Folk songs from the famous collection of Bulgarian 19th century educators the Miladinov Brothers
Update Required To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
A singing competition, an exhibition, scientific readings and several other events have been organized in Sofia to mark the 150th anniversary of the first publishing of the famous Collection of Bulgarian Folk Songs compiled by prominent Bulgarian 19th century ethnographers Dimitar and Konstantin Miladinov. In early November, scholars from the Institute of Ethnology and Folklore Studies at the Bulgarian Academy of Science organized Days of the Miladinov Brothers. The series of initiatives attracted the interest of several generations of Bulgarians.
In 1861, the volume entitled Bulgarian Folk Songs of the Miladinov Brothers was printed in Zagreb, Croatia. This was a turning point in the art of researching and collecting folk songs across the country. Published in Bulgarian, the collection has turned into one of the most remarkable achievements of Bulgarian culture in the times of the Ottoman Oppression. The brothers Dimitar and Konstantin Miladinov were Bulgarian patriots who lived on the eve of Bulgaria’s liberation from five centuries of Turkish rule. They were leading modern educators back at that time, prominent figures in the 19 c. struggles of Bulgarians for independence. Their keen interest in Bulgarian folklore has inspired them to compile the celebrated collection of Bulgarian Folk Songs. Immediately after its publishing, the authors were arrested and thrown into a prison in Tsarigrad, present-day Istanbul, where they died. Yet, 150 years later, their remarkable deed has not lost any of its significance.
“The zeal of the Miladinov brothers is still burning in us”, says Mrs. Radka Bratanova, assistant professor at the Ethnology Institute. She is member of the Organization Committee of the Days of Miladinov Followers. The idea for this event was born in early 2011. A scientific conference, round-table discussion and debates have been organized. In her desire to popularize the deed of the two Revival Period functionaries, the researchers from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences have decided to organize several other events.
To mark to 150th anniversary since its first publishing, the Ethnographic Museum in Sofia opened in November an exhibition featuring rare editions of the volume and folk costumes corresponding to those described in the book. One of Sofia-based schools named after the tow brothers held talks on folklore-related topics. The students demonstrated modern approaches to studying Bulgarian folk songs and took part in the debates that followed the official lectures.
The collection gathers 665 songs grouped in 12 sections. They feature the main genres in Bulgaria’s song folklore – heroic and haiduk songs; love songs, mythical songs, wedding songs etc. A jewel among historical songs is the one dedicated to Tsar Ivan Shishman who in the 14 c. warred with the Turkish invaders and was lethally wounded.
Here is what Mrs. Radka Bratanova said for the listeners of Radio Bulgaria:
“We organized certain events for the first time but they turned out to be very attractive. First, this was the national singing contest that had three age categories – from the youngest to students in musical universities where the typical Bulgarian folk singing is studied. It was received very warmly by everyone. Numerous students, teachers and musical specialists responded gladly. The contest took place with the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture and the Culture Ministry. Magnificent singers applied for participation – with beautiful voices and a lot of artistic talents.” As Mrs. Bratanova told us, the collection of the Miladinov Brothers contains only the lyrics of the songs. The children and their teachers who took part in the contest had tried to find the best melodic versions of the songs, which is not an easy task. The jury was faced with a difficult choice. And three awards were given in each category. There was also a special prize of the jury and also a special prize of the best young participants. The most preferred songs by the contestants were those that we offered you in today’s show. Bulgarian folk singer Lyubka Rondova was also on the jury. She is not only a remarkable singer but also a very good expert on the deeds of the Miladinov Brothers as her repertoire includes many of the songs in their collection. And now, until the end of today’s show, we give you another Bulgarian folk songs from the Collection of Folk Songs of the Miladinov Brothers – the song Shar Mountain performed by Kostadin Gugov.
