Terra Bulgara

Stephan Dragostinov presents his work Terra Bulgara The idea for this piece has been revolving in my mind for quite some time. It uses as basis the tune of the fascinating song from the Kotel region in Bulgaria, Doyde si Punyo Pashata (“Punyo Pasha Has Come Back”), also known as Madro Horo (“Prudent Dance.”) More than half a century ago, in a Folk Music class at the Conservatory, Prof. Stoyan Dzhudzhev, a celebrated scientist of the revivalist tradition and an eminently radiant personality, may he rest in peace, started to sing the Grozdankinata folk song. Incidentally, that was not his first time singing to us. Then I up and sung along with him. The Master – he went agape! When the classes were over, he told me to stay for a while, to have a chat with him; he already knew I was into composing. He asked me a thing or two about what I was up to; I was fresh from completing Polymorphia for piano, having “co-opted” the title from Penderecki; Apophthegmata for voice and percussion; a Dodecaphonic Valse; I had already “ fallen” for polytempic music as well. In a word, in the glorious times of the socialist realist ideological conventions in art, I had thrown propriety to the wind and strayed from the canon. “Fine, – the Master said. – No harm. Get deeper and look ahead. But scorn not the folk tune. There is life in it yet, there is more fruit for it to yield.” And he started again Panyo Pasha Has Come Back. I knew the tune from the textbook he wrote. But I had never heard it in a “live performance”; and when the Master sang, he would give it a soft curl, in his husky and rough voice, eyes half closed in entranced dreaminess. “The important thing is to shape it in the style of the maqam, to give it an anxious, mournful ring, but at the same time make it sunshine all round”– he used to admonish. A superb song that. Sensing that I took delight in the tune, the Master said at parting: “See how it brims with power! A sheer symphony, that tune!” A sheer instigator, that man! All these years that elapsed from that moment, this sweet little tune has been ringing in my head. And, all the time, I would croon it, very softly, to myself. And the memory of what Stoyan Dzhudzhev said wouldn’t give me peace. Thus, half a century later, I have finally summoned courage, determined to sing it once again. Hopefully I have got it right!