Bulgaria Wagner, Das Rheingold: Soloists, Children’s vocal-theatrical formation ‘Goblins’ (directed by Dimitar Kostansaliev), Orchestra of Sofia Opera and Ballet / Constantin Trinks (conductor). Sofia Opera and Ballet Theatre, 8.7.2023. (GT)
The history of Wagner opera performance in Bulgaria dates back to the reign of Boris the Third when Das Rheingold was staged in Sofia in 1943, and Die Walküre was performed in 1948, and then followed by The Flying Dutchman (1954), Lohengrin (1979), and Tannhäuser (1986) before the first Ring cycle was performed between 2010 and 2013 marking the 200th anniversary of the composer’s birth.
The enormity of staging a Ring cycle is the most challenging in opera stagecraft, and even more so as the Sofia company employs almost exclusively singers from Bulgaria. The Sofia Opera filmed it, and the DVDs and Blu-rays were released this spring to considerable acclaim. If you have doubts about the standards in Sofia, you should watch it – for it is among the finest available for its originality, outstanding singing and acting, and staging. If the 2013 cycle is a major achievement, it is remarkable that Sofia Opera have now staged another production of Wagner’s great Ring cycle to mark the 210th anniversary.
One of the factors in the success of the first Sofia Ring was the innovative production by Plamen Kartaloff that used a space-age theme and unconventional devices, including a track on which singers moved from side to side creating an unusual effect of storytelling, Valkyries mounted on missiles rather than horses, and the spectacular use of multimedia and visual technology.
This new production adopted a different conception by departing from the space-age enterprise of 2013, and here Kartaloff conceived a simple design of three geocentric rings at the centre of the action – either at an angle or lowered to create a space through which the characters emerge or allowing actions to develop. As in the previous production, visual projections offered a dynamic and often sensational aspect to the performance.
Director Kartaloff explains: ‘The main aim in this new production of ours is to enrich and improve our first experience by penetrating even deeper, with a journey in a fantastic narrative about people and events of a mythological time in the context of the present and the future, but to the projections of a world located in the repeating cycle of birth-life-death. Mythological time can be transferred into the reality of any historical time, of the behaviour and relations of men and societies, in their enduring competition for profit, power and world supremacy.’
Kartaloff says that his ‘ideas went from the impactful and provocative power and mood of the mandala to transformative images. From its inner ability to reveal the meaning in the stage functions of three triskeles. From its energy fields. I was intrigued by the unfolding of mysterious triskele circular elements. The role of these geocentric circular elements is to compose the space of the stage. In the tetralogy, they have the meaning of a kind of spiral of life in the four Wagnerian dramas. They are the construction of the successive scenes in the development of the action. In symmetrical balance or separated, deeply intertwined and torn on their own, they are the soul.’
The visual beauty and exciting conception of Wagner’s music drama was evident in the Prelude with the projection of the stormy flowing Rhine, and the three geocentric rings slowly rising prior to the Rhinemaidens frolicking around the rings and dancing. Another striking innovation by Kartaloff is the Rhinemaidens singing while jumping on trampolines, ‘Weia! Waga! Woge, du Welle’. The visual sensation was another marvellous discovery – as if flying through the air or swimming. The entry of Alberich introduced one of the evening’s finest performances – the gritty voice of Plamen Dimitrov embodied both malice and lustful desire, yet he was fooled by the Flosshilde of Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva charmingly alluring him. After cajoling the Rhinemaidens to reveal their treasure, as if by magic, the Rheingold appeared as a great block of glowing metal.
In the second scene, we saw the two giants Fasolt and Fafner before their creation of Valhalla. The construction was a steel silvery structure which rose majestically as the giants admired their handicraft before they trudged off. The gods led by the Wotan of Nikolay Petrov were attired in the scarlet red and silvery grey colour code that dominate throughout. The Loge of Daniel Ostretsov was one of the high spots of the evening with his stunning tenor which had a strident edge to it, and his acting, expressly in his ‘Immer ist Undank Loges Lohn!’ The Froh was a dulcet-toned tenor singing while the Donner matched him with boldly, expressive singing and bearing his great hammer that resembled an ancient cross. The Fricka of Marina Zvetkova was tenderly characterised both vocally and through her acting, and ‘Wotan, Gemahl, erwache!’ was sung with a bright soprano tones.
After the pleasure of seeing their newly built Valhalla, reality arrived by Wotan’s lament of their financial plight when the giants returned to collect their fee.
In the descent to Nibelheim, the sound of the ringing created a shockingly dramatic intensity. Nibelheim was three structures upon which the slaves hammered away, creating a scene of terrible slavery whipped along by the slave master Alberich cruelly abusing his subjects. His capture by Wotan and Loge was executed by sweet-talking him into a great lizard, and then a frog thrust into Loge’s prepared bag. The scene was more realistic and better enacted than in many other stagings.
In scene four, the appearance of the giants with the imprisoned Freia was impressive with the Freia of Silvana Pravcheva well characterised, as was the appearance of Mime and the slaves bringing the great blocks of gold on a trolley, whereby the giants measured their gold. At last, Wotan surrendered the ring and the Tarnhelm to gain release of his daughter.
The merciless despatch of Fasolt by his fellow giant was executed by stabbing him brutally in the back, though not so convincingly. The star above all in this performance was the remarkable Ostretsov as Loge, dressed stunningly in reds, greys and gold trimmings – he gave a consummate portrayal of wickedness and cunning of Shakespearean magnitude.
The Wotan of Petrov portrayed the ageless despair of the lust-filled and greedy power-driven god. Ten years ago, he was a great actor-singer, and now characterised the same envious and capricious power lust, yet with a more mellow voice, whilst still convincing in this challenging role and masterfully singing ‘Vollendet das ewige Werk’.
Throughout, the roles of Mime, Froh, Donner were expertly and superbly portrayed, all of the singers inside their parts and in excellent voice.
The Erda of Vesela Yaneva was splendid in her dulcet-toned mezzo voice warning, ‘Weiche, Wotan, weiche!’ At last, the gods in their lust for power and glory made the ascent to Valhalla and the glorious orchestral playing culminated with the rings disappearing. As the opera ended the Rhinemaidens returned dancing to ‘Rheingold! Rheingold! Reines Gold!’ reminding us to whom the god’s treasure belongs.
In this production, the lighting and colour projection combined with the impressively devised triskeles, and restrained use of stage props concentrated our attention on the action and singing. The colour scheme of red and blue, contrasted by greens and gold created an association with nature, the forest and the water. The orchestral playing throughout was spectacularly led by the German conductor Constantin Trinks who is another discovery here. The production used an orchestral version by Gotthold Ephraim Lessing that allows smaller theatres to present Wagner’s operas and uses 97 musicians. The acoustics of the Sofia Opera are clear and vibrant with every voice heard clearly.
This was a wonderful opening to Kartaloff’s new Ring and it was an extraordinary production emphasising the contrast between lust and greed and love and nature. As they achieved so impressively ten years ago, the Sofia Opera and Ballet Company can engage their own Bulgarian singers for Wagner operas, and on this opening evening, offered an alluring hint of what is to come in the ensuing three parts of Wagner’s masterpiece.
Gregor Tassie
Production:
Director – Plamen Kartaloff
Musical Preparation – Richard Trimborn, Evan-Alexis Christ
Set designer – Hans Kudlich
Costumes – Hristiyana Mihaleva-Zorbalieva
Assistant Director – Julia Krasteva
Lighting designer – Andrej Hajdinjak
Multimedia – Ivan Lipchev
Head of Production – Nela Stoyanova
Musical Preparation – Richard Trimborn, Evan-Alexis Christ
Cast:
Wotan – Nikolay Petrov
Fricka – Mariana Zvetkova
Alberich – Plamen Dimitrov
Loge – Daniel Ostretsov
Mime – Krassimir Dinev
Fafner – Petar Buchkov
Fasolt – Stefan Vladimirov
Donner – Svetozar Rangelov
Froh – Hrisimir Damyanov
Freia – Silvana Pravcheva
Erda – Vesela Yaneva
Woglinde – Ayla Dobreva
Wellgunde – Ina Kalinova
Flosshilde – Alexandrina Stoyanova-Andreeva