Lubomir Pipkov: Complete Piano Music, Volume One
Lubomir Pipkov (1904–74) was one of the leading members of the so-called ‘second generation’ of Bulgarian composers. In later life he became fascinated with the ancient heritage of Bulgarian folk-music, writing a series of what he called ‘metro-rhythmical studies’ – piano miniatures that combine melodic immediacy and rhythmic complexity, with a character that might be loosely characterised as sounding like ‘Prokofiev in the Balkans’.
Dobromir Tsenov, piano
Listen To This Recording:
- Ancient Dance, Op. 26
- No. 1 Game
- No. 2 Ancient Bulgarian Chorale
- No. 3 Chant
- No. 4 Dance
- No. 5 Half-Awake
- No. 6 Peasant Dance
- No. 7 Pastorale
- No. 8 Intermezzo
- No. 9 Moments fugitifs
- No. 10 Return
- No. 11 Étude
- No. 12 Bright and Dark
- No. 13 Two Rhythmic Variations
- No. 14 Instead of Goodbye
- No. 15 Burlesque
- No. 16 Rhythms
- No. 1 On the Rail Track
- No. 2 Autumn Fog
- No. 3 Complaint
- No. 4 Haidushka Mountain
- No. 5 Spring Whistles
- No. 6 Dragon Holes
- No. 7 Peasant Dance
- No. 8 Heavy Peasant Dance
- No. 9 Colourful Written Bagpipe Tune
- No. 10 Forest Conversation
- No. 11 Small Ballade
- No. 12 Bearman with Bear
- No. 13 Thought
- No. 14 Nostalgia
- No. 15 Recitative
- No. 16 Chorale
- No. 17 Village Celebration
- No. 18 Toccata
- No. 19 Novelette
Ancient Dance, Op. 26 (1946)*
Spring Caprices, Op. 78 (1971–72)
From 1 to 15, Op. 81 (1973)**
* FIRST RECORDING
** FIRST MODERN RECORDING
Classic Today :
‘For the 16 pieces comprising Spring Caprices, Pipkov mapped their metric structure according to a “Period Table of Metro-Rhythms”, yet you don’t have to know that to enjoy the music. The pieces are varied in character and tempo, abounding in melodic freshness and tangy harmonic twists, from the angular and energetic Intermezzo to the Chant’s touching austerity. One can say the same about From 1 to 15. By contrast, Ancient Dance features two boisterous outer sections bracketing a slower, more lyrical sequence.
Pianist Dobromir Tsenov imbues each and every selection with idiomatic perception, striking a natural balance between vocally informed and percussive phrases, and perfectly capturing the music’s divergent moods. The pianist’s extensive and scholarly notes further demonstrate his deep commitment to this repertoire. Well worth hearing.’
—Jed Distler, Classic Today
Gramophone :
‘Toccata Classics is performing a tremendous service to Bulgarian music in making [Pipkov’s] output more widely available. […] his work has its own distinctive lyricism as well as an unpredictable rhythmic vivaciousness. […]
Tsenov really has the measure of this music, and the recording is crystal-clear. ‘
—Ivan Moody, Gramophone