02 october 2023 Season 2023/2024 Opens With "Gypsy Baron"
With the spectacular performance of the operetta "Gypsy Baron" to the music of Johann Strauss-son and directed by Mario Nikolov, under the baton of Deyan Pavlov, the new Season 2023/2024 of the State Opera - Burgas - will be opened on October 6, from 19:00 on the Opera stage.
The attractive production was presented with great success in front of a large audience during this year's Burgas Music Festival "Emil Chakarov" - on the stage of the Summer Theater in August.
Everything is in this performance - riddles, hidden treasures, fortune-tellers, prophecies, mysteries, fires, passion, dynamics, whirlwind gypsy dances, temperamental chardash, sophisticated Viennese waltz, love, doubts, unexpected revelations, stormy plot developments and a happy ending. The Burgas audience will once again have the opportunity to attend a unique performance with wonderful performers, beautiful scenography, and costumes, as well as dizzying direction in which every detail is in its place and in sync with the overall picture. Those present in the hall of the Burgas Opera House will have the privilege of feeling the authentic atmosphere of a performance containing the characteristics of the best of the popular "opera" genre, without the slightest compromise with the quality of performance, as well as with every detail of the large-scale production. It is a well-known fact that the art of operetta is complex and requires complex qualities from singers - not only vocal capabilities but also adequate behavior on stage, artistry, choreographic skills, and... a pinch of the invisible substance without which no one can be born a quality performance - undeniable talent and desire to create art.
"Gypsy Baron" will present on Friday in a delightful way tangled plot threads and unexpected revelations, an exciting story about the threads of ancestral memory, the defense of honor, the apotheosis of strong and incorruptible feelings, and the victory of love that is beyond prejudice. There will be fire eaters, acrobats, exuberant dances radiating passion and emotion - both of the gypsy soul and the temperamental Hungarian folk traditions, beautiful and rich costumes, and, of course, magnificent singers who, through the means of musical art, will make the audience to experience a magical fairytale reality - against the background of the brilliant temperamental music of Johann Strauss-son. Exciting images will come to life, telling the wonderful story of love, respect for family and traditions, as well as the most important treasure - that which is hidden in the human heart. The orchestra, choir, and ballet of the State Opera-Burgas take part in the common beautiful amalgam of passions, emotions, colors, dynamic twists, and an exciting plot denouement.
The operetta in three acts The Gypsy Baron takes place in Hungary at the end of the 18th century. The libretto is by Ignaz Schnitzer, based on the novella "Safi" by Mor Yokai. The production, characterized by its lavishness, dynamic stage action, attractive costumes, and special effects, is directed by Mario Nikolov - a guest who is this year's winner of the "Emil Chakarov" award, presented on September 4 of this year, which was presented by the mayor of the Municipality of Burgas Dimitar Nikolov during the official closing of the Burgas Music Festival with the concert performance "Love, champagne and can-can", directed by Mario Nikolov, including the most popular and beloved arias, duets and ensemble fragments from the operetta and the musical, which marked the 60th anniversary of the great Bulgarian tenor and his 40 years of creative activity.
At the performance of "Gypsy Baron" on October 6, the young soloist of the Burgas Opera, Yani Nikolov, tenor, will perform again in the role of Sandor Barinkai, a landowner's son driven into exile. The singer does not hide his interest in the role and it will certainly become one of the favorites in his portfolio as an artist - after his successful debut on the stage of the Summer Theater in Burgas in August. The tenor approaches the image with extreme respect and detailed insight, discovering intriguing facts about the Bulgarian origin of the treasure, which is a cornerstone in the plot of "Gypsy Baron". Yani Nikolov performs the difficult part with ease and undisguised pleasure - and vocally, he is impeccable.
In the role of Safi, daughter of the gypsy fortuneteller Chipra, who actually turns out to be the daughter of the last Turkish pasha who resided in the Hungarian lands during the Ottoman invasion, on the stage of the Opera on October 6 will appear the wonderful soprano Nona Krastnikova, who also did his successful debut, together with Yani Nikolov, during the performance in August. Nona Krastnikova, who has in her repertoire a number of roles from world opera titles, sings in an operetta for the first time, not only managing to professionally build the vocal part of Safi, saturated with difficulty and requiring a wide vocal range but also presenting the role with artistry, mood, banter, and finesse. And a lot of love for the created image, which was palpable.
As an inseparable part of the puzzle of the magnificent spectacle are the other soloists: the bass Diman Panchev - temperamental and inspiring respect, combined with a smile - due to the cheerful plot, in the role of the leader of the hussars Count Homonai; the baritone Yordan Hristozov – funny and convincing as the rich pig merchant Kaloman Zhupan and Arsena's father; the charming soprano Maria Tsvetkova-Madjarova, who gives the role her own individual touch, his daughter Arsena; the soprano Shmilena Sultanova – temperamental and emotional as the gypsy fortune teller Chipra, who raises Safi – the daughter of the last pasha from the time of the Ottoman rule of Hungary, as her own daughter and meticulously guards the family secret, revealing it at the right moment; Lina Peeva, mezzo-soprano and assistant director of the production - as Mirabella, governess of the rich man's daughter Arsena; tenor Milen Dinolov – also a strong debut as Otokar, son of Mirabella; the bass Petar Tiholov - as the commissioner of the Commission for Observance of Local Customs, Mirabella's husband and Otokar's father.
The orchestra, choir, and ballet of the State Opera - Burgas are also brilliant and included in the overall multi-colored picture of the performance - sounding professional, with the appropriate mood, befitting a class performance.
The conductor of the production is Prof. Dr. Deyan Pavlov, who is a frequent and welcome guest on the Burgas stage and at performances of the Burgas Opera. He manages to master the process of building the difficult score and handles it with ease, professionalism, expert psychology, and an adequate approach towards orchestra players and singers.
The scenography of "Gypsy Baron" is by the acclaimed master of stage design for opera houses Ivan Tokadzhiev, and choir conductor - Alexander Chepanov, the dances are the work of Galina Kalcheva, tutor of the ballet ensemble of the Burgas Opera, assistant director of the attractive production are Lina Peeva and Petar Tiholov, concertmaster – Hristo Belchev.
The audience at the Opera House on October 6 will be subjected to a dazzling amalgam of beautiful music, lavish scenography, costumes, superb soloists, conductor, orchestra, chorus, and ballet. Attendees will follow with curiosity the tangled story, from trembling anticipation of the denouement to an outburst of joy, empathized with the stage characters, each of them presented in the light of their best, slightly idealized, juxtaposed with modern realities, but therefore so necessary today - to remind us that there is good, light, justice, even in fairy tales. At least to make us try to look into ourselves and bring the better part of us to the surface of our nature and behavior. And... the treasure in the plot, which turns out to have a Bulgarian trace, will be found - as a bright impulse that could only be born from the spark of art - such as will be transformed in its pure form into the spectacle of "Gypsy baron" on the stage of the Opera House on Friday.
Tickets for "Gypsy Baron" - at the box office of the Opera House/working hours: 10 am - 6 pm, break - 2 pm - 2.30 pm; "Chasovnika" ticket center/opens on Saturdays as well/, on the Grabo - https://grabo.bg/burgas/opereta-ot-i-shtraus-0n4fu and Eventim - https://www.eventim.bg/bg networks /bileti/drzhavna-opera-burgas-zala-opera-burgas-1373067/performance.html
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