"I first came in contact with the music of Dimitar Nenov more than ten years ago when I performed his enormous piano concerto. I have been fascinated with his music ever since, and now I am thrilled to present this most imaginative, poetic, and exciting music. If there is a Bulgarian composer from the first half of the 20th century that deserves attention, this is the one!"

– Viktor Valkov

Listen:
Watch:

Dimitar Nenov was a leading figure of early 20th–century Bulgarian classical music. The entire range of his solo piano works is covered on this recording, from the austere and dissonant Cinema Suite to the romantic Etudes and exquisite Theme and Variations in F sharp major. The highly charged Toccata is Nenov’s most popular work, while Fairy Tale and Dance, his last work for piano, is the most distilled example of his art.

December 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of the composer’s death

1 Theme and Variations in F sharp major (1932) (16:46)

2 Fairytale and Dance (1947) (02:46)

Miniatures (1945) (09:27)
3 No. 1 Prelude (01:27)
4 No. 2 Song (02:01)
5 No. 3 Staccato (00:55)
6 No. 4 Pastoral (03:26)
7 No. 5 Bagpipe (01:38)

8 Dance (1941) (02:03)

9 Etude No. 1 (1931) (01:35)

10 Etude No. 2 (1932) (02:30)

11 Toccata (1939) (08:35)

Cinema Suite (1924-25) (23:18)
12 No. 1 Presto (00:35)
13 No. 2 (04:34)
14 No. 3 Sehr schnell (Da capo ad infinitum) (02:48)
15 No. 4 Langsam (04:27)
16 No. 5 Sehr langsame Ganze (05:27)
17 No. 6 Presto (05:27)

TOTAL TIME: 67:06

Winner of the 2012 New Orleans International Piano Competition, Bulgarian pianist Viktor Valkov has performed as soloist, chamber musician and recitalist in Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, the United States and Japan. Recent engagements include a performance of Bartók’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. During the 2013–2014 concert season he appeared with the Baton Rouge Symphony, Acadiana Symphony, and Louisiana Philharmonic, as well as in recitals in New Orleans and London’s Wigmore Hall. In 2009 he gave his Carnegie Hall début with his long–time friend and chamber music collaborator cellist Lachezar Kostov. Viktor Valkov studied with Jerome Lowenthal and Matti Raekallio at The Juilliard School and is currently pursuing a Doctoral Degree at Rice University, Houston with Jon Kimura Parker.

Viktor Valkov has always had a great interest in more obscure piano and chamber music repertoire, often including in his recital programmes composers such as Alkan, Dohnányi, Busoni and Dimitar Nenov. In 2011 Naxos issued his recording with Lachezar Kostov of the entire music for cello and piano by Nikolay Roslave (8.570996).

"Brilliant pianistic fireworks between poetry and ecstasy"
– Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung