Vladigerov, Pantcho
Vladigerov, Pantcho
Vladigerov, Pantcho, prominent Bulgarian composer, father of Alexander Vladigerov; b. Zürich, March 13,1899, in a geminai parturition; d. Sofia, Sept. 8,1978. Distrustful of Bulgarian puerperal skill, his mother sped from Shumen to Zürich as soon as she learned that she was going to have a plural birth. Pantcho’s non-identical twin brother, Luben, a violinist, was born 16 hours earlier than Pantcho, on the previous day, March 12, 1899. Vladigerov studied piano and theory with local teachers in Sofia (1910-12); then went to Berlin, where he took lessons in composition with Paul Juon and Georg Schumann, and piano with Leonid Kreutzer at the Akademie der Künste. He then served as conductor and composer of the Max Reinhardt Theater (1921-32); subsequently was a reader (1932-38) and a prof, of piano and composition (1938-72) at the Bulgarian State Cons, of Music in Sofia. His music was rooted in Bulgarian folk songs, artfully combining the peculiar melodic and rhythmic patterns of native material with stark modern harmonies; the method was similar to that of Bartok.
Works
dramatic: Tsar Kaloyan,opera (1935-36; Sofia, April 20, 1936); Legenda za ezeroto (Legend of the Lake), ballet (1946; Sofia, Nov. 11, 1962). ORCH.: 5 piano concertos (1918, 1930, 1937, 1953, 1963); Legend (1919); 3 Impressions (1920; orchestration of 3 of his 10 Impressionsfor Piano); 2 violin concertos (1921, 1968); Burlesk Suitefor Violin and Orch. (1922); Scandinavian Suite (1924); Bulgarian Suite (1927); Vardar,Bulgarian rhapsody (1927; orchestration of his earlier violin and piano piece); 7 Bulgarian Symphonic Dances (1931); 2 overtures: Zemja (1933) and The 9thof September (1949); 2 syms.: No. 1 (1939) and No. 2, Majska (May) for Strings (1949); Concert Fantasyfor Cello and Orch. (1941); 4 Rumanian Symphonic Dances (1942); Improvisation and Toccata (1942; orchestration of the final 2 pieces of his piano cycle Episodes); 2 Rumanian Symphonic Sketches (1943); 2 suites (1947, 1953); Prelude and Balkan Dance (1950); Evreyska poema (Jewish Poem) (1951); Song of Peace,dramatic poem (1956); 7 Piecesfor Strings (1969-70; orchestration of pieces taken from 3 different piano cycles). CHAMBER: Violin Sonata (1914); Piano Trio (1916); 5 works for Violin and Piano: 2 Improvisations (1919), 4 Pieces (1920), Vardar (1922), 2 Bulgarian Paraphrases (1925), and 2 Pieces (1926); String Quartet (1940); several piano cycles, many of which are also scored for chamber orch.: 4 Pieces (1915); 11 Variations (1916); 10 Impressions (1920); 4 Pieces (1920); 3 Pieces (1922); 6 Exotic Preludes (1924); Classical and Romantic, 7pieces (1931); Bulgarian Songs and Dances (1932); Sonatina concertante (1934); Shumen,6 miniatures (1934); 5 Episodes (1941); Aquarelles (1942); 3 Pictures (1950); Suite,5 pieces (1954); 3 Pieces (1957); 3 Concert Pieces (1959); 5 Novelettes (1965); 5 Pieces (1965). OTHER: Orchestration of Dinicu’s Hora staccato.
Bibliography
E. Pavlov, P. V: A Monograph (Sofia, 1961); S. Dimitrov, Slovoto na P. V. (Sofia, 1988).
—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire