Half a century ago Bulgarian violinist Peter Deltchev won, for the second time, fourth prize at the prestigious international violin competition Niccolo Paganini in Genoa, Italy. He had won the previous award at the same competition one year earlier, when he was just 17, and had to be given special permission so as to take part in the competitive rounds.

Niccolo Paganini is one of the foremost international competitions, and very few Bulgarians have ever been among its laureates. In 1961, 33-year old Emil Kamilarov won first prize, in 1970, Mincho Minchev, was 20 at the time, won second prize. Awards have been won by Vanya Milanova, GeorgiTilev, VaskoVassilev… But the only Bulgarian musician with two laureate awards at this competition, both when he was just a teenager, is Peter Deltchev. To mark this, a few days ago, a meeting was organized at the Vuzrazhdane 1935 chitalishte (community culture club), at which KrasimirDeltchev, brother to the violinist, spoke about Peter’s career as a musician, which, though brief, was studded with successes and awards. Years ago, for reasons of health, the talented violinist took early retirement in Germany. After a brief pause, he went back to performing, though only for the album Crying Violin, his swan song. This programme was produced by the BNR and recorded at the national radio’s Studio No. 1. At the commemorative meeting at the Vuzrazhdane 1935 chitalishte, music from the Crying Violinwas played, there were performances by AgopManikyan, viola, and Ani Toshkova, piano. Ani Toshkova, who accompanied the then young violinist on the piano, said she cherishes the wonderful memory of this otherworldly experience – playing with Peter Deltchev.

Mario Angelov, who recorded the piano part in the Crying Violin remembers:

“In 2003 a large group of musicians from the Bulgarian National Radio Symphony Orchestra, myself included, traveled to Germany to work on a project. One night we went to a restaurant owned by Peter Deltchev’s wife, Peter Deltchev being a Bulgarian violinist of enormous stature. He had been living abroad for a long time and he pursued his career outside Bulgaria. There was a splendid white grand piano in the restaurant. When we had finished our dinner, a tall, lean, blonde man came in with a broad smile on his face, so broad it looked unnatural. Looking back now, I understand why – that man was Peter Deltchev and he just wanted to play with someone because it had been a long time since he had done so. He had brought with him his violin, and a big suitcase full of sheet music. He started taking out different pieces and puting them up on the piano, I myself had to sight-read. The repertoire was from the so-called golden age of lounge music – Gershwin, czardas… That is a genre I had never touched before, maybe because of my classical education. The bus that came to get us left with most of my colleagues. Several of us stayed behind, including BNR producer Vladimir Hristozov and orchestra inspector KrasimirPetev. Peter and I played until morning. When we returned to Sofia, Vladimir Hristozov arranged for a recording at the BNR. After a brief rehearsal with Peter, we recorded all of the pieces form the album in two sessions.

Last week, when Peter’s brother organized a meeting to pay tribute to his double Niccolo Paganini laureateship, I heard the music we had recorded for the first time. Memories flooded back, but I also found out things I hadn’t known – that this incredible musician wasmouldedprofessionally here, and only here, in Bulgaria. He was tutored by Konstantin Zidarov.

Another thing that made an impression on me now and that time in Cologne, was that he never seemed to touch the strings of the violin. He plays with such incredible ease, with elegance and intonational precision. I never saw him again, I had almost forgotten about the disc, but now the elegance and beauty so typical of his performances are coming back to me. His achievements should not be forgotten, he deserves much greater recognition.”

English: Milena Daynova