On May 19, audiences will be able to see the first pop opera in Bulgaria based on Oscar Wilde’s “The Fisherman and his Soul” in Hall No.1 of the National Palace of Culture in Sofia. It is an ambitious production with more than 100 performers; the music is by Minko Lambov and the libretto by Ana Topalova. In the words of the composer, the two stared working together in 2012.

“Even before that we had worked on a major project together – the symphony ballet “Tempest” by Alexander Ostrovsky. It was not a commercial project, so we decided to do something that would reach out to a broader audience. That was how we came up with the idea to produce Oscar Wilde’s tale, a story many people are very fond of, a tale that conveys a profound philosophy and is suited to children and adults alike.”

The authors have cast beautiful singer Vessy Boneva in the role of the mermaid. Nencho Balabanov is the fisherman and Mariana Popova – the witch, singer from the Sofia Opera House Stefan Vladimirov is the priest. Johnny Iliev is cast as the devil and Amalia, lead vocalist of the funk formation Dirty Purchase is given the most serious of all roles in the opera, that of the soul. In terms of the music, the opera offers an innovative approach and makes use of different techniques of composition. The music by Minko Lambov brings together on stage opera and pop singers with a symphony orchestra, a pop-rock band and a choir with conductor Maestro Kiril Lambov and this helps create a special blend of harmony.

“I love the eclectic and to me blending genres is fun,” he says. “I am not living with the feeling that I am the best jazz, pop or any other kind of composer. It gives me great pleasure to blend elements that may seem incompatible. It is not easy because as it is said “there is a measure in everything’. There is always the risk that it will not work out, but then the result could be something unique. I hope that in this case the latter will be true.”

The fantastic glow-paint costumes for “The Fisherman and his Soul” – costumes that have never before been seen in Bulgaria - are the work of Kremena Halvadjyan. The Symphonietta orchestra provides the accompaniment for the 150-minute long show.

“We recorded one of the dances of the fisherman and his soul together with renowned violinist Svetlin Roussev. I met up with him quite by chance; I had already written the music for piano and violin. I mustered up the courage to ask him to perform it and he agreed. We made the recording in Shoumen a few days ago and then I sent it to Paris for mixing. I am proud to say that this is one of the names of world renown involved in this project.”

The team that produced the pop opera is hoping that it will give the audience pleasure but also that it will touch viewers with the story of true love and the price we are ready to pay for it.

English version: Milena Daynova