# Dobrinka Tabakova



## hreichgott

I turned on the car radio today in the middle of the second movement of Tabakova's Concerto for Cello and Strings. I had to pull over so as to weep less dangerously.

So beautiful. There's some Bach influence here, some Arvo Part radiant minimalism, some Tchaikovsky in the string ensemble writing especially, and maybe a few shades of Borodin and Barber string quartets.

I recommend listening from the beginning of the first movement. It is somewhat more conventional and not quite as overwhelmingly gorgeous as the second, so you will be able to immerse yourself in the beauty gradually and it will not be so much of a shock to the system when it arrives.

Not on Spotify (yet?) but available on iTunes








More about the cello concerto from the composer's website

Concerto for Cello & Strings (2008)
Duration c. 20 min
2008
First Performance- 20th October 2008, Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam
Kristine Blaumane- solo; Amsterdam Sinfonietta, dir. Candida Thompson
Commissioned by Amsterdamse Cello Biënnale, Eduard van Beinum Stichting
Written for Kristine Blaumane and Amsterdam Sinfonietta

I. Turbulent
II. Longing
III. Radiant

Although there are three movements in the concerto, I prefer to think of it as one seamless form- a journey. Continuing a personal exploration of block structures, the first movement presents a dialogue between very turbulent and angular material and a more still, folk-reminiscent theme decorated with expressive grace notes, this eventually reaches a conclusion with a chorale-like idea, rooted in the slower theme of this opening. The second movement begins with a theme based on a pentatonic mode in the solo cello, which slowly becomes more embellished and is transformed into a series of rich chord progressions. The initial theme remains interweaved throughout the movement, though less obviously towards the end. The semiquaver theme of the first movement is the trigger for the main theme in the finale. This new idea takes the angular character of the opening theme and transforms it into a more joyful version, over which the solo line glides and leads towards the final resolution.

This concerto, written for Kristine Blaumane and Amsterdam Sinfonietta, has been commissioned by the Amsterdamse Cello Biënnale and was made possible with the generous support from the Eduard van Beinum Stichting.


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## Ukko

the amazon 'samples' are here:

http://www.amazon.com/Tabakova-Stri...=UTF8&qid=1371691989&sr=1-1&keywords=tabakova


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## Neo Romanza

FYI, I have not seen any ECM recording on Spotify, so I doubt Tabakova's recording will be on there. Also, I bought this recording _String Paths_ today. Really looking forward to listening to it.


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## Ukko

Speaking of Spotify, what is the secret for dealing with that site? Yesterday I had to restart my computer to close that app. It is no longer on my computer; creepy.


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## Neo Romanza

Hilltroll72 said:


> Speaking of Spotify, what is the secret for dealing with that site? Yesterday I had to restart my computer to close that app. It is no longer on my computer; creepy.


??? Not sure, Hilltroll. Very strange indeed.

Back on topic, I listened to _Suite in Old Style_ yesterday on YouTube and really liked the music a lot. The slow movement was quite beautiful. Now, I'm really anxious to hear how this work sounds on record. The sound quality should, of course, be excellent since it's an ECM release.


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## hreichgott

There is a weird thing with Spotify where if you click the little X at the top-right, it minimizes instead of closing. So you have to go to the File menu and then click Exit from the menu. Is that what you're talking about, Hilltroll?


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## Ukko

hreichgott said:


> There is a weird thing with Spotify where if you click the little X at the top-right, it minimizes instead of closing. So you have to go to the File menu and then click Exit from the menu. Is that what you're talking about, Hilltroll?


Probably. The site is obviously still active, as indicated in the bar at the bottom of the screen (Windows 7). The sensation was distinctly unpleasant, and ain't going to happen again.

:scold:


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## Neo Romanza

Anyway, Spotify hijinks aside, has anyone heard Tabakova's new recording?


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## MagneticGhost

-----------------------------------


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## MagneticGhost

Not heard it. I do so much of my new listening on Spotify.
I've added the CD to my wishlist on Amazon though, so will probably get around to buying it before the end of the year. Unless I read any more rave reviews here.


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## Cheyenne

Hilltroll72 said:


> Probably. The site is obviously still active, as indicated in the bar at the bottom of the screen (Windows 7). The sensation was distinctly unpleasant, and ain't going to happen again.
> 
> :scold:


You don't need to, since you can just use the webbrowser version. All you need to do is go to play.spotify.com No need to install anything!


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## Vaneyes

Thank you for that pic, MG. And Dobrinka's a lovely name.


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## hreichgott

The Suite in Old Style is on the same album I posted in the OP. It's quite enjoyable and the sound is great, even in compressed digital form.


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## Selby

I bought this album just a few weeks ago. It is amazing. The cello concerto ranks amongst my favorites of the genre. I look forward to hearing more from this inspired young composer; it is people like this that keep me excited about contemporary classical music!

She's not hard on the eyes either. EEK, did I type that? I promised myself I wouldn't.


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## janxharris

'String Paths' is now on spotify.


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