Dobrinka Tabakova: Orchestral Works & Concerti

This album marks the culmination of two special Hallé collaborations and includes four major pieces from one of the most distinctive of current British compositional voices.

The album will be on general release 6 October 2023.

Delyana Lazarova (Hallé Assistant Conductor 2020-23) and composer Dobrinka Tabakova (Hallé Artist in Residence 2022-23) were both born in the historic city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Working together for the first time during their time with the orchestra they formed a strong musical connection in which the Hallé musicians displayed a close understanding of the intricacies and dialect of Tabakova’s musical language.

This album contains two of Tabakova’s major orchestral works. The three-part Earth Suite, which the composer says was inspired by ‘the overwhelming force of Nature’, recently drew ‘exquisite playing’ from the Hallé (Bachtrack, April 2023). Orpheus Comet features fast rhythmic material combined with atmospheric transparent orchestrations and a glorious climax featuring quotations from Monteverdi.   The two significant concertos for strings and soloists included on this album solidified Tabakova’s reputation as an outstanding contemporary voice and display the composer’s close affinity with string instruments. Ukrainian-British Maxim Rysanov, is one of Tabakova’s longest collaborators who premiered the Concerto for Viola and Strings in 2004, a piece described as being ’saturated with an inner, captivating and natural energy’ (Culture Magazine, Nov 2004).  The Concerto for Cello and Strings (whose score was described as ‘gorgeous’ by the Daily Telegraph, Australia) is here performed by Guy Johnson, one of the most exciting British cellists of his generation.

Maxim Rysanov will appear with the Hallé, performing the Bartók Concerto, in Manchester, Lincoln and Sheffield in October 2023.

Dobrinka Tabakova: Orchestral Works & Concerti

Orpheus’ Comet
Concerto for Viola and Strings
Earth Suite (Tectonic, Pacific, Timber & Steel)
Concerto for Cello and Strings

Delyana Lazarova, conductor
Maxim Rysanov, viola
Guy Johnston, cello

Concerto for Cello and Strings recorded 25 September 2022, live in The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester

Steve Portnoi, producer; Niall Gault, engineer

All other works recorded 12-14 September 2022 in Hallé St. Peter’s, Manchester

Steve Portnoi, producer; Tony Wass, engineer