Ikonomov, Boyan Georgiev

Ikonomov, Boyan Georgiev, Bulgarian composer; b. Nikopol, Dec. 14, 1900; d. Sofia, March 27, 1973. He studied in Sofia (1920–26); then went to Paris, where he attended classes of d’Indy and Lioncourt at the Schola Cantorum (1928–32); also had lessons with Boulanger and Roussel, and then took a course in conducting with Weingartner in Basel (1934). Returning to Bulgaria, he was music director of Sofia Radio (1937–48) and of the Bulgarian film center (1948–56); then was head of the music dept. of Sofia Radio (1957–60). His music was rooted in Bulgarian folk songs, with an emphasis on modal melodic progressions and asymmetric rhythms.

Works

dramatic: Opera: Indje Voivoda (1960). ba11et:The 7 Mortal Sins (1933); The Tragedy of Othello (1946); The Light Floods Everything (1967). ORCH.: Haidouk Rhapsody (1932); Sinfonietta (1934); Kaliakra, symphonic poem (1935); Pastorale for Chamber Orch. (1937); 4 syms. (1937, 1947, 1955, 1971); Pastorale and Dance (1939); Shar Planina, symphonic poem (1942); Violin Concerto (1951); Divertimento for String Quartet and Orch. (1956); Piano Concertino (1958). chambers: 6 string quartets (1933, 1937, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1949); 2 trios for Oboe, Clarinet, and Bassoon (1935, 1968); Cello Sonata. VOCAL: 2 cantatas: George Dimitrov (1954) and Poem about Lenin (1969); 2 oratorios: The Legend of Shipka (1968) and Vassil Levsky (1972); choruses; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire