Култура

In the late afternoon of Friday, March 17, at one of the busiest places in the capital - the intersection of "Russian" and "Rakovski", the performances of the Representative Brass Orchestra of Velingrad with conductor Dimitar Mechev made dozens of people stop, listen to music and ask themselves what is the occasion for the unusual concert. The answer was given by a beautiful and stylish poster at the entrance of the Military Club: this was the beginning of the solemn celebration on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the creative debut of the opera singer born in Velingrad and who conquered the opera stages all over the world. Organizers of the solemn concert were the Municipality of Velingrad, the Central Military Club and the National Opera and Ballet. The event was under the patronage of the Minister of Culture Prof. Stefan Danailov and with the media partnership of the Bulgarian National Television and the Bulgarian National Radio. The hall, holding 500 spectators, was packed and this was the biggest proof of the attraction of the name Nikolay Ghiaurov. It was a great excitement and pleasure for everyone in the hall to recall the conquering voice of the singer through the recording of Don Basilio's aria - one of Ghiaurov's iconic roles.
Among the audience were two vice presidents - the current Gen. Angel Marin and former Gen. Atanas Semerdzhiev, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Eng. Stefan Yurukov, the mayor of the municipality of Velingrad Stoyan Dulev, the chairman of the Municipal Council Nejat Kehayov and municipal councilors. There were many Velingradians present - some came especially for the occasion from Velingrad, others living in Sofia, but also came especially for the part-time meeting with N. Gyaurov.
Half a century at the top - that was the assessment of N's creative career. Gyaurov in the speech of the former Chairman of the Committee on Culture Georgi Yordanov. He returned to the debut of the young opera singer from Velingrad, which took place 50 years ago on the same date March 17 and on the same stage of the Central Military Club. Ghiaurov is one of the few artists who does not have a single musical failure and therefore deserves worldwide recognition. Beneath his tombstone lies an entire universe that Bulgaria can be proud of, G. said. Jordanov.
The concert was attended by the Ensemble of the Bulgarian Army with artistic director Dimitar Genkov, the opera singers Angel Hristov, Stoil Georgiev and Svetlozar Rangelov, the City Choir of Velingrad with conductor Eli Gikova, the Representative Brass Orchestra with conductor Dimitar Mechev and the cheerleading squad with head Bilyana Maslarova.
The well-balanced program summed up the beginning of N's creative biography. Ghiaurov, for which his share have also the artistic amateur activity in his native Velingrad, and the help of the army ensemble, and the stage of the National Opera. Without any exaggeration we have to say a big "Bravo" to the singers from the City Choir, the conductor Eli Gikova and the pianist Stoyanka Encheva, who performed magnificently people from Verdi's opera Nabucco. Quartet of the army ensemble sang the famous Hunter Choir from Weber's opera "The Magic Shooter" to recall the true infatuation of N. Gyaurov on hunting and fishing. Opera performers offered arias by Verdi and Rachmaninoff, and singers and dancers from the army ensemble presented a bunch of popular patriotic songs.
The culmination of the spectacle was the joint work of the Velingrad brass orchestra, the cheerleading squad and the choirs. Their performance of the anthem of Velingrad touched and excited to tears a huge part of those present in the hall. And in the final, the national anthem "Mila Rodino" was the final chord in the concert dedicated to the great Bulgarian Nikolay Ghiaurov.
As a sign of respect to him, the stage was strewn with flowers: by the President of the National Assembly and MP from the Pazardzhik constituency Georgi Pirinski, by the Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev, by the Vice President Angel Marin, by the Minister of Culture Stefan Danailov, by the Union of Reserve Officers and Sergeants, the Union of War Veterans, the School for Reserve Officials "Hristo Botev 1948" and former colleagues of N. Gyaurov from the First Motor Battery. This solemn concert marked only the beginning of a series of events with which the 50th anniversary of the debut of the world-renowned bass will be celebrated at national and European level. The National Opera will do this with a special production of "The Barber of Seville", a celebration will be held in Modena and in Milan in Italy, separate events on this occasion are included in the program of the Festivals of Culture, and on Ghiaurov's birthday (13 September) in Velingrad will be opened his bust-monument.
The first event of the program deservedly received admirations, much of them fall to the Municipality of Velingrad and the initiative committee for the celebrations with Chairman Stoyan Dulev and Secretary Snezhana Veleva. May the same be the fate of the entire program dedicated to the anniversary of N. Gyaurov, because of all his work he deserves it. For its part, Velingrad deserves to be mentioned not only as the birthplace of the recognized bass of the planet singer. And as a city that values, preserves and develops the spirit of great art, bequeathed to us by Nikolay Ghiaurov.
Elena Baeva