Gheorghi Arnaoudov
Encyclopedia
Gheorghi Arnaoudov ɡɛˈorɡi ar̩ŋaˈudov (born 1957) is a Bulgarian
composer
of stage
, orchestral, chamber
, film
, vocal, and piano
music
. Representative of the 21st century classical music, with roots in minimalism
.
with Alexander Tanev and contemporary music with Bojidar Spassov from the State Academy of Music Pancho Vladigerov
. At the same time, he attended summer courses working with Brian Ferneyhough
Ton de Leeuw
.
His artistic career started in the early 1980s. At the same time, he did research work in the fields of electronic music
, music theory
and musique concrète
, as well as ancient far-Eastern and ancient Greek music.
He has won many international and national awards, including the Grand Prix of the European Broadcasting Union
(1985), the Golden Harp Prize from Jeunesses Musicales
(1985), the Special Prize of the Union of Bulgarian Composers (1986), and the Carl Maria von Weber
International Prize for Music (1989).
He is the author of scientific and theoretical articles in music, as well as of reviews in musical and scientific periodicals, mainly in the spheres of the aesthetics of modernism and postmodernism, communications in the music, the contemporary arts, musical semiotics, and the theory of contemporary music.
In 2000 Gega New released a CD with Arnaoudov's music called "Thyepoleo. Orphic Mysterial Rites". The texts used by the composer are the original preserved Orphic hymns. For this project he consulted renown Thracologist Alexander Fol
, who wrote the programme notes.
In 2008 he presented
To date Arnaoudov has produced numerous symphonies, oratorios, concertos and has won several international prizes. He currently teaches in the "Theatre" and "Music" departments of New Bulgarian University. In 2009 he was appointed associate professor in Composition and Harmony.
The antecedents of his music can be found in Russian Scriabin
, the French mystic/modernist Messiaen
, the Franco-American Varèse
and, more recently, in the work of the Pole Penderecki
and Estonian Arvo Pärt
. The influence of composers like Webern
and Morton Feldman
can perhaps also be felt in the lack of any kind of conventional process or development. This is a music of stasis, a kind of intense minimalism
that tells no conventional stories but rather meditates on an idea.
In a series of works of Gheorghi Arnaoudov (born 1957) composer’s vision is directed towards attaining a new aesthetic of pure music (Adorno), aestheticizing renaissance sound purity. By using various techniques (including also techniques legitimizing the language of Musical Avant-garde) and their substance rethinking is achieved a new music-sensuous semantic field.
ORCHESTRAL:
CHAMBER MUSIC:
VOCAL:
PIANO
Bulgarians
The Bulgarians are a South Slavic nation and ethnic group native to Bulgaria and neighbouring regions. Emigration has resulted in immigrant communities in a number of other countries.-History and ethnogenesis:...
composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
of stage
Stage (theatre)
In theatre or performance arts, the stage is a designated space for the performance productions. The stage serves as a space for actors or performers and a focal point for the members of the audience...
, orchestral, chamber
Chamber music
Chamber music is a form of classical music, written for a small group of instruments which traditionally could be accommodated in a palace chamber. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small number of performers with one performer to a part...
, film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, vocal, and piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
. Representative of the 21st century classical music, with roots in minimalism
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
.
Life
Gheorghi Arnaoudov graduated in compositionMusical composition
Musical composition can refer to an original piece of music, the structure of a musical piece, or the process of creating a new piece of music. People who practice composition are called composers.- Musical compositions :...
with Alexander Tanev and contemporary music with Bojidar Spassov from the State Academy of Music Pancho Vladigerov
Pancho Vladigerov
Pancho Haralanov Vladigerov was a Bulgarian composer, pedagogue, and pianist....
. At the same time, he attended summer courses working with Brian Ferneyhough
Brian Ferneyhough
Brian John Peter Ferneyhough is an English composer. His music is characterized by the extensive use of complex rhythmic tuplet notation which features in all his works...
Ton de Leeuw
Ton De Leeuw
Antonius Wilhelmus Adrianus de Leeuw was a Dutch composer. He was known for his experiments with microtonality....
.
His artistic career started in the early 1980s. At the same time, he did research work in the fields of electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, music theory
Music theory
Music theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
and musique concrète
Musique concrète
Musique concrète is a form of electroacoustic music that utilises acousmatic sound as a compositional resource. The compositional material is not restricted to the inclusion of sounds derived from musical instruments or voices, nor to elements traditionally thought of as "musical"...
, as well as ancient far-Eastern and ancient Greek music.
He has won many international and national awards, including the Grand Prix of the European Broadcasting Union
European Broadcasting Union
The European Broadcasting Union is a confederation of 74 broadcasting organisations from 56 countries, and 49 associate broadcasters from a further 25...
(1985), the Golden Harp Prize from Jeunesses Musicales
Jeunesses Musicales
Jeunesses Musicales International is the largest youth music NGO in the world, created in Brussels, Belgium in 1945 with the mission to "enable young people to develop through music across all boundaries"...
(1985), the Special Prize of the Union of Bulgarian Composers (1986), and the Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria von Weber
Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber was a German composer, conductor, pianist, guitarist and critic, one of the first significant composers of the Romantic school....
International Prize for Music (1989).
He is the author of scientific and theoretical articles in music, as well as of reviews in musical and scientific periodicals, mainly in the spheres of the aesthetics of modernism and postmodernism, communications in the music, the contemporary arts, musical semiotics, and the theory of contemporary music.
In 2000 Gega New released a CD with Arnaoudov's music called "Thyepoleo. Orphic Mysterial Rites". The texts used by the composer are the original preserved Orphic hymns. For this project he consulted renown Thracologist Alexander Fol
Alexander Fol
Alexander Fol was a Bulgarian historian and Thracologist. In 1957, he studied history at the University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Sofia and earned a PhD in 1966. He worked as a university lecturer from 1972 and became a professor in 1975...
, who wrote the programme notes.
In 2008 he presented
To date Arnaoudov has produced numerous symphonies, oratorios, concertos and has won several international prizes. He currently teaches in the "Theatre" and "Music" departments of New Bulgarian University. In 2009 he was appointed associate professor in Composition and Harmony.
The antecedents of his music can be found in Russian Scriabin
Alexander Scriabin
Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin was a Russian composer and pianist who initially developed a lyrical and idiosyncratic tonal language inspired by the music of Frédéric Chopin. Quite independent of the innovations of Arnold Schoenberg, Scriabin developed an increasingly atonal musical system,...
, the French mystic/modernist Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen
Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...
, the Franco-American Varèse
Edgard Varèse
Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse, , whose name was also spelled Edgar Varèse , was an innovative French-born composer who spent the greater part of his career in the United States....
and, more recently, in the work of the Pole Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki
Krzysztof Penderecki , born November 23, 1933 in Dębica) is a Polish composer and conductor. His 1960 avant-garde Threnody to the Victims of Hiroshima for string orchestra brought him to international attention, and this success was followed by acclaim for his choral St. Luke Passion. Both these...
and Estonian Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt
Arvo Pärt is an Estonian classical composer and one of the most prominent living composers of sacred music. Since the late 1970s, Pärt has worked in a minimalist style that employs his self-made compositional technique, tintinnabuli. His music also finds its inspiration and influence from...
. The influence of composers like Webern
Anton Webern
Anton Webern was an Austrian composer and conductor. He was a member of the Second Viennese School. As a student and significant follower of Arnold Schoenberg, he became one of the best-known exponents of the twelve-tone technique; in addition, his innovations regarding schematic organization of...
and Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman
Morton Feldman was an American composer, born in New York City.A major figure in 20th century music, Feldman was a pioneer of indeterminate music, a development associated with the experimental New York School of composers also including John Cage, Christian Wolff, and Earle Brown...
can perhaps also be felt in the lack of any kind of conventional process or development. This is a music of stasis, a kind of intense minimalism
Minimalism
Minimalism describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is set out to expose the essence, essentials or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts...
that tells no conventional stories but rather meditates on an idea.
In a series of works of Gheorghi Arnaoudov (born 1957) composer’s vision is directed towards attaining a new aesthetic of pure music (Adorno), aestheticizing renaissance sound purity. By using various techniques (including also techniques legitimizing the language of Musical Avant-garde) and their substance rethinking is achieved a new music-sensuous semantic field.
Works
STAGE- Offertorium Idance theater after Herman Broch, (1988)
- Offertorium II (after Jorge Luis BorgesJorge Luis BorgesJorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
), (1991) - Transpatium (ballet), (1996)
- Choreordained (2 act ballet), (1996)
- "...the highest point of my inferiority...", (1998)
- "Black Box, dance theater(1998)
- Threshold, dance theater (2001)
ORCHESTRAL:
- Symphony No. 1, (1984)
- Concerto for Orchestra, (1986)
- Concerto grosso,(1987)
- Kammerkonzert, (1988)
- Symphony No. 2, (1984)
- Laus Solis, (1996)
- The Colour of the Light, (1997)
- Variations on a Theme by Rachmaninov, (2001)
- Concierto Barroco, after Alejo CarpentierAlejo CarpentierAlejo Carpentier y Valmont was a Cuban novelist, essayist, and musicologist who greatly influenced Latin American literature during its famous "boom" period. Born in Lausanne, Switzerland, Carpentier grew up in Havana, Cuba; and despite his European birthplace, Carpentier strongly self-identified...
(2007) - "Liber Canticorum" Chapter I - Imaginary opera scenes, for soprano, tenor and orchestra based on a texts by HoraceHoraceQuintus Horatius Flaccus , known in the English-speaking world as Horace, was the leading Roman lyric poet during the time of Augustus.-Life:...
, (2008) - Passio et mors Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Liber Psalmorum for bass, soprano, choir and orchestra,(2008)
- Hymns to the spring, Nikolai Liliev (2008)
- Conceto for Violin, Strings, Percussion and Keyboards, (2008 - 2010)
CHAMBER MUSIC:
- String Quartet No. 2, (1988)
- Ritual III (Borges Fragment), (1993)
- Vihaya, (1995)
- Thyepolia, (1997)
- Kells, (1999)
- Variations for two pianos and percussion, (2001)
- Fantasmagorias - El libro de los seres imaginarios, (Imaginarium super Jorge Luis BorgesJorge Luis BorgesJorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo , known as Jorge Luis Borges , was an Argentine writer, essayist, poet and translator born in Buenos Aires. In 1914 his family moved to Switzerland where he attended school, receiving his baccalauréat from the Collège de Genève in 1918. The family...
) for string quartet (2010),
VOCAL:
- Footnote (…und Isolde/ns Winkfall lassen) for soprano and chamber orchestra based on the poem "A Prayer" by James JoyceJames JoyceJames Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
(1991) - Summe Deus, (1991)
- The Circle of Rites, (1991)
- The Way of the Birds I, for soprano, flute and violin (1995)
- The Way of the Birds II for soprano and chamber ensemble, (1996)
- The Way of the Birds III, for soprano, clarinet, violin, cello and percussion (1996)
- Thyepoleo, (2000)
PIANO
- Paysages sonores, (1983)
- Partita I, (1984)
- Ritual I, (1988)
- Incarnation in the Light (Ritual II), (1993)
- "...un pan de ciel au milieu du silence..." (after René MagritteRené MagritteRené François Ghislain Magritte[p] was a Belgian surrealist artist. He became well known for a number of witty and thought-provoking images...
), (1993) - Svarog Ritual, (1994)
- Le temple du silence, 2 pianos, (1996)
- Et iterum venturus, (1997)
- Forgotten Songs, (2005)
- Monodies, (2009)
- Le Rappel des Rameaux, (2009)