Bolivar Bullet

1850 was a hectic year for Giuseppe Verdi. While busy with the score for Stiffelio for the Teatro Grande of Trieste, he also had to abide by his contract with La Fenice in Venice. His intent was to put to music a particular subject, with characters that had already caused an uproar in Paris. Due to its risqué nature the censors changed many of the characters’ names: the protagonist Francois I king of France became the anonymous Duke of Mantua and so forth. But Verdi did not want the king as protagonist of his opera; he preferred the court buffoon. And so the definitive title became Rigoletto (from the French Tribolet). Rigoletto was the first of what is now known as Verdi’s “popular trilogy”, followed by La traviata and Il trovatore.

Established in 1996 by Ivan Kyurkchiev, Opera Verdi Europa is based on the great traditions of the art of opera in Bulgaria and presents unique productions combining the best of the opera worlds of Bulgaria and all of Europe. Under Mr. Kyurkchiev’s direction, the company gives more than 70 performances a year around the world. The company collaborates not only with Bulgarian opera theatres and symphony orchestras but also with opera houses from Bucharest (Romania), Budapest (Hungary), Chisinau (Moldovia), Kiev (Ukraine), Theatre Nemirovich-Danchenko (Russia) and many others. Opera Verdi’s roster of distinguished singers, its impressive choir, ballet and orchestra has obtained an interpretive maturity in many different styles. The members of the orchestra, choir, and ballet were carefully selected from among the best Bulgarian musicians, singers, and dancers.

The creative achievements of Opera Verdi have also gained international recognition on many more of the world’s most prestigious opera stages, including Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Solingen, Remscheid and Schweinfurt (Germany), Salzburg (Austria), Zurich (Switzerland), Lisbon and Oporto (Portugal), Madrid and Valencia (Spain). The company undertakes its first tour of the United States of America under the auspices of Columbia Artists Management, Inc. in Autumn 2003. You can see Opera Verdi perform the illustrious Rigoletto Monday, October 6, 2003. If you need more information you may contact the ticket office at the DSU Bologna Performing Arts Center at (662) 846-4626.