28 april 2025 .Exciting Performance Of "Samson and Delilah" On Monday

On Monday evening, the hall of the State Opera - Burgas was dominated by the beautiful music of Camille Saint-Saëns, combined with the impressive biblical messages about the temptations of love, the clash between different faiths, the transgression of ancestral commandments and the elevation of the inner power associated with the Divine manifestation, which leads to just retribution - even at the cost of destruction.

Under the baton of the doyen of the Bulgarian cultural space - the eminent Bulgarian conductor Ivan Kozhuharov, the extremely complex polyphonic score of Saint-Saëns was presented in a delightfully affecting manner, in the brilliant performance of the orchestra of the Burgas Opera.

Memorable, in terms of radiance, vocal achievements, presence, and artistic fusion with the images, were the soloists:
the great Bulgarian mezzo-soprano Daniela Dyakova - in the role of the beautiful temptress - the Philistine Delilah, her crowning incarnation, in which she invests her entire artistic appearance - as a philosophical and psychological construction of the image, a beautiful timbre, fully corresponding to the part, powerful and at the same time - mastered, vocal sculpting of the difficult arias, duets and ensembles.

In the image of the Jew Samson, gifted with Divine power, leader of the Jews oppressed by the Philistines, was the distinguished tenor Daniel Damyanov - he unfolded the wealth of his artistic, emotional, and singing capacity in the construction of the role, with the entire spectrum of experienced and transformed feelings.

Impressive and awe-inspiring was the renowned baritone Alexander Krunev, in the role of the High Priest of Dagon, the god of the Philistines, instilling in the image the characteristic radiance of power and cruelty, both in the insidious plan to assassinate Samson and in the attractive ritual of sacrifice.

The other soloists also completely merged with the ideological and directorial concept of Prof. Alexander Tekeliev: bass Diman Panchev - as the Old Jew, Kostadin Mechkov, bass - as the cruel Philistine warrior Abimelech,
Georgi Bozveliev - as the Messenger of the Philistines, Milen Dinolov - First Philistine, Ivan Grozev - Second Philistine.

Special admiration for the wonderfully constructed dynamic nuances, especially in the quiet register, for the choir of the Burgas Opera with conductor Alexander Chepanov!

The ballet dancers were delightful, impressive in their performance, and extremely attractive - in the two key moments - the lyrical enchantment of Samson, in the first act, and in the emblematic bacchanalia, in the third act. The masterful choreography, fully in accordance with the biblical plot and the profound directorial interpretation of Prof. Tekeliev, is by Galina Kalcheva, and the ballet dancers' tutor is Marina Zmeeva-Markova.

Admiration for the entire cast of the State Opera - Burgas - for the complex qualities in the presentation of the complex and rarely performed opera "Samson and Delilah"!

At the end of the performance, the traditional basket of flowers was presented on behalf of the Mayor of Burgas Municipality - Dimitar Nikolov.

The event was honored by the Deputy Mayor for Culture and Religions - Diana Savateva, as well as by representatives of a delegation from Iceland, which is visiting the Municipality of Burgas.