On 12 February the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra is having a concert at Bulgaria Hall with conductor Nayden Todorov and soloist Plamena Mangova, whose successes on world stages we have been following for years.

Her fans here in Bulgaria are eager to hear her perform Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 by Brahms. Part 2 features Symphony No. 8 by Antonin Dvorak. Composed over the space of several months in the autumn of 1889, the symphony was first performed in public in Prague the following year under the baton of the composer himself. Dvorak also conducted his work in London and Frankfurt am Main. When in 1891 Cambridge conferred an honorary doctorate of music on him, the symphony was performed on the eve of the gala ceremony. Experts say the symphony is one the foremost works by the Czech composer. Dvorak is known to have been a great admirer of Brahms and this affected his own work. Later, the two were to become friends and Brahms helped get some of Dvorak’s works published, among them the musical score of Symphony No. 8.

Plamena Mangova is coming to Bulgaria after a series of concerts in different parts of the world. In her interview for Radio Bulgaria, she talks about them and also about other upcoming events. Naturally, starting with Friday’s concert and the way she sees the work she will be playing.

“To my mind, Concerto No. 1 by Johannes Brahms is the crowning achievement in piano works. Both concertos by the composer are more than 50 minutes long and are very difficult to perform. Not to mention the endless possibilities this music opens up to performers – and I mean interpretation but also how demanding this music is in terms of technique. I’d say that Concerto No. 1 is a genuine symphony for piano and orchestra. I have never performed it together with the BNR Symphony Orchestra and I am thrilled. But I am also excited at the prospect of playing for a Bulgarian audience. I think that all performers living abroad will agree – it is the audience we love best, it is demanding so it brings out the best in us. I have been traveling a great deal in recent months. The invitation to “December Nights” in Moscow, a festival founded 35 years ago by foremost pianist Sviatoslav Richter was a great honour. It is held at the Pushkin Museum. When I arrived I had nowhere to rehearse, so I was given Richter’s own apartment. Playing his instruments was simply incredible. But what made an impression on me were the ascetic surroundings; it just goes to show that the celebrated pianist lived and breathed music, that it was the only thing that mattered to him. After Sofia, I am to play in Germany, France, Portugal, Israel, Romania. I would like to invite audiences in Bulgaria to the concerts in March again here, in this country. The “Ars Danubiana” project, which is part of the “March Music Days” Festival in Rousse, includes works by composers and performances by musicians born in the countries along the course of the Danube; we shall be presenting it together with a host of celebrated chamber musicians from all over the world. Another interesting project is forthcoming at the end of March in Varna, dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the birth of Shostakovich. And once again, alongside renowned musicians from all parts of the world, we shall present works by the celebrated Russian composer, as well as by his contemporaries Bartok, Britten, Prokofiev and others.”

The audio file contains the following works:

- Symphony No. 8 by Dvorak, performed by the BNR Symphony Orchestra, conductor Emil Tabakov;

- Concerto for Piano and Orchestra No. 1 by Brahms, performed by the National Symphony Orchestra of Belgium, soloist Plamena Mangova.

English version: Milena Daynova