Search - Various Artists :: Mystere Des Voix Bulgares

Lovely dissonance and, in spite of its modernism, a bearer o

Christopher Culver | 11/24/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Released in 1988 after Marcel Cellier brought never-before-heard recordings to the West, LE MYSTERE DES VOIX BULGARES was an explosive suprise for music lovers. Thirteen songs performed by the Bulgarian State Television Female vocal choir, the disc displayed a highly exotic method of singing where each singer has limited vocal range but piercing projection and resonance, and polyphony using intervals never heard in traditional Western art music.



One thing should be said from the start: this is not authentic Bulgarian folk music, but rather sophisticated arrangements made by composers during the Communist era. Many of the lyrics here are from old folk songs, and the method of singing each singer displays is truly old, but you're crazy if you think any folk music has four-part counterpoint. Still, folk cultures are dying across Europe, and these arrangements are becoming all we have left of a precious tradition snuffed out by Western decadence.



The disc opens with the droning "Pilentze Pee" which immediately gives the listener a full blast of this exotic tradition. With parallel seconds in the harmonic writing, pitches fluctuate strikingly yet under perfect control. Ditto for the eerie diaphonic chant of "Schopska Pesen". The mournful "Kalimankou Denkou" and "Pritouritze Planinata" are simplest in their harmony, and most nearly approach village singing. "Erghen Diado", where the choir is accompanied by drum, shows the humour stereotypically attributed to the people of the Shopsko region.



While the music is phenomenal, I'm unhappy with Nonesuch's packaging. No lyrics or translations are provided for the songs--although since most are about death and unrequited love, this may be to spare some sense of magic for the listener who doesn't speak Bulgarian. The transliteration used is meant for speakers of French, and is filled with typos to boot, which makes it hard for one to reconstruct the original Cyrillic title of each song. Still, this is the best introduction to a fascinating choral tradition, and heavily recommended for open-minded music fans, lovers of Bulgarian culture, and students of the Bulgarian language. The four-star rating is given only because there's some dead wood, and to get thirteen songs that truly represent the best of this choral writing, you'd have to buy several CDs."

Once hidden away in the misty hills of Bulgaria

Ulven | australia | 10/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every country in the world has its choir, and it takes an enthusiastic ear to distinguish one from another. But this choir is unmistakable from any other nation's. They do not sing in key, by the standards most people are used to. Infact, they deliberately sing slightly off-key, and they throw their voices around in what usually would seem an unprofessional manner. Alot of the vocal play in this music would be frowned upon in a church of any Western European country. But in the villages of Bulgaria, it is well at home, and the singers convince me they know exactly what they're doing.

Despite the fact that these singers are competent and probably well practiced, it all feels so natural. I can hear the spontaneity that once would have created many of the vocal tricks here that have become well entrenched in these pieces. Nothing else but simple play and improvisation could have produced some moments in these songs. It's like a child has discovered her voice for the first time and is testing what it can do. The only difference being- they left in only the experiments that worked.

The word 'mystery' in the title is not an empty call. It's hard to say what their surrounding look like without actually knowing Bulgaria, but the music paints a picture of far away villages in green fields, swallowed by drizzly weather, hiding them from the outside world. "They don't seem to be from around here". Other-worldy is their collective persona. There is so little to relate to on a logical level, as their expressions don't recall anything familiar in most people's lives in Western society. But emotion is obviously universal, which is why this music succeeds at reaching the world despite its unfamiliarity.

Before finding this cd, I never liked a cappela music. I always felt a need for other instruments. But this cd crossed that boundary for me, and found its way to the top of my cd collection favourites. I always appreciate when something, or someone, can reach into a person's comfort zone and call them to come out and explore. This music called me away from my comfort zone at the time, and judging by its success, the same can be said by other people. You don't need to be an avid world music listener to like this music, just as I didn't need to like a cappela. Infact, I was often quite averse to it. But sometimes things are unique, and passionately so, enough to draw out a different facet of a person's tastes and feelings. This music is certainly one that does this. It is eerie and beautiful."

Contains the most beautiful song ever made

o0mingmak | Honolulu | 11/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not kidding, song number 3, "Kalimankou Denkou" is probably the most beautiful song that I know of - ever. It brings tears to my eyes everytime I listen to it. It may not catch you the first time, so keep on listening. The rest of the album is good, but quite often I find myself listening to only this song."