Organization

Conductor

Stefan Boyadzhiev

Stage director

Svetozar Donev

Choreographer

Anna Doneva

Set designer

Ivan Tokadjiev

Costume designer

Anna-Maria Tokadzhieva

Chorus master

Tsvetan Krumov

Singer

Tenor

Alexander Mutafchiysky

Ménélas

Plamen Raykov

Pâris

Mezzo-soprano

Ilina Mihaylova

Helen

Bass

Velin Mihaylov

Calchas

Spoken

Anatoliy Romanov

Philocôme

Soprano

Vyara Zhelezova

Bacchis

Kalina Zhekova

Oreste

Dimitar Iliev

Ajax II

Dimitar Levicharov

Ajax I

Ilko Zahariev

Achille

Baritone

Ivo Yordanov

Agamemnon

Maria Pavlova

Minerva

State Opera Varna

La Belle Hélène -  (The Fair Helen)

Varna

Bulgaria

Opera Theatre

La Belle Hélène Offenbach

Public

The Fair Helen

Approved

The Beautiful Helena is the second operetta in the work of the founder of this genre Jacques Offenbach. With its premiere in 1864, it won the hearts of Parisians and reached a record 700 consecutive performances. Since then, he has continued to multiply the fame of his creator around the world.
"In" Beautiful Helen "Jacques Offenbach is not interested in the ancient world, but only uses the mask of ancient heroes to expose with humor and irony the behavior of famous contemporaries. There are many testimonies left from that time, which tell how the audience burst into laughter, recognizing in the characters of the scene famous politicians. Offenbach was obviously annoyed by many rulers because he was accused and tried for ... espionage, for all his work.
Due to this current focus, "Beautiful Elena" could hardly be understood by future generations, so there are many revisions. The first version in the 1930s, when Hitlerism was born, belonged to the great German director Max Reinhard, a Jew by birth. In its editorial office there is an exclamation "Hellas of Greece", as an analogy for the then popular slogan "Germany of the Germans", says director Svetozar Donev.
After editing various editions of "Beautiful Elena", he now returns to the reading of Max Reinhard, because of its universal nature and the ability to take into account the shortcomings of modern society and the next in power.

English

The Fair Helen by Offenbach, From (2022/2022), Directed by Svetozar Donev,, Conductor Stefan Boyadzhiev, Opera Theatre, Varna, Bulgaria

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues