The Stefan Macedonski National Musical Theatre will present in Veliko Tarnovo a concert-spectacle dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Johann Strauss II. The event will take place at the Summer Theatre in the old capital. The audience will enjoy overtures, arias, duets, and ensembles from the iconic works of the famous composer.

The concert-spectacle “The King of the Waltz” features soloists, choir, ballet, and orchestra of the Musical Theatre. Performers on stage include Dobrina Ikonomova, Edelina Kaneva, Zornitsa Damyanova, Lyudmila Kozareva, Olga Mihaylova-Dinova, Stefani Krasteva, Temenuzhka Trifonova, Denka Prodanov, Krastan Krastanov, Marcho Apostolov, Penyo Pirozov, Stefan Petkov, and Hristo Sarafov.

Conductors are Yuli Damyanov and Dorian Mohlov; director – Alexander Mutafchiyski, with assistant directors Bozhanka Grueva and Martin Vasilev. Set design is by Nikolay Nikolov, chorus master – Lyudmil Gorchev, concertmaster – Maria Kirova, and choreographers – Tatyana Yaneva and Yoanna Stoyanova. Costumes were designed by Yana Dvoretska, Tsvetanka Petkova-Stoynova, and Evgenia Raeva.

The concert-spectacle is the final event of the accompanying program of the 10th Summer Opera Season “Stage of the Centuries” in Veliko Tarnovo. Other highlights of the program included the musical “Zorro”, the concert “Tango Classic”, and the stage cantata “Carmina Burana”. The Bulgarian Telegraph Agency is a media partner of the festival, organized by the Municipality of Veliko Tarnovo with the support of the Regional Historical Museum and the municipal tourism agency “Tsarevgrad Tarnov”.

The text highlights the life and work of Johann Strauss II, the renowned Austrian composer and conductor, born 200 years ago. He was part of a distinguished musical family and surpassed the achievements of his father, also named Johann Strauss. Strauss II was an extremely popular and wealthy musician in Vienna in his time, perfecting the Viennese musical style by incorporating a variety of cultural influences, including Tyrolean yodels, the waltz step, polkas, galops, czardas, quadrilles, and elements from Hungarian, French, Slavic, Egyptian, and Persian music. His works were highly acclaimed, although some detractors claimed his music was plagiarized.

Johannes Brahms defended Strauss II, asserting that he did not steal music. The program of the upcoming concert includes the overture to the comic opera The Gypsy Baron, arias, duets, and ensembles from the operettas Viennese Blood, A Night in Venice, and Die Fledermaus, performed by the orchestra, choir, and soloists of the Stefan Macedonski National Musical Theatre. The theatre’s ballet will perform world-famous waltzes such as Kaiser-Walzer, Voices of Spring, and On the Beautiful Blue Danube. The concert will conclude with a tribute to Johann Strauss I, the father of Johann Strauss II, with a performance of the Radetzky March.