German-Bulgarian Opera Festival Opens Door to Business, Tourism Cooperation

Sofia, March 1 (BTA) - A German-Bulgarian opera festival will
open the door to cooperation in business and tourism. The
initiative was presented Sunday by its authors, Director of the
Sofia Opera and Ballet Academician Plamen Kartalov and Mayor of
the German City of Fuessen Paul Iacob.

The project is under the auspices of President Rosen Plevneliev
and is supported by the ministries of culture and of tourism,
and private sponsors.

The project will start with a performance in September in
Fuessen of Richard Wagner's four epic operas, The Ring of the
Nibelung, directed by Kartalov.

Iacob voiced a wish that the festival become an annual event.
The German guest said that Bulgaria has treasures which are
almost unknown to the outside world and which should be shown
and popularized: nature, cultural and historical heritage,
unique traditions.

The idea to perform the operas in Fuessen came to Kartalov last
summer when he was travelling from Salzburg to Bayreuth and
discovered Festspielhaus Theatre in Fuessen. The theatre
immediately stroke Kartalov as "his theatre". The director was
also impressed by the throngs of tourists who visited the
Ostallgau district at the foot of the Alps to see the old
castles. Karatlov thought that the holiday makers would make
nice "opera audience material".