Pancho Vladigerov (1899-1978)
Orchestral Works - Volume 3
Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra/Alexander Vladigerov
Bulgarian Chamber Orchestra/Pancho Vladigerov
rec. 1970-1975, Balkanton, Sofia, Bulgaria
CAPRICCIO C8056 [3 CDs: 199]
Capriccio’s Vladigerov series of reissued Balkanton LPs continues inexorably on its way. Vladigerov’s tendency to revisit earlier material and orchestrate it has also been a distinctive feature of this series, so it’s likely that you will have encountered some of the music in its original guise for solo piano. When, however, a composer is as colourful, expansive and filmic in his orchestrations, that can’t be a bad thing. The three CDs are well packed with good things sourced from the early to mid-70s.
The first disc gives us one of his last works, the 1972 Lyulin Impressions, a three-movement suite that marries liveliness with a cinematic elegy and then unleashes a finale full of comic verve and light-hearted frolics, based on the antics at a Country Fair. The Jewish Poem that follows dates from 1951 and is full of sonorous and romantic expression – a symphonic poem, in effect, without any obvious Hebraism. Vladigerov embraced his racial identity really only after the Second War had revealed the full extent of the horrors. Six Symphonic Novelettes (1964-65) are orchestrations of piano originals that he had just written and whilst they’re given titles, they’re not obviously descriptive, more evocative. The Dramatic Poem, with which the first disc ends, dates from 1956 and has some Straussian influence - resplendent, dramatic and intense.
The second disc leads off with his orchestrations of the Six Exotic Preludes, piano originals of the mid-20s. These are pretty symphonic in scale – much longer than one would ordinarily expect of orchestrated works by him later – and they’re romantically scored, full of luscious colour, wind arabesques, soaring melodies triumphantly declaimed, complete with Spanish-Moorish elements. This isn’t a set to be listened to straight through as the last two of the six, in particular, are so alike in many ways but extracted one at a time, like a grape at a feast, they work fine. The Three Concert Pieces date from 1959-60 and show another side to his palette - impressionism and Debussian elements in the first, the Arioso, though thenceforth it’s prime cuts of Vladigerov – bright, brassy exuberance, with bombastic Romanticism full of the reddest of red meat. To conclude disc two there’s the Improvisation and Toccata for Orchestra in which Romanticism is contrasted with a Bulgarian Toccata of rich flair and not a hint of academicism.
Three Impressions for Orchestra, Op. 9 date from 1920 and once again suggest a melding of Debussy and fiesta. The third of the set is a piece of richly overheated Wagneriana. The Solitude Prelude examines the Artist’s alone-ness, though in none-too serious fashion other than the bell chimes. The only recording actually conducted by Vladigerov – other than his son Alexander, who directs everything else – is the Three Pieces for string orchestra, which are all modestly scaled examples of very Light Music. The last piece in the set is one of the longest, the Symphonic Legend, Op.8 a 1941 revision for orchestra of a 1919 original which originally sported a text. Strongly shaped, sometimes tempestuous but always powerfully romanticised in ethos this makes for a finely considered envoi, as it shows Vladigerov corralling all his great strengths as composer, orchestrator and romantic.
Once again one can’t have any complaints about the superior nature of the remastering by Martin Klebahn in Vienna, nor Christian Heindl’s booklet notes, which are in German and English. This is a series in which the high standards never drop.
Jonathan Woolf
Contents
'Lyulin Impressions' - Suite for large orchestra, Op. 63
Jewish Poem, Op. 47
Six Symphonic Novelettes, Op. 59 / 60
Dramatic Poem, Op. 52
Six Exotic preludes, Op. 17
Three Concert Pieces, Op. 57
Improvisation and Toccata for Orchestra, Op. 36a
Three Impressions for Orchestra, Op. 9
Solitude, Prelude Op. 10 No. 3
Three Pieces for String Orchestra
Symphonic Legend, Op. 8
