In Bulgaria, both folk and art music reveal an ancient tradition that strikes awe even in some of today&aposs great musical nations. The way Pancho Vladigerov incorporated these folk music themes into his concert pieces shows not only his affinity for them, but also suggests that he felt something of a calling to promulgate and champion the folk traditions of his central European homeland. The most frequently performed of Pancho Vladigerov&aposs works is undoubtedly his Bulgarian Rhapsody, Op. 16 &aposVardar&apos, written in 1922. The most outstanding must be his Seven Symphonic Bulgarian Dances, Op. 23 (1931), with which he might have wanted to create a counterpart to Brahms&apos Hungarian Dances, Dvoák&aposs Slavonic Dances, Grieg&aposs Norwegian Dances and other popular, nationalistic musical postcards.
Artists
Nikolay Petrov (Wotan), Krastan Krastanov (Donner), Miroslav Andreev (Froh), Daniel Ostretsov (Loge), Biser Georgiev (Alberich), Krasimir Dinev (Mime), Stefan Vladimirov (Fasolt), Petar Buchkov (Fafner), Rumyana Petrova (Fricka), Veselina Vasileva (Freia), Blagovesta Mekki (Erda), Irina Zhekova (Woglinde), Dorotea Doroteeva (Wellgunde), Tsveta Sarambelieva (Flosshilde), Orchestra of the Sofia Opera and Ballet, Pavel Baleff
