Bulgarian Vera Nemirova – one of the brightest names in contemporary opera directing in Europe – has long lived and worked in Germany. For several years now, she has been a regular guest at the State Opera-Varna, and she recently began rehearsals in Bulgaria’s seaside capital for Faust – the most popular opera by Charles Gounod, with a pre-premiere scheduled for May 30.

The new production by Svetoslav Borisov (permanent guest conductor of the Varna Opera and Principal Conductor and Deputy Music Director at the Magdeburg Opera) and Vera Nemirova marks the third staging of Faust in Varna’s history, following two legendary productions: by Yosko Yosifov and Mihail Hadzhimishev in 1955, and by Vladi Anastasov and Kuzman Popov in 1974.

Vera Nemirova’s team includes prominent artists: the set design is by Olga von Wahl from Germany, and the costumes are by Youliyan Tabakov. The role of Doctor Faust will be performed by Filipino American tenor Arthur Espiritu and Reinaldo Droz, who was among the students from the master classes of Raina Kabaivanska. The role of Mephistopheles will be sung by two world-renowned bassos – Deyan Vachkov and Martin Tsonev, while the role of Marguerite is being prepared by three captivating sopranos – Ilina Mihaylova, Irina Zhekova and Zhanna Kostova.

The production also includes students from the Varna Children’s and Youth Opera, who frequently appear in Nemirova’s productions. According to the director, Faust represents “the searching human being”. She compares Goethe’s character to every individual because “within each of us, there is a Faust searching for the meaning of life.”

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photos: operavarna.com