Musicbox Bulgaria chart this month features some of the most beautiful arias from Bulgarian operas:

1. „Once upon a time“ by Parashkev Hadzhiev – aria of Kalina – performed by Elena Stoyanova with the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, conductor Ruslan Raichev.

For the first time the comic opera in four acts “Once upon a time” was presented on 11 April 1957 at the Musical Theater in Sofia. At its first night singers included Diana Popova, Lubomir Bodourov, Asen Rouskov, Vidin Daskalov and Mimi Balkanska under the baton of Victor Raichev. The opera’s story is about a few interesting aspects of village life in Bulgaria. Kalina’s mother disagrees with the choice of her husband who has named a bridegroom for the girl. So the indignant mother urges Kalina not to say a word for nine years and the young woman vows to do so. After the wedding the bridegroom tries all sorts of remedies to cure his beautiful wife. After some time Hitar Petar (Cunning Peter) arrives to the village and asks the bridegroom to follow his instructions. Petar chooses a girl and says bridegroom Radoyko should leave Kalina and marry this girl. Terrified that she might lose the man she loves Kalina breaks her vow. In the aria of Kalina she finally speaks up to express her sadness over the vow to stay speechless and over being unable to talk to her beloved.

2. „Hitar Petar“ (Cunning Peter) by Vesselin Stoyanov – aria of Iglika – in the rendition of Krassimira Stoyanova with the Munich Radio Orchestra, conductor Pavel Baleff.

On 23 March 1958 the three-act comic opera Hitar Petar was premiered in Sofia. The stories and anecdotes about the folklore character Hitar Petar have inspired the opera. The first singer who acted in the part of Iglika was Lilyana Bareva. The opera presents an array of funny stories about village dignitary Ignat and his family, Hitar Petar and imam Nastradin Hodja.

3. „Momchil“ by Lubomir Pipkov – aria of Ephrosina – performed by Stefka Mineva and the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, conductor Boris Hinchev.

On 24 September 1948 the heroic opera “Momchil” was premiered in Sofia. The libretto is based on the novel “Last day, God’s day” by Stoyan Zagorchinov. It is about the medieval opposition led by vojvod Momchil against the Bulgarian boyars. The opera is set in 14 c. Ephrosina is the sister of the vojvod (chieftain) who some years ago was kidnapped by boyar Petar. The disgraced woman went to a nunnery and the aria is about her hapless fate and her love for Momchil’s friend Subo. The aria closes with an ardent prayer to Virgin Mary.

Congratulations:

 „The snow of memory“ has topped the chart for a favorite pop song with a winter theme of Radio Bulgaria listeners.
Lots were drawn and the winners of CDs with the latest production of the Bulgarian National Radio are Alan Pennington from the United Kingdom, Života Đurić from Serbia and Oliver Fülla from Germany.

English: Daniela Konstantinova