Culture in the EU (3): Bulgaria

Posted: June 7, 2016 | Author: | Filed under: Architecture, Art, Culture, Dance, European Union, Film, Literature, Music - General, New Music, Theatre, Videos | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

As a solid supporter of the Remain campaign, in the 18 days from June 5th until the European Union Referendum on June 23rd, I am posting a selection of links and other information about music, literature, film, visual art, dance, architecture, etc., from each of the EU nations.

I make no claims to be comprehensive in any case, and my choices undoubtedly will reflect my own aesthetic interests – but I believe that may be more interesting than a rather anonymous selection of simply the most prominent artists or art. All work comes from the post-1945 era, the period during which the EU has come to fruition, but may (and often will) include work which dates from before the nations in question joined the EU. As I am writing in English, where translations exist I will use these. Time does not allow for detailed commentaries, I just throw these selections out there in the hope others will be interested in the extraordinary range of culture which has emerged from citizens of the EU.

 

Bulgaria

I will begin with a section from the the 1964 film Крадецът на праскови/The Peach-Garden Trespasser, directed by Vulo Radev (1923-2001):

 

And this is the 1973 film, Преброяване на дивите зайци/The Hare Census, directed by Eduard Zahariev (1938-1996). I can’t find a version with subtitles, but it is interesting to watch visually anyhow.

 

Here is some more information on this film.

And here is one of the many animations on the ‘Three Fools’ by Donyo Donev (1929-2007):

 

The writer Nikolai Rainov (1889-1954) lived into the post-war era, but his work did not receive widespread distribution in Bulgaria until after the fall of communism. Here is an article on his writing.

Rainov - Bulgarian Magical Fairy Tales

 

Here is one set of translations from the Bulgarian poet Atanas Dalchev (1904-1978); another is here.

This article gives plenty of information on a more recent Bulgarian writer, Georgi Gospodinov (b. 1968); I am especially looking forward to reading the following 1999 novel, which has been widely translated:

Gospodinov - Natural Novel

 

Here is the website for Bulgarian sculptor Ivan Minekov (b. 1947).

Minekov

Whilst here is the site for the couple Christo (b. 1935) and Jeanne-Claude Javacheff (1935-2009), installation artists about who there is much information on the web.

Jevacheff

Here is some of the work of painter and sculptor Andrey Lekarski (b. 1940), representing in part an extension of some devices and aesthetics derived from surrealism and pop art.

Lekarski.jpg

 

Here is the website for feminist performance artist Boryana Rossa (b. 1972).

Rossa

And here is an interview with Rossa on art and politics:

 

Here are a selection of diverse works by contemporary Bulgarian composers:

 

 

 

 

And here is the amazing and idiosyncratic Bulgarian-born pianist Alexis Weissenberg (1929-2012):

 

The work of this ensemble, playing a music with roots in traditional Bulgarian folk music, was much admired by Frank Zappa.

 

And for another genre, here is some electronica from Ivan Shopov:

 

One of the most renowned public intellectuals anywhere is the  Bulgarian-born  Julia Kristeva (b. 1941); here is her official site, and here is an extended interview:

 

The following is a film about Bulgarian choreographer Mila Iskenova (b. 1960):

 

 

More on Iskrenova can be seen here.

This volume made a good deal of contemporary Bulgarian theatre available to English speakers for the first time in the 1990s:

Contemporary Bulgarian Theatre

And here is a biography of leading theatre practitioner Yordan Radichkov (1929-2004). Radichkov was notorious for his 1978 drama Opit za letene/Trying to Fly, about which one can read more here.

Finally, here is the website for architect Georgi Stanishev (b. 1952).