The ballet "Don Quixote" of the Stara Zagora Opera opens the "Stage of the Ages"- Veliko Tarnovo

News публикувана на: 30.06.2020

18 July, 21.00, stage on Tsarevets Hill - Veliko Tarnovo

Stara Zagora State Opera presents "Don Quixote" ballet by Ludwig Minkus

Choreography and direction by Arshak Galumyan - soloist and choreographer of the Berlin State Ballet Set and costume designer Salvatore Russo Assistant choreographer Krasina Pavlova - soloist of the Berlin State Ballet Assistant artistic director of the ballet Sylvia Tomova Rehearser - Ludovic Party

Ballet of State Opera-Stara Zagora

Don Quixote - Alexander Zhelev Kitri - Anelia Dimitrova Basil - Fiordi Loha Sancho Panza - Kalin Lyubenov Mercedes - Martina Prefetto Espada - Frederico Pinto Gamache - Stanko Tanev Gypsy - Francesco Boriello Gypsy - Romina Slavova Cupid - Tsao Yu Chen Mistress of the Dryads - Clara Pla Ferrer Couple of friends - Zornitsa Petrova, Eleni Marcu Couple of friends - Pasquale Caselli and Ivaylo Yanev Flamenco - Pasquale Caselli and Storm Norris

The "Crystal Lyre" award-winning performance of the ballet "Don Quixote" of the Stara Zagora Opera will be a guest of the "Stage of the Ages"- Veliko Tarnovo

The ballet of Stara Zagora State Opera received the prestigious award of the Union of Bulgarian Music and Dance Artists and Cantus Firmus "Crystal Lyre" for the same performance in 2019.

A complete set design has been prepared especially for the stage of the medieval fortress "Tsarevets", which will be transformed in the colours of Spain. A sumptuous spectacle created in the spirit of the great ballet tradition, carrying the pulse of the new times. The ballet Don Quixote is among the crowning achievements of classical dance. In the production of the Stara Zagora Opera, Arshak Galumyan, premier soloist of the Stärzbaallet-Berlin, brings choreographic freshness and original directorial interpretation, enriching the visual perception with many theatrical, even cinematic means of expression. The set and the magnificent costumes are designed by the Italian Salvatore Russo.

The entire multinational ballet troupe of the State Opera-Stara Zagora, which in recent creative seasons has marked an astonishing leap in its professional growth, takes part in the performance of the ballet Don Quixote. The achievements of the young troupe under the direction of prima ballerina and teacher Silvia Tomova are highly appreciated by professional critics, connoisseurs and spectators in all parts of Bulgaria. On 18 July, in the main roles of Kitri and Basil, the citizens of Turnov and guests of the Old Capital will have the opportunity to applaud the prima ballerina and winner of the Crystal Lyra for 2019, Anelia Dimitrova, and the charming soloist Fiordi Loha from Albania.

In 1869, Petipa conceived a new ballet based on Cervantes' novel Don Quixote

As early as the 18th century, many European theatres staged ballets under this title to music by various composers. However, they did not use the plot of the famous novel, but the added novellas, which tell about the wedding of Camacho /in the French versions Gamache/ and the love of Kitri and Basil. Petipa also made use of this plot. The music was quickly written by Ludwig Minkus, an Austrian composer of Czech origin, and on 14 December 1869 the comic ballet premiered on the stage of Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. In 1871 Petipa made a new revision for the production at the Kamenny Theatre in Moscow.

Marius Petipa had travelled extensively in various cities of Spain, had managed to capture the spirit and traditions of the dance folklore of that country and then translate them on stage in their variety and uniqueness. The great master created a colourful festive spectacle full of joy and gaiety and forever inscribed his ballet Don Quixote in the category of masterpieces of ballet classics.

"Don Quixote" by Arshak Galumyan - choreographer

"For me as a choreographer "Don Quixote" is the first great classical title that I am staging and I am happy that this is happening right in Stara Zagora! Every big opera theatre, like the Stara Zagora Opera, which has grown a lot in the last few years, should have this title in its repertoire. I have choreographed a lot of humorous scenes so that the performance is not only for adults, but also interesting for children and young people. It's very important that the show is engaging for young audiences. "Don Quixote was the first ballet I ever saw as a child and the first ballet I was involved in as a student at ballet school. The audience will see and experience a celebration that happens on stage. And I hope the production itself will become a celebration for the whole city."

Arshak Galumyan was born in Armenia. He completed his ballet training in Yerevan and at the Hamburg Ballet School. As a dancer, he was a prize-winner at the prestigious Lausanne Ballet Competition. He is a long-time soloist of the Staatsballet, Berlin. His repertoire includes performances by almost all of the world's choreographic colossuses such as John Neumeier, Jiří Kilian, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Jerome Robbins, Balanchine, Angeline Preyokay, Orchad Naharin, John CrankoJean Christophe Maillot and others. In recent years Arshak Galumyan has also worked as a choreographer. His choreography "M.U.S.A." was created for the Berlin Staatsballet in 2017.

Salvatore Russo, set and costume designer

The ballet is called "Don Quixote," but the story does not repeat the plot of Cervantes. Don Quixote goes on a journey, but the ballet is about his dream, in a square in Seville. The main story is the love story between Kitri and Basil. The costumes are supposed to recreate the time of 1600, but are seen through the filter of 1800. Only a few of the costumes are "in period" as they say - Dulcinea's, Don Quixote's, Sancho Panza's, and to some extent Gamache's. The other costumes could be said to have been "born" in his imagination, from his, Don Quixote's, dream. In his dream he sees Dulcinea, but when he wakes up he realises that it is actually Kitri. The last act is not in Gamache's palace, but is as it was on opening night at the Mariinsky Theatre in St Petersburg /14 December 1871/ and the costumes are neo-romantic, colourful, bright, evoking a nice mood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9igsSCSJ8M

Reviews of the show

The young and talented dancers of the Stara Zagora State Opera Ballet, under the direction of the charismatic artistic director Sylvia Tomova, thrilled the audience in the sold-out theatre with their extraordinary energy and the beauty of their dance. A BIG BRAVO! The new production was made by Arshak Galumyan. He has preserved the best of the old classical tradition and transformed it with his choreographic talent into a lively, humorous and exciting performance." wrote immediately after the premiere Alexander Spak - ballet dancer of the Staatsballet-Berlin, manager of BalletEntertainment Company

"About the premiere of "Don Quixote" by the Stara Zagora Opera Ballet, one cannot tell. There are simply not enough superlatives. It has to be experienced. To fill the eyes and souls with beauty, color, joy and rapture, admiration for the talent of so many dedicated gifted artists who have come from all over the world to make high art. A bow and gratitude to the production team and all 50+ ballet dancers. To everyone behind the stage, backstage, in the studios and in the studios who created this brilliant production.

Salvatore Russo's brilliant costumes were sewn by the masters of the tailoring workshop, led by Maria Hristova. Let's mention just a few figures, just for the costumes that caught the eyes of the spectators: 147 costumes were specially made for the production of Don Quixote - 91 of them were women's costumes, and only 12 for the soloists. 10 costumes were made for the flamenco, 12 for the seguedilla, 16 for the Dryads in the Knight's Dream; 24 for the tutus and 7 for the court ladies and the Queen. 56 were men's costumes: 12 for the soloists , 10 for the flamenco, 12 for the seguedilla, 10 each for the toreadores and gypsies, 2 for the guitarists. 38 hats were made, 16 crowns, 12 tiaras. 1560 m. of cloth - silk, velvet, tulle, jersey, chiffon, etc. - were used to make the costumes, and 3300 m. went for fringes, gold embroidery, lace, shiriti, etc."

Rositsa Rancheva - The ballet "Don Quixote" gave a brilliant start to the Festival of Opera and Ballet Art in Stara Zagora

Emilia Zhunich - The iconic ballet "Don Quixote" and its celebrations in Stara Zagora in 2018

Bulgarian National Television (BNT2) film about the Stara Zagora Opera's production of Don Quixote