, "Aida" by Verdi - on August 17, and "Carmen" by Georges Bizet - on August 24, with a starting time of all performances at 20:30. The mysticism of Strandzha Mountain, combined with the eternal messages of classical works, will once again be a prerequisite for magical unforgettable experiences.

The timeless story of seduction, false hopes, insidiousness, curses and an ominous denouement woven into the libretto of one of Giuseppe Verdi's most famous and beloved operas, Rigoletto, will come to life for the first time on the stage of the Thracian sanctuary of Begliktash on August 10 from 8:30 p.m. – under the star dome of Strandzha Mountain. The Verdi masterpiece will be the first event of the Fifth Opera of the Sanctuary Festival.

Under the baton of Prof. Dr. Grigor Palikarov, who traditionally conducts performances of the Burgas Opera at the magical place, the musical-stage story about the hunchbacked jester Rigoletto, the only joy in his simple life - his beautiful daughter Gilda, about the operated by conscience Herzog, a unifying image of meanness, as well as for all the characters of the tragic tale of false trust.

The characters of one of Verdi's most famous operas, to which the composer himself did not hide his biases, will give the audience diverse experiences - from admiration for the power of pure love, destroyed by soullessness, to the tragic hopelessness of trampled naive impulses. Those present at the open scene of the Thracian wedding ceremony will be warmed and emotionally shaken by the sad plot. It is no coincidence that the great Italian composer stated that if he had to save only one of his operas, he would choose Rigoletto. The in-depth directorial reading of Associate Professor Dr. Alexander Tekeliev, reading the codes of the human psyche, proves the power and message of these words.

The highly emotional story will be told by a magnificent creative and artistic cast - through the medium of syncretic operatic art. The cast is remarkable and will present the exciting story in an inimitable way!

The controversial image of the jester Rigoletto will be recreated by the remarkable baritone Marjan Jovanoski, soloist of the National Opera of North Macedonia and the State Opera - Burgas. In the role of Gilda on Wednesday, the charismatic soprano Ilina Mihailova /guest/, soloist of the State Opera - Varna and the National Music Theater "Stefan Macedonian". She will be reincarnated - with professionalism, flair for character building and vocal prowess, as the naïve girl living in her own little dream world, cut off from reality. Encountering a skilled seducer, in the person of the Duke, she falls into his demonic trap, which heralds her certain doom.

In the will of the Duke of Mantua, the self-satisfied unscrupulous seducer and bon vivant, enters the tenor Valery Georgiev, soloist of the State Opera - Varna and State Opera - Burgas. The Duke's iconic Aria "La donna e mobile" in his rousing performance is sure to be rapturously received by the audience. Bass Delyan Slavov will be respectable - both vocally and as a stage presence, in the role of the hired killer Sparafuchile, for whom the value of human life is nothing compared to a few silver coins. Bright, colorful, beautiful, dizzying, charming and captivating the senses will be the lovely mezzo-soprano Ioana Cadijska in the role of Madalena, Sparafucile's sister, who, apart from frivolity, hides goodness and compassion in her heart. Impressive and fully integrated with the overall sound of the performance on the open stage of Begliktash will be: the bass Kostadin Mechkov - as Count Monterone, who utters a curse striking those responsible for his father's pain; mezzo-soprano Kalina Popova – impactful and feminine as Giovanna, Gilda's intimate maid; the soprano Nona Krastnikova and the bass Petar Tiholov - aristocratic in the images of Countess and Count Ceprano; the baritone Yordan Hristozov – as the courtier Marulo, who lives in the intriguing world of high society; the tenor Lyubomir Todorov – in the role of Mateo Borsa, also part of the noble retinue; the soprano Stefka Hristozova – as Page.

The director of the production, adapted for the open stage in Begliktash, is Alexander Tekeliyev, choir conductor - Alexander Chepanov, choreography is by Galina Kalcheva, assistant directors of the production are Lina Peeva and Petar Tiholov, ballet tutor - Marina Zmeeva-Markova. The orchestra, choir and ballet of the State Opera - Burgas take part in the large-scale attractive spectacle.

 

Tickets - at the box office of the Opera House, the "Chasovnika" box office, on the Grabo networks - https://grabo.bg/burgas/operata-rigoleto-0srkq, Eventim - https://www.eventim.bg/bg/bileti/drzhavna -opera-burgas-trakiyskoto-svetilishche-beglik-tash-primorsko-1410249/performance.html and in front of the Tourist Information Center -Primorsko. 

The Municipality of Primorsko organizes transport to Begliktash - in both directions, departure - at 7:30 p.m. on August 10 /as well as on the dates of the other events of the festival - August 17 and 24/, from the parking lot of the Municipality in the town of Primorsko. The price is BGN 7 /round trip/.