THE TWO TIMID ONES

I DUE TIMIDI /THE TWO TIMID ONES/
A Chamber opera by Nino Rota
Conductors Miroslav Georgiev
Director Ognyan Draganov
Arrangement for a chamber orchestra Viktor Krumov and Miroslav Georgiev
Scenography Ventsislav Petrov
Costumes Teodora Dzhambazova
Assistant Director Denis Boyadzhiev
Chief Accompanist Svetlana Doneva
Translator of titles Mariya Klincheva
Practical Studies Seminar of the National Music Academy “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov” – Sofia and the Stara Zagora State Opera
Students from the class in acting by Ognyan Draganov
Vittorio (a cobbler / a story-teller – Lyuben Baychinski
Mariuccia (a pianist) – Anastasia Altukhova
Raimondo – Stoyan Buyukliev
Signora Guidotti (an owner of a boarding house) – Vaso Paraskeva
Dr. Sinisgalli – Kostadin Yakshev
Mariuccia’s mother – Ivona Ivanova
Lucia (a chambermaid) – Andzhela Geleva
Maria (a chambermaid) – Lora Radeva
Lisa (a nurse) – Anna Yankova
A bellboy in the hotel – Tomas Tomov
The one-act comic opera “The Two Timid Ones” was created as a radio production in 1950. Its first performance was aired on 15 November 1950 under the baton of Franco Ferrara. The first opera production was in the London Club-Theater “Scala” on 17 March 1952.
Nino Rota /1911-1979/ is known more as a film composer. He worked with some of the most renowned directors of the 20th century – Luchino Visconti /”Rocco and his Brothers”/, Franco Zaffirelli /”Romeo and Juliet”, Francis Ford Coppola /The Godfather”/. In his operas Nino Rota continues the Italian opera tradition, with a strong melodious line and long phrases, which provide the singers with big opportunities for demonstration of vocal mastery.
The action takes place in a yard, in the outskirts of a modern city, in the middle of the last century. The place is populated by interesting characters – the Cobbler, an ironic observer of everything which happens, the three young girls Maria, Lucia and Lisa, who comment kindly, but with ridicule the events around; the porter Vittorio, who cannot refuse the next favor to buy a liter of milk for Lucia. Mariuccia is a pianist. She is not liked much by the “listeners” of her practice on the piano, but all are kind to her. All are kind, rarely honest in their relationships. This causes many comic misunderstandings.
Duration 1 hour.
Performed in Italian with titles in Bulgarian.
Premiere: 26 February, 2021