Tonight, Bulgaria stages first ‘normal’ opera
mainFrom a correspondent:
Today the very first “normal” opera performance will take place at Sofia National Opera and Ballet: a full performance with normal sets and costumes, normal acting on stage and full orchestra and chorus. Of course social distancing in the public, but for the rest a “normal opera performance”.
Today they will show Verdi’s “Il trovatore” (https://www.operasofia.bg/en/repertoire/299.), as part of a “Tutto Verdi” mini festival in which the whole “trilogia popolare” will be shown: After “trovatore” today, “Rigoletto” on June 21 and “Traviata” in June 25:
Star of all three evenings is our fantastic Verdi baritone and Bulgarian opera star Vladimir Stoyanov!
I saw Trovatore there nearly 20 years ago. Alexandrina Milschewa was Azucena, 25 years after singing the part with Karajan in Salzburg. I don’t remember who the other singers were.
I bet Milcheva was the best – she was very popular in Vienna – and deservedly.
Indeed. She was the best in the cast. I’m not at home so I can’t give you the exact dates.
Verdi: Il trovatore
28 May 2000
1, 3 June 2000
conductor : Emil Tabakov / N Nedyalkov
director : E Boshnakov
sets,costumes : Salvatore Russo
Count di Luna : Jivko Pranchev / Peter Danailov
Leonora : Elena Filipova / Tzvetana Bandalovska
Azucena : Alexandrina Milcheva / Mariana Karpatova
Manrico : Rumen Doykov / Konstantin Yankov / Tzvetan Tzvetkov
Ferrando : Dimitar Stanchev / Diman Panchev / Aleksey Ivanov
Ines : Hristina Hadjieva / Bistra Zlatkova / Hristina Hadjieva
Ruiz : Aron Aronov / Dimitar Dimitrov
The Old Gypsy : Lachezar Lazarov
Yet here in the USA we cancel everything until at least 2021. Go figure.
That’s because we lack the social discipline to control the spread of infection. Look at per capita rates of new cases in the two countries, and you can indeed figure it out.
And, as your sainted president said last night in what must be a low point (and the bar was already daunting to the best limbo dancers on earth) in his time, he told them to slow testing for Covid-19 because if you tested you would just find more cases.
If his followers can find the logic in that and support it, then America really is doomed.
My Bulgarian colleague tells me that they have something called rakia and it is highly effective against corona virus infection.
Bravo, Sofia!
How is the chorus working? Must be a small and distanced one?