07 april 2025 Guest conductor Viliana Valcheva Takes The Stage At Pagliacci

On Wednesday, April 9, at 7 p.m., on the stage of the Burgas Opera, under the baton of the charismatic Viliana Valcheva - guest conductor of the State Opera - Ruse, with a remarkable professional biography, having conducted on prestigious world stages, soprano Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova, tenor Valery Georgiev, baritones Alexander Krunev and Valery Turmanov, as well as tenor Yanni Nikolov, together with the artists of the choir and musicians of the orchestra of the State Opera - Burgas, will present the opera "The Executioners" by Ruggiero Leoncavallo. The director of the complex dramatic spectacle, characterized by deep psychologism in the construction of the characters, with intertwined fatalistic elements, is Prof. Pavel Gerdzhikov, who has not been with us for a year, but his spirit and messages continue their stage life.

The overall dark atmosphere and suggestions, saturated with tragedy and doom, performed by the first-class soloists and choir, are complemented by the interpretation of Leoncavallo's beautiful musical themes, performed by the Burgas Opera Orchestra. The conductor of the artistic ensemble of the choir, which achieves a wonderful vocal fusion and skillfully presents its artistic tasks, is Alexander Chepanov. The production designer is Ivan Popov /the multimedia environment, recreating the atmosphere of life in a small Italian village, which was presented for the first time in this production a year ago on the stage of the Burgas Opera, is also successfully selected/, the assistant director is Lina Peeva, the concertmaster is Hristo Belchev.

Dynamics in relationships, emotional breakdowns, jealousy, suffering, changeable feelings, tragedy, revenge - the entire spectrum of feelings is palpable in the performance "The Executioners". All artists and musicians will be subordinated to the framework that depicts the tragic story of obsession, temptation, passion, black jealousy, betrayal, rage, and destructive selfishness, which has become the devastating force of inevitable death. Magnificent – ​​both as an artistic argumentation of the constructed images, and as a style of singing, and as a gushing talent, will be all the soloists: impeccable and touching Neda /Columbine/ – performed by Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova, torn by dark passions and loving to death Canio – Valery Georgiev, personifying the tragedy of a true human story Tonio – Alexander Krunev; carrying the vital breath of hope, alas, quickly darkened – Silvio – Valery Turmanov, the frivolous and frivolous Harlequin – Yani Nikolov – with his funny cry.

Soprano Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova manages to weave her jewel-like vocal mastery and exceptional stage presence into a memorable, affecting, contradictory, full-blooded and shocking image of the coquettish Neda, the seductress, the frivolous woman who dared to love beyond the generally accepted framework and follow her path boldly and with her signature. The beautiful singer builds her image with frivolous ease, remarkable psychological nuance and insight into the characterology of a strong, beautiful woman who allowed herself to show her weakness through the vulnerability of her feelings. Seeking her happiness in the freedom of heart choice, Neda finds her fatal end. Each of the images is unfolded within the parameters of the emotional exchange between those involved in the complex relationship with a tragic ending, and the voices of the soloists skillfully intertwine into an overall sound that carries the thrill and energy charge of a true drama.

Tenor Valery Georgiev, a soloist of the Varna and Burgas Operas, will take on the roles of Canio and Pagliacci and will once again show his remarkable vocal mastery and convincing stage presence. Canio's famous Arioso /Vesti la giubba/, which reflects the pain and fierce inner struggles of a deceived and betrayed soul, is expected to be greeted, as always, with thunderous ovations from the audience. The talented tenor will present the inner strength of the character - a combination of doubt, fear of losing the feelings of the beloved, black jealousy, anger, powerlessness, blinding rage, and the unleashing of the uncontrollable impulse for destructive moral rehabilitation.

Respecting and conveying the drama of his character will be the distinguished Bulgarian baritone Alexander Krunev – as Tonio, who will move those present in the hall with the iconic Prologue before the curtain – before the real action, in which the attitudes of the characters and the tangle of human passions are revealed/ and is a sad story about the fate of the clowns, also experiencing sadness, as well as in the image of Colombina's ridiculous suitor Tadeo. In the Prologue, which is also popular as a standalone work, the sad story of fateful interdependencies and the inexorability of Time is told, placing each of the characters on the symbolic chessboard of life, and in the dramatic stage moments on the stage.

Beautiful, dignified, vital, and unfortunately bearing the signs of tragic predestination will be the baritone Valeri Turmanov in the role of Silvio – Neda's lover, with whom she dreams of stepping beyond the norms that predetermined the mores of the society of the time. Convincing, lively, flexible image of Beppe / Harlequin 

with notes of self-irony – as a mockery of Fate towards the series of petty human passions, will also be created by the tenor Yanni Nikolov. He will present himself with his wonderful cantilena singing and will also be a worthy part of the puzzle of the beautifully told story of love, betrayal, burning jealousy and revenge.

On the stage of the Opera on Wednesday, Leoncavallo's score will prove once again that it is a true masterpiece. The exceptionally beautiful arias and musical motifs of the composer are always greeted by the audience with the emotional resonance of intelligent empathy with the messages of art. The synchrony between music, plot, dramaturgy, stage presence, emotional saturation of the images, the interaction between the characters – marked by the tragedy of the changeable feelings, leading to dramatic clashes and a rupture in relationships, are present in "The Executioners" – under the precise baton of Viliana Valcheva.

The orchestra of the Burgas Opera, with concertmaster Hristo Belchev, is expected to build a dramatic line of Leoncavallo's wonderful music, following the events on stage. The famous "Intermezzo" at the beginning of the second act is a collective image of the music of the composer, a contemporary of Puccini, and the spirit of the era at the end of the 19th century. All artists and musicians will experience the sad story of Leoncavallo's opera, in the verismo style, which sounds so relevant and authentic - like a kaleidoscope of human relationships.

Theater within the theater, life behind the scenes, hidden human passions, stronger than generally accepted norms, jealousy, cruel revelations, intertwining of art with real life, a dramatic denouement with a tragic ending - all this merges into a symbiosis of wonderful music, a heartfelt text and a magnificent performance in Leoncavallo's opera. And the final phrase 'La commedia finita' /"The comedy is over"/ was not only a tragic coda to the story, but also a reason for reflection...