Symphony No. 1 in D Minor, Op. 33
Zemya (Earth), Op. 27
Heroic Overture, Op. 45
Autumn Elegy, Op. 15, No. 2 (version for orchestra)
Symphony No. 2 in B-Flat Major, Op. 44, "Maiska" (May)

From the diversity of Bulgarian musical culture Pancho Vladigerov stands out as undoubtedly the most important composer for the musical self-conception of modern Bulgaria. In the 1920s he worked as a conductor, pianist and composer in close association with Max Reinhardt at the Deutsches Theater Berlin. He also associated with many German-speaking writers, such as Stefan Zweig, Gerhart Hauptmann, Arthur Schnitzler and Hugo von Hofmannsthal as well as with many fellow composers of the time (including Bartok, Kodaly, Strauss, Ravel, Glazunov, Hindemith, Schoenberg, Rachmaninov and Szymanowski). In this light, it is difficult to understand why the imaginative and colorful music by the sound wizard does not possess any appropriate status in European concert halls today. However, in his homeland he held a pre-eminent position up to the end of his life. Irrespective of the prevailing political conditions, he was shown the greatest respect by all sides and granted both personal and state recognition. With these recordings, produced in the 1970s in Bulgaria, Capriccio releases an 18 disc Vladigerov-Edition to preserve this colorful music also for the next generations. {Capriccio}

You have not experienced life to its fullest if you haven't heard the coda to this composer's First Symphony!

Bulgarian composer Pancho Vladigerov (1899-1978) devoted most of his life to teaching Piano and Composition to aspiring young composers at the Music Academy in Sofia, but it's his own highly mettlesome compositions that garnered the attention of the European music society. His orchestral works exhibit the colorful orchestration skills of Rimsky-Korsakov, the dramatic panache of Khachaturian, the cinematic scope of Korngold, the folk inspired flair of Karayev, the impulsive climactic muscle of Lyatoshynsky and even a touch of Shostakovich (he employs the same tension building technique around the 10:00 minute mark of the final movement of his Symphony No. 1 that Shostakovich used near the end of his Fifth Symphony written two years prior). As a matter of fact, Shostakovich much admired Vladigerov's music and was quoted as saying about his Jewish Poem Op. 47: "A work like this is written only once in a hundred years".

His music is always very picturesque and glows with an intense energy that often rises to the surface in great exultant eruptions. Which is exactly what I hear within the aforementioned ending of his First Symphony. Sure, I could easily mention many symphonic codas more powerful than this, but the final burst of euphoric energy within its final pages is certainly very uplifting and a pleasure to hear.

Yet another example of a neglected composer that was barely known in the west even during his lifetime. Plaudits to the people at Capriccio for extricating these 50 year old recordings from the jaws of oblivion, and embarking on what certainly sounds like a worthwhile project. I for one can't wait for the release of this composer's 'Jewish Poem' symphony. The audio clips below feature the opening pages of the first and second movements of the Symphony No. 1 in D Minor.