Pancho Vladigerov

Started by Dry Brett Kavanaugh, September 24, 2020, 07:57:37 AM

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Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Enjoying these discs. Dynamic and lyrical music influenced by Bulgarian folk tradition. While the performance by the orchestras are average/fair, these unique compositions would sound great if performed by top-tier orchestras. Still, these recordings are beautiful and penetrating. There are only few recordings of Vladigerov. Hope somebody will release his symphonies someday.

vandermolen

I quite enjoy this CD:
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

#2
Quote from: vandermolen on September 24, 2020, 08:05:37 AM
I quite enjoy this CD:


I was wondering about the disc. I will order it today. 😄😄😄


P.s. Nice review on Amazon, Jeffrey. This is OOP and the market price is ridiculous now. I will wait for a reissue.

Christo

'My CD' is the one at CPO & a wonderful one at that:


... music is not only an 'entertainment', nor a mere luxury, but a necessity of the spiritual if not of the physical life, an opening of those magic casements through which we can catch a glimpse of that country where ultimate reality will be found.    RVW, 1948

vandermolen

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on September 24, 2020, 08:55:07 AM
I was wondering about the disc. I will order it today. 😄😄😄


P.s. Nice review on Amazon, Jeffrey. This is OOP and the market price is ridiculous now. I will wait for a reissue.

Thank you DBK! I'd forgotten that I'd ever written that review and even more surprised that it is on Amazon.com rather than on Amazon.co.uk
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Symphonic Addict

I heard the 5 piano concertos some days ago. Anyone who loves intense late-Romanticism alla Rachmaninov should find great enjoyment in them, albeit Vladigerov incorporated folk elements that make them somewhat distinctive.
Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky

vandermolen

Quote from: Symphonic Addict on September 24, 2020, 05:13:10 PM
I heard the 5 piano concertos some days ago. Anyone who loves intense late-Romanticism alla Rachmaninov should find great enjoyment in them, albeit Vladigerov incorporated folk elements that make them somewhat distinctive.
Possibly my next port of call.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Scion7

born: 13/25 March 1899 in Zurich; died: Sofia, 8 Sept 1978

A composer I'd not heard of.
There is a website devoted to him:  https://vladigerov.org/en/about-pancho-vladigerov/

The Grove has a write-up on him that is informative (of course.)

" One of the most important representatives of second generation Bulgarian composers, he underwent a natural creative evolution and formed an individual musical style following the traditions of Rachmaninoff, Richard Strauss and others. He wrote the first instrumental concerto in Bulgarian music, while his 6 Lyric Songs (1917) mark the beginning of many such vocal works in Bulgarian music. In general terms, his music is highly expressive and employs Romantic harmonies ... Vladigerov is a significant figure in 20th-century music. Influenced by German and Russian music (but also using elements of Bulgarian, Jewish, Romanian and Spanish music) ... "


chamber works
==========================

Sonata for violin & piano, op.1, 1914
Trio for piano, violin, cello, op.4, 1916
2 Improvisations, op.7, violin, piano, 1919
4 Pieces, op.12, 1921
Balgarska rapsodiya 'Vardar', op.16, violin, piano, 1922
Burlesque, violin, piano, op.14, 1922
Kontsertno shimi, violin, piano, 1924
2 Balgaski Parafrazi [2 Bulgarian Paraphrases], op.18, violin, piano, 1925
2 Pieces, op.20, violin, piano, 1926
String Quartet, op.34, 1940
Concert Fantasy, cello, orch, op.35, 1941
2 Pieces, violin, piano, 1964

orchestral music
================================

Symphonic Legend, op.8, 1919
violin concerto no.1, op.11, 1921
Scandinavian Suite 'The Dance of Death'], op.13, 1924
Bulgarian Suite, op.21, 1927
Balgarska rapsodiya 'Vardar', 1928
piano concerto no.1, op.6, 1928
piano concerto no.2, op.22, 1930
7 Symphonic Bulgarian Dances, op.23, 1931
Zemya [Land], ov., op.27, 1933
piano concerto no.3, op.31, 1937
Symphony no.1, op.33, 1939
Epizodi [Episodes], op.36, 1941, revised as Improvatsiya i tokata, 1942
Horo Stakato [Chain Dance Staccato], 1942, a collaboration with the composer Dinku
4 Symphonic Romanian Dances, op.38, 1942
2 Romanian Sym. Sketches, op.39, 1943
Suite no.1, op.40a, 1947 [from Legenda za Ezeroto (ballet)]
Deveti Septemvri [September 9th], heroic overture, op.45, 1949
Symphony no.2 'Maiska' [May] for strings, op.44, 1949
Evreiska Poema [Hebrew Poem], op.47, 1951
piano concerto no.4, op.48, 1953
Suite no.2, op.40b, 1953 [from Legenda za Ezeroto (ballet)]
Song about Peace, dramatic poem, op.52, 1956
piano concerto no.5, op.58, 1963
violin concerto no.2, op.61, 1968
Lyulin Impressions, op.63, 1972

piano music
===========================

4 Pieces, op.10, 1920 -- 3 Pieces, op.15, 1922 -- 6 ekzotichni prelyudii [6 Exotic Preludes], op.17, 1924 -- Klasichno i romantichno [Classic and Romantic], op.24, 1931 -- Shumen Miniatures, op.29, 1934 -- Sonatina konchertante, op.28, 1934 -- Epizodi [Episodes], op.36, 1941 -- Akvareli [Aquarelles], op.37, 1942 -- Kartini [Pictures], op.46, 1950 -- Suite, op.51, 1954 -- 3 Pieces, op.53, 1957 -- 3 Concert Pieces, op.57, 1959 -- Novelettes, op.59 -- 1964 -- 5 harakterni piesi [5 Characteristic Pieces], op.60, 1965 -- 3 Short Pieces, op.63, 1972 -- 4 Pieces, op.65, 1973 -- 5 Silhouettes, op.66, 1974 -- 5 Poetic Pictures, op.68, 1976 -- 4 Frescoes, op.69, 1977 -- 3 Bagatelles, op.70, 1978

an opera: Tsar Kaloyan, op.30, 1936
a ballet: Legend of the Lake, op.40, 1946

a horde of incidental music:  Caesar and Cleopatra (G.B. Shaw), 1920 -- Sanna igra [The Dance of Death] (A. Strindberg), 1921 -- Judith (F. Hebel), 1922 -- Venetsiyanskiyat targovets [The Merchant of Venice] (W. Shakespeare), 1924 -- Tebeshireniyat krag [The Chalk Circle] (Klabund), 1925 -- Yuarets i Maksimiliyan [Juarez and Maximilian] (F. Werfel), 1926 -- Mnogo shum za nishcho [Much Ado about Nothing] (Shakespeare), 1928 -- Yusik (O. Dimov), 1929 -- Dvanaiseta noshch [Twelfth Night] (Shakespeare), 1932 -- Elenovo Tsarstvo [Deer Kingdom] (G. Raichev), 1934 -- Vetriloto [The Fan] (C. Goldoni), 1935 -- Shchastie [Happiness] (O. Vasilev), 1954

and songs, including 6 Lyric Songs, high vocalist & piano, 1917, folksong arrangements, and a choral work-Turbulent Days, 1945







When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Roasted Swan

I listened to the recent Naxos disc.  I must admit a slight sense of "meh...."  Well crafted, well played but very much in the style of 'colourful nationalistic' dance music - the sort of thing to my ear that Enescu and the like did earlier and better.  Perhaps too much folky-nationalism in one go for me.  I guess other facets of his music show a wider stylistic range....?

Scion7

Quote from: Roasted Swan on September 25, 2020, 03:37:38 AM
... that Enescu and the like did earlier and better

Maybe Bulgarian folk tunes are not as rich as Romanian ones?
When, a few months before his death, Rachmaninov lamented that he no longer had the "strength and fire" to compose, friends reminded him of the Symphonic Dances, so charged with fire and strength. "Yes," he admitted. "I don't know how that happened. That was probably my last flicker."

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: Christo on September 24, 2020, 09:19:13 AM
'My CD' is the one at CPO & a wonderful one at that:


Solid performance, and possibly/arguably the best recording available as of now.

Roy Bland

#11



Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: Roy Bland on October 08, 2020, 07:55:28 PM




The jackets look so cool. Do you own some of them? I am envious!

Roy Bland


Dry Brett Kavanaugh


Dry Brett Kavanaugh


vandermolen

#16
Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on October 19, 2020, 06:34:50 AM
Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 will be released from Capriccio on Nov. 6.

https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/8829242--vladigerov-orchestral-works-vol-1
Interesting! Thanks for posting DBK.
PS The First Symphony, in a very crackly recording, is on You Tube. It sounds like the sort of crash-bang-wallop symphony which appeals to me. I shall investigate.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Dry Brett Kavanaugh

Quote from: vandermolen on September 24, 2020, 08:05:37 AM
I quite enjoy this CD:


I bought the disc for a reasonable price. The music sounds very good!

vandermolen

Quote from: Dry Brett Kavanaugh on October 19, 2020, 08:15:38 AM
I bought the disc for a reasonable price. The music sounds very good!
Good to know - I've pre-ordered the symphonies CD.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Symphonic Addict

Part of the tragedy of the Palestinians is that they have essentially no international support for a good reason: they've no wealth, they've no power, so they've no rights.

Noam Chomsky