«Hunting, courting in the gardens, dancing and entertaining in opulent surroundings.»
Anabel Avendaño - These are the themes present in the incredible piece «Suite in Old Style» by Dobrinka Tabakova, it's a vibrant homage to the great French composer Jean-Phillipe Rameau, to music and style and a glimpse into the imagination of Dobrinka about the aristocratic households around the 18th century, where Rameau surrounded himself.
The «Suite in Old Style» by Dobrinka is a fantastic piece of music that is perfectly symmetrical. The structure begins with an opening fanfare where the violist represents a hunter, which is why he is first offstage playing the bass drum and later joins the orchestra to mark «the return of the hunter». It is so refreshing to experience such a piece of music where the spirit of the music brings to the stage untraditional schemes. After the hunter's return, a waltz follows, evoking the corridors of a stately home. These are large, luxurious, aristocratic mansions, and the music becomes a perfect scenery to allow the imagination to visit and get amused by such opulent surroundings.
The core of the piece lies in the slow movement, «The Rose Garden, by Moonlight». It's a concerto grosso, in which the viola and the orchestra have a really intense dialogue going on. The music is so descriptive that it feels like it's following a program, saying a lot about how an homage to one of the greatest opera revolutionary like Rameau was beautifully accomplished.
The last movement, «The Riddle of the Barrel Organ Player», is a real treat! The composer plays a riddle oscillating in Rameau's name to make the melody in the fugato section, and then it flows back into the hunting material with a postlude fanfare-like theme.
It is well worth listening to Dobrinkas' music! She has written some really fresh, invigorating music for the viola. She's also worked a lot with the brilliant violist Maxim Rysanov, and it is very evident in her music that she has composed for the viola to show off its very best attributes. From the extremely playful to the deeply moving, her pieces showcase the versatility and emotional depth of the viola.
Listen and Watch this incredible performance of the piece by Maxim Rysanov:
There's so much more to discover! Apart from the aforementioned piece, there are other works such as the Suite for Solo Viola called «Pirin». This draws on techniques from a Bulgarian folk instrument called the gadulka and depicts landscapes from the Bulgarian mountain Pirin. And there's a viola concerto that she describes as a piece intended to be provocative to the mind, aiming to evoke different emotions. She has also composed a Suite for Viola in jazz style, which in its three movements tries to resemble the different characteristics of jazz: playful, lyrical, and rhythmically rich. Plus it has an ability to embrace avant-garde with folk themes. Another incredible piece is the Whispered Lullaby, which is a musical sketch inspired by Goethe's Faust. It uses the overtone technique developed by Maxim Rysanov and most recently a homage to Schubert, which is absolutely captivating. It showcases the complexity and purity of Schubert's music in a creative soundscape that will delight you.
If you have not already done so, be sure to give Dobrinka's viola music a listen. You'll be blown away by her audacity and beautiful way of treating the viola in her compositions!
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