Limits: Try Bulgarian

I'd like to tell y'all about a fantastic recording: _Welkya_ featuring the
Theodosh Spassov Ensemble, featuring Mr. Spassov on kaval. His ensemble
features his wife's vocals, a gadulka, bagpipes, tamboura, bass, and
percussion. This Sofia-based ensemble virtuosically surfs the line
between composition and improvisation. Stylistically they bounce from
Bulgarian folk, jazz, classical, avante-gard, experimental, while
remaining microtonal throughout.

The music "sounds" improvised throughout except for one thing...the
rhythmic timing is too complex for the music to not have been composed
aforehand. The youthful looking Spassov has an audio cassette on the Gega
lablel (GC 541). I have no idea how to get a copy. (A great friend
brought it back from her home in Sofia because she knows my musical taste.
I must have listened to it 50 times and I have played it for people as
part of my top 10.

The kaval sometimes sounds like flute, sometimes as a clarinet. The
intonation is remarkable for its surety and for its seeming exoticness.
Yet, there seems to room for doubt that Spassov and Co. are brilliant
musicians playing music at its most vital. This single tape if music
written and arranged by Spassov is composed -- yet it completely simulates
improvisation. This is exciting stuff.

I doubt there is a defined set of tones used, though it is clear that
players use the same pallette. If I could afford the time and money I
would be out there now. It's in the plans. If you have loved the
harmonically rich singing of Bulgarian women choruses, you'll love this.
Somehow I don't see any burning need to analyze what they are indeed
doing, microtonally speaking. When I go out there to work with the
musicians I many have a better idea of their tuning aesthetic.

It's kick-ass music in the best sense of this list.

Johnny Reinhard
Director
American Festival of Microtonal Music
318 East 70th Street, Suite 5FW
New York, New York 10021 USA
(212)517-3550/fax (212) 517-5495
reinhard@ios.com


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