G. Bizet's Pearl Fishers in State Opera/Operalia festival (source: Courtesy of State Opera BB)
The opera festival, which used to be part of Zvolen Castle Plays, usually organised in June at Zvolen Castle, will now take place at the State Opera house in Banská Bystrica, in October.
The opening piece will be La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, performed by the local team on October 20 in its State Opera premiere.
The following concerts include a chamber concert two days later called The Magic of Strings with Michal Matejčík (harp), and Lucia Harvanová (violin), and three more operas, including a final performance, as well as another concert by young promising singers, called Operalia Talent.
The pieces on offer
The Banská Bystrica Traviata has been rehearsed by Lorenzo Tazzieri who recently became the head and chief conductor of the Tokyo Metropolitan opera and is directed by local, Dana Dinková.
Matejčík is a universal multi-genre musician who has played with the Vienna State opera, as well as with George Michael (on tour), Depeche Mode and with the Il Divo group. On October 22, he will play, with Lucia Harvanová, a repertory which expands the limits of classical music.
The children’s opera, Puss In Boots by Xavier Montsalvatge, is on the programme for October 23, while the last performance of George Bizet’s Pearl Fishers will be offered the next evening, both by the host, the State Opera.
G. Bizet: Pearl Fishers (source: Courtesy of State Opera Banská Bystrica)
The historical city-hall will house the Operalia Talent concert on October 25 (with Tatiana Hajzušová – soprano, Glória Nováková – soprano, Andrej Vancel – tenor, Adam Nádler – baritone and Róbert Pechanec – piano accompaniment).
The last piece is a staging of Giusppe Verdi’s Aida by the J.K. Tyl Theatre from Pilsen, Czech Republic, on October 26.
Aida att he Operalia 2017 Banská Bystrica (source: Courtesy of J.K. Tyl Theatre, Pilsen)
Moving of the festival from an outdoor, though romantic, venue is meant to help especially with those pieces which are demanding to stage and thus, expand the potential variety on offer, the organisers informed the TASR newswire.
