Variations on a Theme by Dobri Hristov

In 1942, when the great Bulgarian composer MARIN GOLEMINOV (1908-2000) created his Variations on a Theme by Dobri Hristov, the discussion about Bulgarian national musical style continued to rage in the press. Eminent young artists of the Association for Modern Music (later designated as the "second" generation of Bulgarian composers) - among these Pancho Vladigerov, Dimitar Nenov, Lyubomir Pipkov, Marin Goleminov, Petko Stainov, and others. - presented their aesthetic views on the modern development of Bulgarian tonal art. Goleminov wrote with bitterness in his article The Road of the Bulgarian Composer (the Mir newspaper, 20 November 1942): "There is no cult for the artists in Bulgaria. Our sense of democratism has taken dangerous proportions in this area and tends towards a complete levelling of all artistic activities. Certain circles in Bulgaria tend to underestimate the achievement of the Bulgarian composer and question its artistic value. This belief is contradicted contradict the opinion of enlightened European critics, which hold that Bulgarian artistic music represents a new vision and a new sensitivity, laid in the foundation of modern European composing technique." With the works they had already written, the above cited composers have already been inducted into the Hall of Fame of Bulgarian Musical Classics – the Vardar Rhapsody, the first concertos for violin and for piano, Pancho Vladiguerov's Bulgarian Suite; , Lyubomir Pipkov's opera Yana's Nine Brothers, cantata A Wedding and First Symphony, Petko Staynov's suites Thrace and Thracian Dances; works by Dimitar Nenov, such as the First Symphony, Christmas, Thrace, Rhapsodic Fantasy, Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; the dance drama Nestinarka and Rustic Song by Marin Goleminov... Moreover, it was with these works (which represent only a part of their early opuses) they have manifested their own recognizable and individual composer's style, while in the context of contemporary European music, their achievement has brought some vibrant Bulgarian strokes of originality. Marin Goleminov graduated from the State Academy of Music in Sofia with violin (with Prof. Todor Torchanov) and theoretical disciplines (with Prof. Dobri Hristov and Prof. Nikola Atanassov). In 1931-34, he attended the Scola Santorum in Paris, where he studied composition with Prof. Vincent D'Endy, Paul Le Flem and Albert Bertelin. He attended lectures on composition with Paul Ducas in Ecole Normale de musique, as well as lectures on music theory, aesthetics and literature in the Sorbonne. Having returned to Bulgaria, he played the second violin in the famous Avramov Quartet (1935-38). He is one of the initiators and of the foundation of the Chamber Orchestra of Radio Sofia and served as its conductor (1936-38). In 1938, Goleminov went to Munich, where he specialized for one year at the Academy of Music Composition (with Prof. Joseph Haas and Prof. H. Kneppe) and conducting under Prof. Carl Ehrenberg. Since 1943, for four decades, he has been professor at the National Academy of Music in instrumentology, orchestration, conducting and composition. Subsequently he became its rector (1954-56), director of the Sofia Opera (1965-67). Awarded the prestigious Gottfried von Herder Award of the University of Vienna (1976). A member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, in 1989 he was named academician for his tremendous creative achievements. Goleminov composed operas, such as Ivaylo, The Golden Bird, Zachariy the Zograph, Thracian Idols, the dance drama The Daughter of Kaloyan, four symphonies, eight string quartets, Chamber music for various ensembles, etc. Goleminov is a music publisher and author of theoretical works such as Problems of the Orchestration, Back to the Springs of Bulgarian Tonal Art, Behind the Scenes of the Creative Process. Variations on a Theme by Dobri Hristov was written shortly after the brilliant success of Goleminov's iconic dance drama Nestinarka. In his journals Musical Drafts and Sketches, he wrote on December 10, 1942: "I'm working on a theme by Dobri Hristov's Pirin Planino ('Pirin Mountain') – variations for a large orchestra". He completed the work by the end of December, undoubtedly, as a homage to the Teacher (it was more than a year since Dobri Hristov's death). The premiere took place on 21 April 1943 in Frankfurt am Main under the baton of Lyubomir Romanski, a Bulgarian conductor who settled in Germany and subsequently became a fervent propagandist of Goleminov's music. "Your variations passed with great success and were welcomed very favourably by the audience." - Romanski notified him - "The composition is successful and I conducted it with pleasure and joy. I'm especially glad to see that you have solidified your style from Nestinarka, creating in this manner your own musical images. Once again, I thank you for the confidence to entrust to me the first performance ... The party went to Simrock, where I hope it will be released. That the variations will be heard elsewhere, too, of that I have no doubt." Soon afterwards the conductor performed them in Hilversum, making a recording that was broadcast on the Luxembourg Radio. Four months before the Bulgarian premiere - on 9 November 1943 in Sofia by the State Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Assen Naydenov - the work was distinguished with an award by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Arts. With a diverse and colourful orchestral palette, Goleminov unfolds the theme in six variations differing in character and imagery. Historically, this is a pioneering experiment in the genre - the first orchestral variations created in Bulgarian professional music.