Musica Ad libitum for Piano and Orchestra

MUSICA AD LIBITUM for piano and orchestra was composed in 2018 and commissioned by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. Its premiere, scheduled for March 8^th , 2020, did not take place. In July 2022, the piece was performed and recorded at the National Radio, with the composer as the soloist and Grigor Palikarov as the conductor. According to B. Taneva, the music emerged from her vision of the present day and her unfulfilled desire for freedom. "Assuming that every work of art is a kind of personal confession born from the subconscious of the creator, I realize that the creation of this music was born from my subconscious desire for freedom, constantly challenged in a race against time and my personal way of life. I believe this memory of "freedom" is present deep within the subconscious of modern man. However, it is not present in a revolutionary sense, but rather in a temporal and nostalgic sense. I would be happy if, after hearing the piece, listeners' dormant longings for freedom from time, for recognition, and for humility in the face of inevitable loss in the race against accelerating time were ignited and awakened." The dramatic event unfolds from the idea of timelessness—a paradise from which, I suppose, the subconscious does not want to leave. We dream and realize that this paradise is all around us and is created by us. We are pulled out of this paradise by the stress of an unexpected, abrupt moment. We realize that we are late and must organize ourselves through the mechanical, soulless movements and rhythmic convulsions of routine. When it falls into place, we remember with bright sadness that heavenly nirvana where our soul longs to be. Then, stress again, failures again, thoughts of tranquility, longing, and searching for "plasticity in statics" while playing with sound and light. It is no coincidence that I created this piece for a chamber orchestra. I was looking for contrasting energy levels. The piano's role is not intended to be soloistic. Rather, it is woven into the overall sound symbiosis, breathing with it and participating equally in the structure. Sometimes it wants to remain alone. The work is actually a reflection on life, our innermost desires and needs for personal freedom, and the impossibility of preserving it. It is also a reflection on the promises we make to ourselves every day that remain only dreams" (Interview with BNR, April 21, 2023).