Pironkoff, Simeon

Pironkoff, Simeon, Bulgarian composer; b. Lorn, June 18, 1927. He took courses in violin, conducting (with A. Dimitrov), and composition (with P. Khadzhiev) at the Bulgarian State Cons, in Sofia (graduated, 1952). He was active as a composer and conductor at Sofia’s Youth Theater (1951–61) and served as secretary of the Bulgarian Composer’s Union (1966–69). He received the Gottfried von Herder Prize of the Univ. of Vienna (1985). His music is rhythmically animated, harmonically tense, melodically modal, and instrumen-tally coloristic.

Works

dramatic: Opera: A Good Woman from Szechwan (1965); The Motley Bird (1979); Ah, You, My Dream...(1985). other: Film and theater music. orch.: Sym. for Strings (1960); Movements for Strings (1967); Night Music (1968); Requiem for an Unknown Young Man for Strings (1968); A Big Game for Small Orch. (1970); Ballet Music in Memory of Igor Stravinsky for Small Orch. (1972); Concerto rustico for Cello and Orch. (1982); Entrata and Bulgarian Folk Dance (1983); Lyric Suite for Strings (1983); Symphonic Sketch on a Popular Melody: Rum and Coca-Cola (1986); Flute Concerto (1987); Violin Concerto (1989); Chamber Sym. (1990); Passacaglia (1991); Bosnian Lullaby (1993). chamber:0000 3 trios (1949,1950,1987); 3 string quartets (1951, 1966, 1985); Sonata for Solo Violin (1955); Berceuse for Clarinet and Piano (1983); Thema con variationi for Violin and Piano (1985); Ecological Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Double Bass (1987); 3 Movements for Harp (1992); piano pieces. vocal:The True Apology of Socrates for Bass, Strings, and Percussion (1967); The Life and the Sufferings of the Sinful Sofronii, oratorio for Narrator, Tenor, Chorus, and Orch. (1976); In the Eye of the Storm for Tenor and Orch. (1986); choruses; songs.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire