In the program of the Sofia Opera on November 10 and 11, expect the performances “Carmen-Suite” and “Bolero” to music by Bizet-Shchedrin and Maurice Ravel. In both ballets, the soloists and ensemble of the ballet company sculpt the characters with masterful artistry and brilliant dance technique.
On November 12, the temptations continue for lovers of ballet art, who will have the opportunity to watch the story of “Zorba the Greek” again! The ballet, inspired by the great novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, has music by Mikis Theodorakis with choreography, direction and a libretto by Lorca Massine.
Expect the premiere of the opera “Madame Butterfly” by Giacomo Puccini on November 17 at the Sofia Opera. This creative season marks the 165th anniversary of the birth and 100 years of the death of Giacomo Puccini. The Sofia Opera joins the world’s largest theaters, which will solemnly mark these two anniversaries.
In the repertoire of the Sofia Opera, all Puccini’s operas are performed except for the early “Vilisi”, “Edgar” and “The Swallow”. A lover of technology, fast cars and motorboats, a close friend of Thomas Edison and an avid hunter, Giacomo Puccini is one of the great masters of Italian opera. He is a bright representative of Verisma. He creates extraordinary stage images and exciting musical canvases. His operas are filmed, some of them are performed in real time in the real places of the development of the action, and the life of the composer is recreated in several movies.
In 2024, it will be 100 years since the first performance of “Madame Butterfly” at the Sofia Opera.
The opera program continues on November 18 with Ariadne of Naxos by Richard Strauss. A fascinating story about a woman waiting for the messenger of death, but instead she discovers the power of love in the person of Bacchus, the god of wine and love.
November 19 is dedicated to the masterpiece of Georges Bizet – the opera “Carmen”, because of which the composer was called “Master of musical drama”. The performance by the director Plamen Kartalov was created especially for the tour of the Sofia Opera in Japan in 2018. Maestro Kartalov’s choice to find his motivation for the plot as a reflection of the ancient drama puts this “Carmen” beyond time. The production captivates the audience not only with the unusual vision of the familiar plot, but also with the magic of untangling the threads of fate frame by frame, so as can happen in major film productions.
On November 24 and 25, the exciting story of love and duty transformed by Verdi into the opera “La Traviata” returns to the stage.
In the last autumn days, on November 28, we will be able to enjoy the chamber concert “Autumn Impressions” with the participation of Silvana Prvcheva, Daniel Damyanov, Daniela Rizova, Yuri Rizov and Agnes Dankova.
This year, the Sofia Opera and Ballet will present “The Nutcracker” by P. I. Tchaikovsky as early as November 29 and 30, to bring a little Christmas spirit in the days before the beginning of December.
Don’t miss the rich program of performances for children – “The Grumpy Goat”, “The Wolf and the Seven Kids”, “The Three Fairies and the Sleeping Beauty”, “Rhine Gold”, “Little Red Riding Hood” and others. We are waiting for you!
