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SKU: ae2050c | see all opera disks
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Complete operas from both standard repertoire & Bulgarian composers. Histories including...
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For more than two years, Mike Richter and Frank Fischer have been working to develop
this comprehensive overview of Opera from Bulgaia. Thanks to The Values Foundation,
Bulgarian National Radio and many other institutions and individuals, they have been
able to cover far more than any previous disc. In addition to performances of many
individual artists, it includes complete operas both from the standard repertoire and
from Bulgarian composers; histories of the development of Bulgarian opera and of
Bulgarian National Radio and Balkanton recordings; and information on the Boris
Christoff International Competition and on Bulgarian composers and opera houses. |
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Many of the artists heard on the disc will be familiar, from sopranos such as
Ghena Dimitrova, Stefka Evstatieva, Raina Kabaivanska, Anna Tomowa-Sintow, and
Ljuba Welitsch; through basses including Rafael Arie, Nicolai Ghiaurov and Nicola
Ghiuselev. Comparably fine voices will be heard from artists whose careers were
largely confined to Bulgaria and who are therefore little known in the world at
large. In addition to Un ballo in maschera and Lohengrin recordings, the disc offers
three Bulgarian national operas almost certain to be new to you.
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| Title |
Composer |
Selected cast members |
| Gergana |
Georgi Atanassov |
Tinka Skolufanova, Stanka Nikolova , Sofia Bozjilova |
| Lud Gidiya |
Hadjiev |
Nadia Sharkova, Dimiter Tzolov, Dimiter Kozhouharov, Jordanka Dimcheva |
| Siromachkinya |
Manolov |
Sonia Marinova, Ivan Bechev, Nikolai Bikov |
| Un ballo in maschera |
Verdi |
Liliana Anastasova, Todor Kostov, Michail Zidarov, Stanka Nikolova |
| Lohengrin |
Wagner |
Liubomir Bodurov, Julia Wiener, Nadia Afejan, Stoyan Popov |
Clips with Descriptions
Not a bit of it! Bulgaria came late to opera and many of its artists are
thought of as Russian - but don't suggest that in Sofia! In fact, such basses
as Boris Christoff, Nicolai Ghiaurov and Nicolai Ghiuselev came from Bulgaria.
Among the women whose names are familiar to you we find Ghena Dimitrova, Stefka
Evstatieva, Raina Kabaivanska, Vesselina Kasarova and Elena Nicolai. These and
more than one hundred other singers are on the disc.
There are three Bulgarian operas on the disc and both Lohengrin and
Un ballo in maschera. All are sung in Bulgarian, which may seem odd
until you hear the performance and the singing here. There are pages on the
history of Bulgarian opera, on the Boris Christoff Young Artists Competition,
on recording and broadcast, and on the principal opera companies. In short, the
disc approaches a goal for the Audio Encyclopedia: a comprehensive review of
the state of opera in the country.
Like this sample page for Mariana Paunova, most pages offer a photograph,
summary biography, pronunciation of the artist's name (click the name for
that), and several selections.
Mariana Paunova, mezzo-soprano
The mezzo, Mariana Paunova, was born near Veliko Turnovo on 13 June 1954.
She began her career as a concert pianist receiving her diploma form the State
Music Academy in Sofia. An additional diploma was earned at the Warsaw Academy
where her teacher was Jan Ekier. She attended the Conservatorio di Santa
Cecilia in Rome and the Accademia Chigiana in Siena were she studied with
Arturo Benedetti-Michelangelo. She won a Silver Medal at the International
Piano Competition in Italy.
After joining the piano faculty of McGill University in Canada she began
vocal studies with Dina Maria Narici and obtained a Diploma in Vocal Art with
Grand Distinction from L'Academie de Musique de Quebec. Many prizes were won in
Canada and France. Her debut was singing Pauline in a production of Pique Dame
in Charleston, South Carolina in 1977. International appearances were with the
Vienna Staatsoper, Teatro San Carlos - Lisbon, Opera del Teatro Municipal -
Santiago, Chile, with additional appearances in Rome, South Africa, Puerto Rico
and Canada.
Her Met. debut in the United States was on 11 April 1979 singing Olga in
Eugene Onegin. She appeared again at the Met. in 1986 as Eboli.
Additional appearances in the United States included San Francisco, Houston,
Philadelphia, Dallas, New Orleans, Washington, DC, San Diego and Baltimore.
She experienced a great success as a concert singer appearing with the
National Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Dallas Symphony, Orchestre National de
France, Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal and the Toronto Symphony.
Major roles in her career include Dalila, Ulrica, Marina, Marfa, Erda,
Laura, Amneris, Eboli, Adalgisa, Carmen, Santuzza and Fricka.
Cilea: Adriana Lecouvreur O vagabonda stella
Meyerbeer: Le Prophete O pretres de Baal
Verdi: Don Carlo O don fatale! |
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