One of the oldest in Europe, Bulgarian National Radio marked its 75th anniversary in 2009. If in purely journalistic terms, the history of this national institution has been relatively well studied, its musical past has a number of blank spots. However, a recently published book by a former colleague and music editor Antoaneta Radoslavova has made an attempt to rectify that score. After retirement, Radoslavova began teaching music in the radio at the journalism faculty of Sofia University. The book has been published with the support of Bulgarian National Radio and comprises the period 1930 to 1944.
The national radio naturally drew the music elite from across the country and the capital Sofia. Until 1935, all musicians performed and delivered lectures without getting paid.
“On air were some of the most prominent Bulgarian composers such as Marin Goleminov and Pancho Wladigeroff who performed and conducted as well as violinists Nedyalka Simeonova and Vasil Chernaev along many other musicians. Some of the names have been unduly forgotten such as those of conductor and pianist Prof. Tsanko Tsankov from the Music Academy or pianists Donka Kurteva and Teofana Kalcheva.”
Listen next to Cakewalk written by Pancho Wladigeroff – one of the most frequently performed pieces at that time.
“In those years, the radio was the largest producer of Bulgarian music”, says Antoaneta Radoslavova. “The radio provided opportunity for performance of some of the most prominent Bulgarian musicians. For instance, Radio Sofia commissioned the writing of a number of songs, 270 suites and many radio operettas. The radio’s collection of records contains the musical scores of many Bulgarian composers from that time and that is a real treasure.”
At those early years, the national radio managed to attract a lot of classical and folk choirs to its program. In 1936 the daily program of the radio included 4 folk music concerts each lasting 15 to 30 minutes.
“Few people know that in 1935 Bulgarian Radio had its own jazz and light orchestras”, says Toni Radoslavova. “It is interesting to know that the prominent Bulgarian conductor Vasil Stefanov, who was at the time the concert master of the royal military symphonic orchestra, became the conductor of the light orchestra of Radio Sofia. At that time light orchestras were popular across Europe and used to perform operas, operettas and ballets.”
Much merit for the creation of the programs of Radio Sofia at the time had two composers Dimitar Nenov and Boyan Ikonov.
“The big names in the radio are Dimitar Nenov and Boyan Ikonomov. However along their names in the book I have also added the names of composer Marin Goleminov who was a conductor of the chamber orchestra. He recorded a great number of suites for the collection of records of the radio. Another figure is Parashkev Hadziev whose life was related to the radio since his student years. Hadziev created the first children’s choir and wrote many songs for children. Last but not least, there is also the name of Vladimir Avramov who set up the string orchestra Avramov.”
Dimitar Nenov’s toccata was among the most played pieces on air at that time. The highly talented personality of Dimitar Nenov elevated Bulgarian Radio to a European and modern institution.
“Nenov introduced the modern European music in the programs of Bulgarian Radio”, says Antoaneta. “He introduced the music of many great composers of that time who were also his contemporaries. He made a balanced mixture of European and Slavic pieces. Nenov was the one who in 1936 set up the feature “A quarter of an hour of American jazz”, something very rare at the time.”
The dance music of the time also played a prominent part in the programs of Radio Sofia and after 1942 its share significantly increased.
“Composers such as Yosif Tsankov and Milyo Basan wrote popular dance songs. There was scarcity of Bulgarian popular dance songs and that was the reason why mainly European and American songs were played.”
Actually some of the popular Bulgarian songs from that time acquired success in Europe. One such example is the song entitled “The Caravan” – music and lyrics written by Yosif Tsankov. The song was recorded in 1941 in Hollywood. At that time Radio London often used to play that particular song for its soldiers fighting in Africa. It was an instrumental tango.
English version: Delian Zahariev
