04 december 2024 A Story Of Love And Hidden Treasures With "Gypsy Baron"
With the spectacular performance of "The Gypsy Baron" to the music of Johann Strauss-son and directed by Mario Nikolov, under the baton of Deyan Pavlov, Saturday evening on December 7 will become a celebration for connoisseurs of operetta art - a bearer of life-affirming messages, combined with a magnificent vision and excellent artistic performance of the entire cast of the State Opera - Burgas.
The attractive production was presented with great success to a large audience during last year's Burgas Music Festival "Emil Chakarov" - on the stage of the Summer Theater in August 2023. With "The Gypsy Baron" the 2023/ 2024 Season of the Burgas Opera was opened - in October last year.
This performance has it all – riddles, hidden treasures, fortune tellers, prophecies, mysteries, fires, passion, dynamics, whirlwind gypsy dances, temperamental czardas, refined Viennese waltz, love, doubts, unexpected revelations, turbulent plot development, and a happy ending. The Burgas audience will once again have the opportunity to attend a unique performance with wonderful performers, beautiful scenograph,y and costumes, and a 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 will have the privilege of feeling the authentic atmosphere of a performance containing the characteristics of the best of the popular genre "opera", without a single nuance of compromise with the quality of performance, as well as with every detail of the large-scale production. It is a well-known fact that operetta art is complex and requires complex qualities in singers – not only vocal abilities, but also adequate behavior on stage, artistry, choreographic skills, and... a pinch of the invisible substance, without which no quality spectacle can be born – undeniable talent and a desire to create art.
"Gypsy Baron" will present on Saturday in a delightful way intricate plot connections and unexpected revelations, an exciting story about the threads of family memory, the defense of honor, the apotheosis of strong and incorruptible feelings, and the victory of love, which is beyond prejudice. There will be fire-eaters, acrobats, magnificent dances, radiating passion and emotion – both of the gypsy soul and of 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 experience a magical fairy-tale reality – against the backdrop of the brilliant temperamental music of Johann Strauss-son. The exciting images will come to life, telling the wonderful story of love, respect for family and traditions, and the most important treasure – what is hidden in the human heart. The State Opera- Burgas orchestra, choir, and ballet participate in the beautiful amalgam of passions, emotions, colors, dynamic twists, and an exciting plot denouement.
The action of 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 Jokai. The production, characterized by its splendor, dynamic stage action, attractive costumes, and special effects, is directed by Mario Nikolov. At the performance of "The Gypsy Baron" on December 7, the young soloist of the Burgas Opera Yanni Nikolov, tenor, will once again perform in the role of Sándor Barinkay, 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 and the subsequent performance on the stage of the Opera - last fall. The tenor approaches the character with exceptional respect and detailed insight, discovering intriguing facts about the Bulgarian origin of the treasure, which is a cornerstone in the plot of "The Gypsy Baron". Yani Nikolov performs the difficult part with ease and undisguised pleasure – and in terms of vocals,s he is impeccable. A few days after the performance of “The Gypsy Baron” – on December 11, the Burgas audience will have the pleasure of watching him in the role of Freddy Hill in the Broadway musical “My Fair Lady”.
In the role of Safi, daughter of the gypsy fortune teller Chipra, and who turns out to be the daughter of the last Turkish pasha who resided during the Ottoman invasion of Hungarian lands, the wonderful soprano Nona Krastnikova will perform on the Opera stage on December 7. The Burgas audience recently saw her in the role of Mimi in the exciting spectacle of Puccini's opera "La Bohème", in the image of Berta in Rossini's comic opera "The Barber of Seville", as well as in the large-scale operetta gala "Love, Champagne, and Can-Can" - a few days ago in the Opera hall, also under the baton of Prof. Deyan Pavlov. Nona Krastnikova, who has some roles from world opera titles in her repertoire, since last year - at her debut in the role of Safi, also sings operetta, not only managing to professionally build the vocal part, saturated with difficulty and requiring a wide vocal range, but also presenting the role with artistry, mood, teasing and finesse. And a lot of love for the created image, which is tangible.
As an integral 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 Homonay; the baritone Yordan Hristozov - funny and convincing as the rich pig merchant Kaloman Zhupan and Arsena's father; the charming soprano Maria Tsvetkova-Madzharova, who gives the role her individual touch, his daughter Arsena; 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 daughter Arsena; tenor Milen Dinolov – also a strong debut as Otokar, Mirabella’s son; bass Petar Tiholov – as the commissioner of the Commission for the 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 inscribed in the overall multi-colored picture of the performance – professionally sounding, with the appropriate mood, befitting a classy spectacle.
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 a difficult score and handles it with ease, professionalism, skillful psychology, and an adequate approach to orchestra players and singers. He recently conducted with great success the operetta gala "Love, Champagne,e and Can-Can" - in Nessebar, Shumen, and Burgas. In the new 2024/ 2025 Season of the Burgas Opera, maestro Pavlov was behind the podium at the Symphonic Concert with soloists - prominent Japanese musicians, as well as at the concert "Bulgarian Basses for Boris Hristov", dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of the world-renowned Bulgarian bass.
The scenography of “The Gypsy Baron” is by the award-winning master of stage design for opera theaters Ivan Tokadzhiev, and choir conductor – Alexander Chepanov, the dances are the work of Galina Kalcheva, rehearser of the ballet troupe of the Burgas Opera – Marina Zmeeva-Markova, assistant directors of the attractive production are Lina Peeva and Petar Tiholov, concertmaster – Hristo Belchev.
The audience in the Opera Hall on December 7 will be subject to a dazzling amalgam of beautiful music, lavish scenography and costumes, superb soloists, conductor, orchestra, choir, and ballet. Those present will follow the intricate story with curiosity, through a thrilling anticipation of the denouement, to an outburst of joy, experienced together with the stage characters, each of them presented in the light of the best of themselves, slightly idealized, compared to contemporary realities, but therefore so necessary today - to remind us that there is good, light, justice, even only in fairy-tale plots. At least to make us try to look into ourselves and bring to the surface of our essence and behavior the better part of us. 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 generated by the spark of art - such as will be transformed in its purest form into the spectacle of "The Gypsy Baron" on the stage of the Opera on Saturday.
On December 7th at 7 pm, an exciting spectacle awaits you in the Opera House hall, telling an intriguing story, presented with brilliance, passion, professionalism, and a pinch of magic, in a wonderful artistic blend of mood, beautiful colors, and a wonderful performance of the music of Johann Strauss-son, which is an undisputed eternal hit.