24 april 2025 Brilliant Vision And Exciting Messages With "Samson and Delilah"

The last event for the month in the rich April program of the State Opera – Burgas is the opera “Samson and Delilah”. Admirers of the beautiful music of the French composer Camille Saint-Saëns and the dramatic biblical plot will have the opportunity to follow the epic ancient story on Monday, April 28, at 7 p.m. on the stage of the Burgas Opera. The original scenography relies on a minimalist style and compensatory lavish costumes, the work of Catalin Arbore, Romania, and the profound directing techniques of Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev, the skillful conducting of Ivan Kozhuharov, the first-class artistic cast , and the original thematically selected multimedia environment promise the spectacle to become a memorable performance. Those present will experience the drama of the Jew, gifted with divine power – Samson, and the beautiful Philistine woman, who uses her feminine charm to tempt, deceive, betray, and destroy him – Delilah.

Under the precise baton of the great Bulgarian conductor with an impressive international career, Ivan Kozhuharov, an honorary citizen of Burgas, the main roles on April 28 on the stage of the Opera will be performed by established opera artists who give the images psychological depth and achieve a remarkable emotional impact: the distinguished mezzo-soprano Daniela Dyakova, the soloist of the Sofia Opera and Ballet and the State Opera – Burgas – the tenor Daniel Damyanov, the baritone Alexander Krunev, the basses Kostadin Mechkov and Diman Panchev, and others. "Samson and Delilah" is a rarely performed title worldwide, precisely because of its exceptional orchestral difficulty, polyphonic sound of the choir, as well as arias and duets, which are aerobatics in opera art.

The plot, based on biblical tales from the Old Testament, contains not only an intriguing line of narrative history but also deep moral dilemmas, presented admirably through the means of musical and stage art, brilliantly argued through the complex polyphonic score of Camille Saint-Saens. A dramatic line of dynamics recreates the contradictory psychological states of the characters. The multimedia, which caused a furor among the megalithic stone blocks of Begliktash in 2023, at the official opening of the "Opera of the Sanctuary" festival, will be presented for the second time in an indoor environment - in the Opera Hall, after the performance in April 2024. On July 26th of this year, this year's edition of the grandiose "Opera of the Sanctuary" festival will be opened with "Samson and Delilah" on the stage of the ancient Thracian sanctuary of Begliktash.

The visual effects are also impressive, and they fit ideologically into the overall concept of the large-scale musical stage project. The current 3D mapping and multimedia in the hall /work of Nikola Peshev/ will be used for a complementary sensory perception of the messages embedded in the biblical plot. Prison bars, flames, visualization of the Temple of Dagon, intertwined snakes, personifying the creeping and morally destroying Evil - in its pure form, a remarkable effect will be achieved, in sync with the captivating music and dignified performance of all artists and musicians. The audience will have the privilege of symbolically attending a sacred ritual.

The production of "Samson and Delilah" directed by Prof. Dr. Alexander Tekeliev originally presented analogies with universal human themes, references to modernity, and symbolism, in symbolic combination with the lavish costumes and props, refined down to the smallest detail. The emphasis on red and black, the contrast between the fiery principle and death, as well as the thin line between them - on the border of life and non-existence, the fragility of the human being, powerless before the decrees and decisions of the gods - all this is skillfully conveyed through implicitly laid symbolic codes.

Under the inspired baton of the chief conductor of the Burgas Opera Ivan Kozhuharov, the main roles on April 28 will be played by established and beloved opera singers: the image of Dalila will be embodied by the renowned mezzo-soprano Daniela Dyakova, who is impeccable in every stage performance – with dignity, taste, and the exceptional impact of her voice, characterized by rich timbre nuances. The accent in the opera title is one of the most beautiful melodies – Dalila’s Aria /“Mon cœur s’ouvre a ta voix”/ from Act II, which is considered one of the most impactful in opera art. In her interpretation, Dyakova is characterized by an in-depth examination of the complex image and an impressive, professionally presented performance.

The image of Samson will be recreated by the soloist of the Sofia Opera and Ballet and the State Opera – Burgas, Daniel Damyanov, who will present the difficult part with his characteristic emotionality, warm timbre shades, and brilliant artistic argumentation.

The role of the High Priest of Dagon /the god of the Philistines who conquered the Jewish people/ will be played by the baritone with a rich stage career – Alexander Krunev, who will convincingly give the characteristic harshness of the image, the personification of Evil, inspiring respect and awe.

The other soloists will also have a bright presence, who will skillfully enter the dramatic context and will be as authentic as possible on stage. The image of Abimelech, satrap of Gaza, will be played by the bass Kostadin Mechkov. The role of the Old Jew will be played by Diman Panchev, bass; the role of the Messenger of the Philistines will be played by tenor Georgi Bozveliev; the First Philistine – Milen Dinolov, tenor; the Second Philistine – Ivan Grozev, bass.

Each of the soloists is in amazing musical, artistic, and psychological synchrony with the other characters of the tragic story, which, despite the fact that it is from distant historical times, sounds relevant for every stage of human civilization.

The mass choral and ballet scenes, recreated through the masterful choreography of Galina Kalcheva, are also impressive, both in terms of musical complexity, and in terms of visualization of the plot, and in terms of splendor. The conductor of the choral ensemble is Alexander Chepanov, and the rehearsal of the ballet ensemble – Marina Zmeeva-Markova. The concertmaster is Hristo Belchev, assistant directors: Lina Peeva and Petar Tiholov, accompanist – Igor Kiriyanov. The choir is distinguished by its delicately crafted dynamic nuances and phrasing, especially in the polyphonic transitions, which are characterized by their high complexity. The choir is also a main actor in the plot and the musical text, both in the quiet nuances and in the bursting moments requiring strong expression.

The orchestra performs in a brilliantly shocking manner the extremely difficult passages in the complex score of Camille Saint-Saëns, with the melodiousness and depth typical of French music. Under the precise baton of the renowned conductor Ivan Kozhuharov, a monolithic integrity of the complex score will be created, with precise dynamics and brilliantly presented polyphonic beauty. The ballet is a true emotional-visual accent of the spectacle, with the attractive mass scenes and, above all, with the emblematic "bacchanalia" – a masterpiece of sensory perception. The work is performed in the original – in French, with subtitles in Bulgarian, by Srebrina Slavova.

On the stage of the Burgas Opera on April 28 at 7 p.m., a powerful spectacle will be created - as a charge, and professionally presented - according to all the canons of musical stage art. The biblical legend about the destructive power of passion, ancestral commandments, and Divine enlightenment will be told excitingly. The beautiful voices of the soloists and choir, accompanied by beautiful, soulful music, will merge into an emotionally meaningful symbiosis, exalting the idea of ​​love, betrayal, redemption, and sacrifice in the name of a higher goal. The nuances in the musical text will be conveyed by the magnificent performers - with thought, feeling, depth, with the corresponding emotional attitude: lyricism, awe, longing, tearing doubts - between the call of the heart and duty to family and Motherland, painful awareness, dramatic return, apotheosis of inner strength, expressed also through God's protection...