In 1986, the visionary
but, until then, rather stereotyped
independent label 4AD licensed the release
of the original Le Mystère
des Voix Bulgares from ethnomusicologist
Marcel Cellier's catalogue of extensive
"field" recordings and set in train
a whole plethora of recordings celebrating
the Bulgarian a capella choral
tradition. As an indication of how far
this music has reached out from its
specific local origins, a recent Desert
Island Discs saw South African trumpeter
Hugh Masekela set it alongside Louis
Armstrong and Miles Davis in his personal
pantheon. The traditional element here
is provided by Cosmic Voices, an ensemble
to stand, on this evidence, with the
best that has gone before. What is new,
in this obvious labour of love for Bulgarian
mezzo Kasarova, is the addition, to
a greater, lesser or, in a few cases,
almost non-existent extent of art/operatic
vocals and orchestral arrangements/accompaniments.
As an introduction
to the uninitiated, I can only fault
it in the sense that it provides a more
urbane, cosmopolitan, and therefore
slightly artificial take on what, in
essence, is a pure folk tradition, albeit
one of almost incomparable quality and
beauty. In relation to the aforementioned
Cellier recordings and subsequent similar
ones, I have to conclude that in the
main, as is often the case (Constant
Lambert's famous words, although I only
selectively agree with them, about embellishment
of folk music, spring to mind!), here
more most definitely means less. As
a result the most successful tracks,
in other words the ones that retain
the most of the purity and rawness/naturalness
of the traditional choral sound are
the most moving, affecting and effective.
Polegnala e Tudora is a song
that appears on both the groundbreaking
4AD disc and this one (there is not
that much actual overlap otherwise)
and unfortunately also, to these ears,
represents the low point of this issue.
As anyone who has read my previous reviews
for this site will know, I am absolutely
not someone who is against the idea
of "crossover" per se, in fact
I enjoy (and have reviewed) many items
of this nature. However, arranger Kyurkchiyski,
in his only "original" composition manages
to turn a lovely piece into some sort
of artsong cum impressionist/improv
workout. I don't, however, want to be
seen to be churlish about this important
disc - the packaging, notes and, especially,
the images (artefacts/reminders of past
cultures in the region) included are
superb and, in fact, may actually make
the listening an anti-climax (although
only if you are familiar with the genre
already, I would suspect). The references
to the Thracian Orphic tradition are
welcome and entirely appropriate and,
despite the reservations of an initiate/connoisseur(?)
outlined above, I can only see a purchaser
of this recording being enlightened
and stimulated by it. A conduit, like
the mythic River Styx, between two worlds,
which are, I like to think being brought
closer together.
Neil Horner
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Vesselina Kasarova, mezzo-soprano 
