Ballet in two acts by Krassimir Kurkchiyski
Libretto - Milen Paunov
Based on the short story of the same name by Nikolay Haytov

First performance in Bulgaria - 1983, Sofia Opera and Ballet
First performance in Ruse - 26 March 1997
Conductor - Tsanko Delibozov, Choreography and direction - Petar Lukanov, Scenography and costumes - Ivan Popov

Main characters:

Kara Ivan
Elina
Little Maria
Maria
Lazar
Memish Aga
Deli Mustafa
Husni

Short synopsis:

FIRST ACT
First picture
Dawn. With tenderness Elina and Kara Ivan reveal the feeling that binds them. One last embrace and Kara Ivan leaves for the mountain. There is the song of the treichelns nearby. Left alone, Elina snuggles next to the sleeping child. Suddenly, Deli Mustafa, Memish Aga and Husni, known for their cruelty, burst into the room. They brutally kidnap the defenceless Elina.
The day is raining. Kara Ivan is back. Over the corpse of the dead Elina, he vows revenge.

Second picture
Years later. High in the mountains, away from the people lives Kara Ivan with his daughter Maria. He dresses her up as a boy and raises the avenger in her. Near the house passes Deli Mustafa. In a duel with him, Maria stabs him fatally with a goat horn.
Thus begins the revenge of Kara Ivan. The image of Elina emerges before his eyes.

Third scene
At the home of Memish Aga. Maria lurks hidden behind the rocks. Memish Aga must be killed. The voluptuous picture from the harem of the aga relaxes the girl's hands for a moment. But she quickly overcomes the momentary weakness. A shot is fired. Memish aga falls dead. Everyone runs away. Maria drives a goat horn into the heart of her enemy.

Fourth scene
Sunday morning. In the church the people weep their sorrow in fervent prayers to God.
The silence is broken by the Turks, led by Husni. They are looking for the murderer with the goat horn. They torture and ill-treat the people without being stopped by their pleas or the white hair of the old man who stands before them. Rage burns in Lazar's chests who tries to defend his father. Maria trembles, ready to come to his aid, but Kara Ivan imperiously stops her. The Turks take Lazar away.

SECOND ACT
Fifth scene
Meadow in the middle of the forest. Husni and two Turks lead the bound Lazar. In their path stand two masks of a Kukeri. A duel begins. Husni manages to pull off the mask and freezes in terror. In front of him he sees Elina, who was kidnapped years ago. A moment later, Maria stabs a goat horn into his body.
The tender love between Maria and Lazar does not escape Kara Ivan's gaze. He roughly separates them and takes the girl away.
Sixth scene
Moon Night. With a heart filled with a feeling never before known, Maria approaches Lazar' hut dressed as a maiden. The chimes under the eaves ring, caressed by her hand. In the silence of the night, Maria and Lazar give freedom to their tender love.
Kara Ivan, filled with jealousy and malice, stabs a goat horn into Lazar' back.

Seventh picture
Celebration in the village. Among the crowd is Mary, who is looking for Lazarus. Shot. The choir stops. Karadjata appears. He rushes towards the unknown beauty and reaches for her golden string. She wriggles to protect herself and the goat horn falls from her bosom. Everyone is stricken. That's who the unknown avenger is. Mary flees from the square.

Eighth picture
Maria mourns the dead of Lazar.
Kara Ivan desperately begs her forgiveness. Maria takes a goat horn and points it at her father... But her hand moves away and she plunges the horn into his heart.

"... I did not assume that the comparison - so unexpected - would be in favour of the new production... ...I think this is a very good success for director Peter Lukanov. There is something more mature, something more sincere, something more spontaneous in the movements, in the mise-en-scene and in every respect. You forget that it's a ballet and at times you become as involved as when you watch the film, and to some extent more so, So art exercises its magic. I know it's hard to put that into words. It's hard to do with music. It's hard to do in a movie. It's even harder, and hardest, when you have a single "instrument" - dance. I just admire this miracle..."

Acad. Nikolai Haitov, 18 April 2000, Sofia