Composer - Parashkev Hadzhiev

Libretto - Ivan Genov

Based on a poem by Pencho Slaveykov "Mad Guidia".

Mad Guidia premiered on 30 November 1959 on the stage of the Sofia Opera. Performances followed in the opera houses of Stara Zagora, Plovdiv and Frankfurt/Oder, and soon Mad Guidia became the first Bulgarian opera to appear on the major stages of Western Europe.

First performance in Ruse: 28 January 1967. Conductor - Dimitar Manolov, director - Borislav Dionisiev, artist - Peter Popov, choreographer - Dimitar Gaidarov, choirmaster - Atanas Dimitrov.

Short synopsis:

First act

The fields of Sultane village. It is harvest time and the reapers stop for a rest with a song. Mecho, one of Chorbaji Radan's ploughmen, tells of last night's quarrel in the village. The gossamer Iliya whistled under the chardak of Zornitsa, the daughter of Chorbaji Radan. The whole village heard the skillful whistle and a wonderful dance ensued. The enraged choirmaster raised a great uproar - how dare Elijah - this mad gidia - to tease the first beautiful girl in the village! Winnie has not finished his story and behold - Elijah himself comes. The boy sings of his love for Zornitsa. Everyone loves Elijah and welcomes him with joy. Winnie fears for Ilia and tries to deny her friend Zornitsa - the squire would never give his daughter as a wife to a simple shepherd! Elijah does not betray his love. The reapers will always support him. Kuna, Winnie's outcast, who is also a rattler for Chorbaji Radan, comes. She seeks out Elijah to tell him that Zornitsa wants to see him.
Zornitsa laments her unfortunate fate. Her father forces her to break up with her lover. When Elijah arrives, Zornitsa tells him with anguish of her father's anger. She begs him to part. The boy comforts the maiden. Surprisingly, Chorbadzhi Radan enters with two chorbadzhi. When he sees his daughter together with Ilia, he is again possessed with anger, he harshly scolds Zornitsa and sends her home, and orders Ilia to get out of the village at once and never see her again. The enraged father even threatens that he would rather give his daughter to a Turk than to a simple choban like him. The feud has attracted the attention of the villagers of the fields. They are deeply indignant at the words of the choban. Iliya is not afraid of Radan's threats and boldly replies that if the Chorbadzhi fulfils his threat, he will play a song that will drive the whole village mad. Then there will be no one to reap the fields of the chorobadzhi. Radan is enraged and threatens to complain to the Kadija, while Elijah plays his gusla and sings a mocking song. His song captivates the villagers, who sing along.

Second act

In the house of Chorbaji Radan. In her desperation, Zornitsa asks her mother for help. The mother knows the girl's anguish - she too once loved a poor young man, but her father forcibly took her in as a wife to the rich lord. The village cadi comes to meet Bey Osman, who is staying in the choirmaster's home. The cadi announced with satisfaction that, by the will of the Sultan, Osman was now the ruler of the village. The Sultan's generosity is a reward for how Osman bey with his enchanters was able to save the Sultan from apparent death. For this feat, in gratitude, the Sultan granted him the village of Sultane. The cadi interrogates the hero about his lineage. Osman painfully tells him that he has been a warrior ever since he can remember and knows neither his lineage nor where he is from. Allah has left him a single token - a musk in which is written something that no one can read. Beyat asked the learned Syrians, Greeks and Persians in vain. No one could decipher the letter. There was one cleric in the Sultanate, Matthias, who, according to the cadiate, could read what was written. Osman wished to bring him at once.

Enter the chiefs of the village. They insist that Elijah should be ordered to leave the village because his whistling prevents the peasants from working in the land of the crofters. The curate promises to condemn Elijah today. Left alone with the bey, the Kadija reveals to him the real reason for Radan's anger. The curate himself does not know how to proceed and asks the bey for advice. If he condemns Elijah, the people will be unhappy because of their affection for the guslar, but if he acquits him, he will incur the wrath of the Chorbaje. The bey believes that singing is a gift from the Heavenly Lord and it would be a great sin to condemn the singer. The curate leaves satisfied; he has decided to acquit Elijah.

Pope Matthew is coming. Bey gives him his musket, asking him to read what is written in it. He sees that the writing is in Old Bulgarian and the seal is that of the church of the village of Sultane. Osman eagerly asks him what it says. Pope Matthew tells him that he should check the old church books and then he will answer more accurately. A premonition begins to anger the bey: "Am I a gyaurin too?" His musings are interrupted by Chorbaji Radan. He asks him to banish Elijah, but Osman does not want to interfere in the dispute between the chorbadzhi and the guslar, beloved by the whole village. Zornitsa serves coffee. Osman Bey is struck by her wondrous beauty - he has never seen such a pretty girl. Chorbaji Radan notices this and offers him his daughter as a wife to drive the guslar away from the village. Radan orders Zornitsa to kiss his hand as he will be her husband. The desperate Zornitsa pleads bitterly for mercy, but he is adamant. And Osman is already in love with her and describes to the maiden the charms of their future life. Zornitsa discovers she loves another and flees. Chorbaji Radan reassures Osman-his daughter will obey her father's will.

Third act

Sultane's herald invites the people to assemble on the town square. There, the old qadi of the village will judge Elijah. The people gather. The accused is brought before the impetuous accusers, the chorbaji. They demand that Elijah, the mad gidia, be banished from the village. The guslar is also given the floor, and tells that he has done no harm to anyone. On the contrary, he has worked honestly and tirelessly for Radan, who wants him banished because the guslar loves his daughter. All confirm his words. The Kadija wishes to hear how Elijah plays and to see for himself how the young man will do the miracle of playing everyone off.

The whistler is so skilful that he really plays everybody - the caddy, and the chorbajis play till they faint. At last Elijah stops, and the pleased caddie excuses him. At that moment the bey comes and orders Elijah to be tied up and banished from the village. But he is astonished to see on the lad's breast a muska like his own. He cuts the musket off Elijah's chest. Pope Matthew tells everyone how once upon a time the shepherd Boril from their village had two sons, Slav and Elijah. The elder, Slav, was taken by the Turks as a blood tribute. Today Slav is in front of them - this is Osman Bey himself, and the gossamer Elijah is his brother. All are deeply moved. Zornitsa comes. She asks Osman to release Elijah, and in return she accepts to be his wife. To her great surprise, Osman agrees to marry Elijah because he is his brother. He is very happy to have finally found his kin. Chorbaji Radan blesses Zornitsa and Ilia. The whole village is invited to Zornitsa and Ilia's wedding. The people and Elijah praise the song. Beauty and love will defeat evil on earth.