Highlights of Bulgarian musical culture: Petko Staynov's Thracian Dances

published on 8/22/25 4:35 PM

Petko Staynov (1896 – 1977)

Photo: petkostaynovmusic.com

Highlights of Bulgarian music culture: Petko Staynov and his Thracian Dances

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“Who doesn’t know ‘Thracian Dances’? Who hasn’t heard of them?” – we might hear this exclamation from a lover of Bulgarian music, if given the chance to hear just a few bars of the iconic suite. In fact, even those completely unfamiliar with classical music in Bulgaria have likely heard the beginning of the famous “Rachenitsa” dance, part of the Thracian Dances suite.

The Thracian Dances was the first score composed by the great Bulgarian composer Petko Staynov after his graduation from the Dresden Conservatory in Germnay and his return to his hometown of Kazanlak in 1924. One of the earliest works to chart the course of Bulgarian symphonic music, it was completed in early 1925 for the needs of the local amateur orchestra in Kazanlak.

Initially titled Bulgarian Dances, the suite consisted of three movements: “Paidushko dance,” “Horo,” and “Rachenitsa.” In 1926, the suite was reworked for a large symphony orchestra and expanded with the addition of “Mechkarski dance” (the dance of the bear trainers).

At its premiere in Sofia in January 1927, performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Todor Hadzhiev, the suite was met with great acclaim. More than a decade later, in one of his many publications, Petko Staynov wrote:

“The folk song is the oldest and most authentic record of a people’s way of life, culture, religion, and moral level. It is a powerful source of inspiration for artistic and musical creation. Talented composers who draw inspiration from it, while expressing their personal ‘self’ in their work, also reflect the collective, greater ‘self’ of their nations. By using the characteristic elements of folk songs to create their own musical style, they also contribute to the development of a national musical style…”

By that time, Staynov had already composed remarkable works such as Legend, Fairy Tale, Balkan, Thrace, and Symphonic Scherzo, which defined key characteristics of Bulgarian symphonism from the 1920s to the 1940s. Yet Thracian Dances holds a special place not only in the composer’s personal journey but also in the broader Bulgarian creative and performing tradition. After its triumphant premiere in the capital, the doyen of Bulgarian composers, Dobri Hristov, greeted Staynov with the words:

“You have realized an ideal that we could not achieve. Later you will understand what you have written. From now on, Bulgarian national music starts its existence.”

Embracing the mission of creating a Bulgarian national musical style, Petko Staynov also entered the history of Bulgarian culture through his choral ballads. Works such as The Secret of Struma, Urvich, Horsemen, and Kum German shaped a new genre in Bulgarian music. His dozens of composed and arranged a cappella choral songs remain among the most beloved and frequently performed pieces in Bulgaria.

His contributions as a scholar and public figure are equally impressive: chairman of the Union of Folk Choirs; co-founder and first chairman of the Society of Bulgarian Composers “Contemporary Music,” later a permanent member of the board of the Union of Bulgarian Composers; director of the National Opera (1941–1944); and a full member of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences from 1941.

In 1948, Staynov founded the Institute of Music at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, which he led until the end of his life. Under his leadership, over 100,000 folk songs were collected and recorded. He was respected and admired by his colleagues - renowned scholars. He overcame a severe physical disability - blindness/loss of eyesight - with apparent ease, something only possible for a supremely intelligent and exceptionally gifted individual. A builder of modern Bulgarian musical culture with astonishing intuition and foresight.

Бюст-паметник на Петко Стайнов в Борисовата градина в София

Everything Petko Staynov created in the mid-20th century in the fields of symphonic, operatic, choral music, and musicology remains foundational to Bulgarian musical life today. Staynov laid the groundwork for Bulgarian national music - not only as professional composition but also as an artistic standard and an embodiment of Bulgarian spirituality.

His famous Rachenitsa dance is presented here in its finest, most sincere and authentic performance - by the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra and its legendary conductor Vasil Stefanov.