Dobrinka Tabakova was born in Plovdiv, but has lived in London for 25 years. She graduated from the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and received a doctorate in composition from King's College, London. Her debut album was produced by the world-famous record company ECM Records and was nominated for a Grammy in 2014. Dobrinka Tabakova is the author of the hymn "Praise", performed on the occasion of the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. An open and natural person, with whom we talked about the life, music and inspirations of an artist.
You are an extremely focused and dedicated person to music, but when did you first feel that it would be a conduit for your thoughts and feelings?
I am grateful above all to my family, although they are not musicians, they are very deeply devoted to music. We had a large collection of records at home. My grandfather and I often listened to Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart. His love of music also influenced me. So at the age of 7, I wanted to start piano lessons. In Bulgaria in the 80s, culture was a window to the world, and my grandfather saw to it that this window was wide open, mainly to Europe. So I am very grateful for the opportunity to develop in the right field and use it for my own fantasies and passions!
Dobrinka Tabakova
I started playing the piano, and with the help of my mother, we found a wonderful teacher – her name was Daniela Kostova. She was an unconventional and very interesting woman. When I took lessons, she never stopped me with something “half-learned or half-improvised”. I am very grateful that in the beginning I had no “brakes” telling me that I couldn’t come up with my own melodies and compose! I was in a very healthy atmosphere.
Where do you find the challenge in composing classical music?
In communication with people! As with any art, so with composing, the challenge is to create a connection with the person who has taken the time to come to the hall or buy a CD. The challenge and the pleasure is that you find people who maybe think the same way. They are excited about the same things and you feel like you are creating a group of like-minded people and that makes life more enjoyable.
What is your main source of inspiration?
Inspiration… It’s very difficult for me to describe it in words. Of course, the connection with other people, the things in life, nature. All of this, in some way, is refracted through the “creative prism” and is transformed into sound. But the process of refraction itself, about exactly how it works, even after several educational degrees, a doctorate and whatnot, it is still impossible for me to explain it in words. And God forbid, I never can! Because then the mystery, “What is music?”, in my opinion, would be ruined.
Tell us about your album “String Paths.” What is the message you want to convey to people through it?
These are five works for string instruments, as the title implies. They include "Cello Concerto", "Suite for Viola with String Orchestra", "String Trio". Many of my colleagues at the conservatory were phenomenal string musicians, which also inspired me a lot to create these works. One thing that is very important to me is to touch the soul of another person! To awaken something through your music, some strong emotion, a memory! In all my works I strive to convey optimism and positive energy, regardless of the occasion for which I wrote them.
photo: Daniel Zander
— at Berghain / Panorama
Kristina Blaumane: cello
Maxim Rysanov: viola, conductor
Janine Jansen, Roman Mints, Julia-Maria Kretz: violin
Amihai Grosz: viola
Torleif Thedéen, Boris Andrianov: cello
Raimondas Sviackevičius: accordion
Vaiva Eidukaitytė-Storastienė: harpsichord
Donatas Bagurskas, Stacey Watton: double bass
Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra
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photo: Daniel Zander — at Berghain / Panorama
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photo: Daniel Zander — at Berghain / Panorama
The latest project is a piece written for the Orchestra of the Swan, because there are many swans in Stratford and they have become like a second symbol of the city. I have been working with this orchestra for about 12 years, during which I have written several pieces. Thanks to the Sorel Foundation in New York, I worked with the orchestra for two years as a composer-in-residence. The culmination of my work with them is the Cantata for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, which will be performed in the church.
From the artist's perspective, who are your favorite composers?
For many of us composers, we always start with Bach because to a large extent he is like the basic foundation in classical music. Even the American composer John Adams, in an address to young students at a university in America, said that "next to every composer, a little voice sits on his shoulder and repeats to him: - You will never be as good as Bach! You will never be as good as Bach! ". It is precisely because of this consistency, the huge creative legacy that he left behind, heartfelt and at the same time filled with a very deep intention and incredible structure. Of course, as a child with my grandfather I also listened to Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven and many other titans of Western classical music. Later I discovered the music of the 20th century for myself, simply because in Bulgaria it was more difficult to find records of living composers. The French composer Messiaen, for example, was greatly inspired by the song of birds and, note by note, recorded it, developed it and included it in the melodies of his works in a very interesting way. Another name is Ligeti, who is a Hungarian composer. I had the honor of meeting him and he is a very interesting person. His brain is like a kaleidoscope. The American John Adams is also a phenomenal talent. There is a symphonic work from the 80s: it is called "Harmonielehre". It intertwines minimalism with parts of Mahler's symphonies, in a way that is right for the time we live in. We now have access to an incredible amount of music, from all over the world. And the ability to assimilate information and process it in your own way. These are just some of the composers who are very important to me and inspire me.
The Bulgarian essence is very subtly intertwined in some of your works. I can't help but ask: What are the elements in Bulgaria that inspire you? If we go back a little to the time when you created the works "Pirin" and "Rhodopa", would you share at what point in your life you composed them?
"Pirin" was the first piece I wrote for a very good friend of mine, Maxim Risanov. This is one of my first pieces as a student that I wrote and I was mostly inspired by the gadulka. From the techniques of the gadulka and its sound. I interwoven some of these elements to give this blending of worlds – from the folk instrument to the classical instrument viola. Then I arranged it for friends who play the cello, and now most recently for Yulita Faseva, who lives and works in Belgium and plays the double bass. It turned out very virtuosically! Being able to play it with the much larger double bass from such a small gadulka is impressive. "Pirin" is the most folkloric of my works. "Rhodopa" is more lyrical. I am moved by the sounds of the mountains, and I was able to express this natural love in these works.
In my next question, I would like to introduce the readers to your new project, which will take place in Stratford, on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the death of the founder of British dramaturgy, William Shakespeare, on April 21, 2016?
The latest project is a piece written for the Orchestra of the Swan, because there are a lot of swans in Stratford and they have become a kind of second symbol of the city. I have been working with this orchestra for about 12 years, during which time I have written several pieces. Thanks to the Sorel Foundation, based in New York, I worked with the orchestra for two years as a composer-in-residence. The culmination of my work with them is the Cantata on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's death, which will be performed in the Church of the Holy Trinity, where the Bard of Stratford was baptized and buried. In this work I have "woven another thread", for which I drew inspiration from the artist Turner, who was commissioned to go to Shakespeare's hometown to make sketches of the town and his grave in the church. I found these sketches here in London, in the Tate Britain gallery. I got permission from there and they will be on display at the premiere on April 21st, in the church. The sketches will be arranged as a journey from his birthplace to the place where he died. So I used this structure from the words in Shakespeare's various plays. I took elements from them that show the seven stages of human life.
What was the difficult part about this project?
The words proved difficult! Because the plays are so numerous, the sonnets too, and his words are so multi-layered that one must be careful when adding another layer in the form of music. I am extremely grateful to the artistic director of the Globe Theatre – Dominic Dromgoole, whom I met. He has “breathed” Shakespeare since he was a child and even walked the distance from Stratford to London, as the poet did centuries ago. The conversation we had inspired me a lot and helped me cross the threshold with words.
Immortal Shakespeare – "Cantata for choir and orchestra" – you can listen here >>>
Do you have a work that is your spiritual humility?
There are many works that give me great pleasure to listen to. Of course, classics like Mozart's "Sinfonia Concernante", Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. John Adams' "Harmonielehre" (Harmony) is a work of about 30-40 minutes and the whole time you listen to it, you think: How great it is! To be able to assimilate all this human history over the last 3 centuries and how he managed in 40 minutes to make such a statement. It's incredible!
Every work of art that moves me has something in it that gives me hope that we will survive, despite the difficult moments we are going through not only individually, but also as humanity!
Dobrinka Tabakova – “Dawn” and “Day” from “Sunny Triptych” (“Sofia Soloists” – conductor Plamen Djurov, Ivo Stankov – violin, Kristina Blaumane – cello, London Festival of Bulgarian Culture)
