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Pipkov piano vol1 tocc0656
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Lubomir Pipkov (1904-1974)
Complete Piano Music - Volume One
Ancient Dance (1946)
Spring Caprices, Op 78 (1971-72)
From 1 to 15, Op 81 (1973)
Dobromir Tsenov (piano)
rec. 2022, Studio 1 of the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire, Birmingham, UK
First recording (Ancient Dance)
TOCCATA CLASSICS TOCC0656 [73]

If anyone is familiar with any Bulgarian composer’s name, the likelihood is that it will be Pancho Vladigerov (1899-1978); indeed, he is considered to be the most influential Bulgarian composer of all time.  There are more, but as is so often the case, it takes either an enterprising record label or musician, or a combination of the two, to give some exposure to neglected composers wherever they came from, be it the UK, the US - or Bulgaria, as is the case here.  Fortunately, Toccata Classics have always been at the forefront of revealing lesser-known composers to the listening public.  The label, like several others, is interested in serving music, musicians, composers and listeners rather than slavishly following perceived ‘favourite’ composers or compositions.

Lubomir Pipkov, a contemporary of Vladigerov, is a name new to me, so not for the first time have I cause to thank Toccata and I will be doing so again in respect of a review disc of music by another of his compatriots, Emil Tabakov.

As the CD notes explain, Pipkov became fascinated by the ‘ancient heritage of Bulgarian folk-music’.  It is not difficult to hear why this fascination drove him to compose so many tiny pieces, most between one and two minutes long, that he called ‘metro-rhythmical studies’, as Bulgarian folk-music is so very compelling in its rhythmic drive.  It is invariably upbeat with a propulsive rocking aspect.  This feature is very obvious in the first piece, Ancient Dance.  Playing music like this, which has such a pronounced rhythm, is like speaking any language where inflection is key to getting the message across and will have the listener shaking their head from side to side (which signifies a ‘yes’ in Bulgaria where shaking and nodding have the opposite meaning to what we’re used to).  Anyone who has seen Bulgarian folk dancing will find it easy to imagine listening to this piece.

Both Spring Caprices and From 1 to 15 are essentially 35 miniatures which all have titles dating from the early 1970s.  It is interesting to read that it was Bartók, that persistent and inveterate collector of folk material from his own native Hungary as well as Bulgaria and Romania, who said that the pronounced irregularity of the rhythms should be called ‘Bulgarian’ because they were first examined by Bulgarian musicologists.  There is a uniqueness about them that differentiates them from those of the other two countries, though similarities can also be found.  I’m sure that Bartók thoroughly approved of Pipkov’s work, since it mirrored his desire to catalogue and preserve the country’s indigenous music.  Doubtless those who love Bartók’s folk-inspired works will find an immediate connection here.

Both these works are delightful; any true fan of music from Eastern Europe will have cause to enjoy these joyful, energising little gems. Spring Caprices is the somewhat more difficult of the two, with complex rhythms abounding in folkloric references, describing life in the village, the hard work and daily grind uplifted by the local band, so much an integrated essential ingredient in people’s lives.  Many of them are dances where people could let their hair down and express themselves collectively.  One of Pipkov’s aims was to give young pianists valuable lessons in establishing their rhythmic stability and one can readily imagine the close attention piano students need to give to get the pace right as well as the aforementioned inflection, for stress on the correct notes is key to presenting this music in the best way possible.  There are, however, several which are more serious in intent, like the second, Ancient Bulgarian Chorale, reflecting Pipkov’s interest in choral music and which, no doubt, has its roots in the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, or the third, a reworking of a song the composer wrote which is both sombre and lyrical.  Another that is lyrically rich is number 7, Pastoral, which is serenely beautiful, gentle in treatment, with a calming effect.  Intermezzo has a particularly complex rhythm based on one of the country’s most popular dances and is in a metre the Bartók used in various works including his Fifth String Quartet and two of his cycle of Mikrokosmos.  Number 11 is equally complex in its rhythmic treatment and tests the pianist’s ability to keep the tempo in check, for it changes frequently, often without any indication.  This is followed by an equally demanding piece, Bright and Dark, with switches in key and makes other taxing demands on the pianist.  Instead of Goodbye is a sad, reflective piece; no-one does such feelings better than composers from the East of Central Europe as it seems that such feelings are very close to the surface for most, if not all, of them.  Burlesque, the penultimate piece in the set is a suitably bravura demonstration of Pipkov’s ability to pen complex rhythms that change in dynamics several times within such short pieces and is no doubt a real challenge to the soloist if every note is to be as it is intended. 

The strangely titled From 1 to 15 (there are actually 19 pieces) is simpler in concept and less demanding on the pianist, though that does not mean that they can afford to let their concentration lapse, for Pipkov’s compositional technique can trip the unwary at any moment if they are not absolutely in command.  The individual pieces are equally lovely; a fragile beauty is a part of every one of them.  Emotions from sad nostalgia to riotous, knockabout fun are to be found along with Pipkov’s undoubted facility for injecting atmosphere, as in the opening two of the set On the Rail Track and Autumn FogColourful Written Bagpipe Tune is emphatic in its folkloric connections, while Forest Conversation enters a different sound world requiring the soloist’s rapt attention to the many and varied details within its tiny two-minute timeframe.  Number 14, Nostalgia is richly scored with a songlike rhythm and is followed by an equally reflective piece Recitative with bell-like sonorities throughout.  Number 16, Chorale reminds us of number 3 in the previous set with its singing nature.  Village Celebration and Toccata, numbers 17 and 18 are both full of rhythmic energy, vigorous and virtuosic by turns.  Number 19 closes the set with Novelette which is a lyrical piece to end this exploration of Pipkov’s wonderful sets of piano miniatures which so faithfully reflect Bulgaria’s rich folk heritage and still exert an influence in this age when there is too much smudging of native indigenous elements and it is increasingly difficult to discern national heritage.  There are, fortunately, composers who will not abandon such elements, so there will still be much to enjoy in the future for those of us who hold such things dear.

It is marvellous that the soloist here, Bulgarian pianist Dobromir Tsenov is currently in the UK completing a Master’s degree at Manchester’s Royal Northern College of Music.  Hearing this disc, you can imagine he will surely sail through the course for he already has a Postgraduate Diploma (with Distinction) as well as a Bachelor’s Degree (with First-Class Honours) and has studied with some big names.  He also writes the accompanying notes with true flair, making for a very readable and informative essay on this remarkable composer’s works.  It is obviously a huge advantage when you are of the country when it comes to interpreting works of this nature which have such a grounding in a nation’s folk music.  The attention to detail is paramount and the pitfalls are all too obvious but they present no problem for Tsenov, for whom the music is demonstrably in his blood; thus we are treated to a truly great set of interpretations which fully comply with the huge demands on the pianist to accurately reflect all the nuances within this brilliant music.

Steve Arloff

Published: November 7, 2022



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