Ivan Anguélov

SYMPHONY CONCERTS
Sinfonieorchester Münster
'At the end of the evening the audience could experience the great orchestra brilliancies, Sergej Prokofieff wrote for his ballet 'Romeo and Juliet'. If ever a concert could be described as 'pleasant to the taste' this is the one... special kudos are due to the winds, with their clear and powerful sound.. the beautifully played horn theme at the beginning of the Dvorak concert, announced the spring. The 'La Strada' trumpet was brilliant and the 'Montagues' and Capulet's" metal eruptions infernally swept over the seats of the the big house. Guest conductor Ivan Anguélov savored every effect with the utmost precision, presenting every piece in an admirably exact direction...The incredible Italian charm, the 'La Strada' piece radiates, is very convincing. The circus march, the sobbing of Gelosomina's trumpet, the partly jazzy pep - all this is simply fun and shows the merits of Fellini's films: clownery and tragedy.'
Arndt Zinkant / Westfälische Nachrichten, April 2010
'In the he following allegro moderato. which was gently but at the same time securely directed by guest conductor Ivan Anugélov, he dolorously says goodbye to Dvoraks lover, who died while he was working on the score. ... With pomp Anguélov configures the apearances of the great Zampano 's and the shy Gelosomina. Even among the gipsies love is all around. But also here, it is not responded to, which finally leads to madness. Rage and jealousy begin to arise. which is masterly embodied by the orchestra. It is unnessecary to say that the last piece doesn't turn out right. In excerpts of Sergej Prokofieff's'Romeo and Juliet' Anguélov makes the Montagues and the Capulets collide rumbingly, in order to create an effective contrast with Julia's dance, flowing gentle like a spring breeze. With string notes, bursting Romeo's heart at Julia's grave, an impressive concert takes his end.'
Helmut Jasny / Münstersche Zeitung April 2010	back

Concerts with the Philharmonic Orchestra Santiago de Chile (2008) Rota - Martucci - Respighi - de Falla
The presence of Maestro Ivan Anguélov in Chile was not new, having conducted here ‘The Bat’ last November. Besides, one has to consider the Maestro’s references regarding his solid carreer, particularly as an opera conductor, and his interesting contributions to the disc market. Italian Festival Anguélov’s version was marked by an intense character and showed a charismatic vision, in which he brought out each instrument separately… La Strada (Nino Rota) Anguélov was able to expose this piece with an admirable clarity, each picture excellently elaborates, a gallery of catchy, inflaming rhythms, transparency and a sound texture of undeniable, all-embracing warmth. The philharmonics attentively followed his convincing baton… Nocturno Nº1 (Giuseppe Martucci) … the conductor stroke the intimate and delicate character, which the music requires… Finally, an excellent version of Ottorino Respighni’s ‘ I Pini di Roma’ was played… Anguélov’s version with its authority and interpretative beauty was really brilliant. That’s why the clarity of his interpretation and his musical elegance showed throughout the piece. His presentation contained a well-proportioned dosage of melodious transparency in ‘ I Pini di Villa Borghese’, a solemn intimacy in ‘ I Pini presso una Catacomba’, an amiable ‘I Pini del Gianicolo’ and an well-balanced monumentality at the end of ‘der I Pini della Via Appia’. All thematic transitions were splendidly connected and marked by an impeccable musicality and a deep sense for the work’s wholeness. One could see the attention with which the philharmonics followed his instructions of dynamism, phrasing and character. Spanish Festival Concierto de Arajuez Anguelov’s accompaniment, that was remarkable and supporting in every respect .. …powerful in the key passages of the horns and the horn soloists.( 2nd movement). El Amor Brujo and the 2nd Suite El Sombrero de tres Picos (Manuel de Falla). With his absolutely qualified interpretation, Anguélov introduced an intense and sanguineously shaded presentation, full of character and clear complexion. The tempi couldn’t have been better chosen, especially in Amor Brujo, where generous phrasings effectuated the conflation of an absolute vocal interplay, reaching the ideal frame to express the great dramatic depth. Collectively, two well- substantiated performances of the Bulgarian conductor Ivan Anguélov, who we would like to see further on connected to the Chilean musical life, because of his decisive musicality and because of the overall result, he obtained with an orchestra, as the actual Philharmonic of antiago.
Jaime Torres Gómez
The delicate orchestral frame commanded by Anguélov was magnificent.
Las Últimas Noticias	back

CONCERTS with the Philharmonic State Orchestra Halle Mahler – Wagner
' The conductor achieved the necessary sonorous and amazingly homogeneous orchestral sound. The 4th symphony in G-mayor from Gustav Mahler succeeded like an unified whole. The extreme solid conductor Ivan Anguélov achieved incessant applause.'
Südkurier
' Precisely, sensibly an highly musically the orchestra followed the conductor, who acted with superior calmness...'
Südwest-Presse
' Ivan Anguélov and his superb philharmonics ( in every instruments group) show their ability... A great, thrilling concert evening with a well-deserved thundering applause for the entire staff.'
Main-Post
'...the technically experienced Halle State Philharmonic Orchestra under the world-famous conductor Ivan Anguélov gave a considerable interpretation...Mahler' s 4th Symphony in G-mayor experienced a first-rate reproduction. Anguélov proves to be an experienced Wagnerian with a high empathy and knowledge how to handle the backgrounds of this music. He turned this evening into an important event.'
Schwarzwälder Bote	back

Concert with the Dortmund Philharmonics Brahms – Strauss – Sibelius
‘A wonderful, deep and wistful clarinet-song opens the first Symphony of Jean Sibelius. Harsh, but also spectacularly rolling sounds, individual romantisms stand beside Slavic folklore, which engender varying feelings in the audience. Anguélov knows of course how to handle this widely swinging, contradictory music. The Philharmonic Orchestra follows him with velvety string passages, thrilling wind and a lot of sound-nuances in between tender, idyllic episodes and uproarious, passionate remonstrance.’
Das Orchester	back

Concert with the Stuttgart Philharmonics Strauss – Wagner – Schostakowitsch
‘ The Philharmonics played the symphony under the direction of Ivan Anguélov with full commitment, making the most of all musical gestures, with extreme vividness and dynamic force. The lyrical passages sounded whispering and self-forgetting and the patroitic-heroic segments were parodying in an overscribing way. The instrumental soloists of the orchestra, especially the winds, had plenty of opportunity to prove their considerable abilities. All the stops virtuous orchestra-playing were pulled.’
Neue Württembergische Zeitung	back

Concert with the Munich Symphonics Borodin – Dvořák – Rachmaninow
‘With verve and a controlled dynamism the orchestra revived the oriental flair of the opera. In a difficult musical tightrope act between the languishing, romantic ductus of the music, which curtly changes with passionate, pushing fortissimo-passages Ivan Anguélov succeeded in keeping the rhythmic distinction of the complex piece.’
Kultur Fürth
‘ Maestro Ivan Anguélov, who seems quite young, has the (musical founded) makings of a showman and conducts the orchestra with precise theatricality. Undoubtedly he knows how to create tensions rich in contrast or how to culminate intensifications. He turned the frightening silence at the beginning of Webers’ ‘Freischütz’ overture into pulsating opera drama. After preparing with economic dosage the largely flowing hymnic capital theme of the last movement from Brahms’ first symphony, he finally finished the movement with a tremendous stretta.'
Vorarlberger Nachrichten	back