In the Lahinja’s embrace

From the directing concept:
“The tragic story of forbidden love is based on a Bela krajina legend from the 17th century. It is the first opera in the world written for tamburitza orchestra. Since the opera includes Bela krajina musical motifs and dances, and the libretto describes the traditional jurjevanje folk celebrations around St George's Day, bonfires and carolling, we decided on a traditional opera performance. The performance thus had the function of documenting and preserving the cultural heritage of Bela krajina, while at the same time communicating the cultural tradition of the region and its values. You could say it is a real 'ethno opera'.”

From the review:
“The whole show takes place in the spirit of Bela krajina. It combines works composed in this folk style with original folk songs (choir) and dances (Dragatuš Folk Dance Group), which is really fascinating for the audience. Praise goes to director Eva Hribernik as well as set and costume designer Bojana Cvejić Zagorc for the genuine atmosphere of Bela krajina and the feast for the eyes. This was evident from the enthusiasm of the audience and three sold-out repetitions after the turn of the year.” (Tanja Benedik, SIGIC, 4 January 2020)

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