site.btaRossini's "Stabat Mater" to Be Performed at State Opera Varna on Holy Thursday

The State Opera Varna will present Stabat Mater by Gioachino Rossini on Holy Thursday, the Opera announced.

The orchestra will be conducted by Grigor Palikarov. The soloists are Aleksandrina Mihailova (soprano), Maria Radoeva (mezzo-soprano), Samuel Robertson (tenor) and Deyan Vatchkov (bass). The performance will feature the choir of the State Opera Varna, conducted by Teodora Georgieva, and the Morski Zvuci Municipal Choir, led by Rositsa Shtereva.

Stabat Mater is considered one of the most significant sacred works of the 19th century, blending religious depth with operatic expressiveness, the State Opera said. Written in the form of an oratorio or sacred cantata, it is based on a medieval Latin text depicting the suffering of the Virgin Mary at the foot of the Cross.

Rossini composed the work over a period of ten years, and its premiere in Paris in 1842 was met with great acclaim. Scored for four soloists, choir and orchestra, the composition comprises ten movements and stands out for its contrast between intimate, contemplative passages and powerful choral peaks.

Aleksandrina Mihailova and Deyan Vatchkov are soloists of the State Opera Varna. Maria Radoeva has performed at the Teatro Regio Torino, the Teatro Massimo Palermo, the opera houses in Varna and Plovdiv, as well as at the Tyrolean Festival Erl in Austria. Samuel Robertson holds a master's degree in music and literature from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, and performs on stages across Europe.