05 june 2025 Evening of German And Austrian Music On June 8th

State Opera – Burgas has prepared for its loyal fans and guests of the city the first event of the program with chamber concerts at the Flora Exhibition Center – on June 8 /Sunday/ at 8:00 PM in the exquisite cultural complex in Primorsky Park. An exciting and thematically selected musical combination of chamber works by German and Austrian composers will be presented by: the soloist of the Burgas Cultural Institute – mezzo-soprano Maria Yurkovska, Iliana Todorova – piano, Natalya Sultanova – violin, and Sergey Sultanov – piano. They will present a lyrical and emotionally affecting program through their artistic presence, personal charm, and professionalism of interpretation.
Here is what pianist Iliana Todorova says before the concert – about the performance of the song cycle “Songs for Dead Children” by Gustav Mahler – the great Austrian composer of Czech origin, who created in the late 20th and early 21st centuries and played an important role in the transition from the Romantic era to modern times.

"Kindertotenlieder is a cycle of five songs, originally composed as a vocal-symphonic work. It is based on verses by Friedrich Rückert (428 in total), which the poet created as a result of his tragedy - the death of his two children from scarlet fever in 1833–1834. Although written before Mahler lost his daughter Maria, the songs convey deep sympathy and understanding of the pain of loss. The five songs are stages in a process of mourning and spiritual evolution. At the beginning, the parent is immersed in deep grief, but in the end he reaches humble acceptance and even hope. Mahler reflects this evolution of feelings and perceptions through tonal transitions, rhythmic solutions, dynamic heights and abysses, as well as through the symbolic messages of Rückert's text. The composer traces the emotional path of the grieving parent from the contrasts between the light of the new day and the darkness of grief in "Nun will die Sonn' so hell aufgeh'n", where The music is restrained, with a clear structure, reflecting the inner struggle between hope and pain, through the realization of the inevitability of death – the unstable harmony with chromatic transitions, emphasizing the inner tension and confusion in “Nun seh’ ich wohl, warum so dunkle Flammen”, followed by the daily pain of the child’s absence in “Wenn dein Mütterlein tritt zur Tür herein” – the pizzicato in the bass line imitates the mother’s footsteps. The changing meter creates a feeling of disorientation and sadness. The major tonality of “Oft denk’ ich, sie sind nur ausgegangen” is a refusal to accept death and a kind of comfort and hope that the children will return. The finale “In diesem Wetter, in diesem Braus” is a parallel between the storm and the inner pain – a deep rumble of tremolo, flashing lightning, darkness, and thunder. The gentle major lullaby with which this movement ends, however, symbolizes enlightenment, reconciliation, and peace. Mahler does not simply write music to poetry – he creates a kind of “musical drama” in miniature. In it, the vocal line and the orchestral/keyboard texture are woven into an inextricable symbiosis, where the music interprets and builds on the text – a perfect combination of the intimacy of chamber music with the deep emotionality of romantic lyrics. Kindertotenlieder is a universal work about human loss, hope, and acceptance. This makes the cycle not only a musical achievement, but also a philosophical meditation on life, death, and love.” Iliana Todorova reflects on the philosophical-contemplative nuances and the profound knowledge of the messages encoded in the musical text of the song cycle.
The program will feature the following works: the cycle “Songs for Dead Children” by Gustav Mahler – performed by Maria Yurkovskaya – mezzo-soprano, and Iliana Todorova – piano; Natalia and Sergey Sultanov will perform: "Album Sheet" by Richard Wagner, "Minuet and Joke" and "Prelude" by Johann Sebastian Bach, "Ave Maria" by Bach/Gounod, "Canon" by Johann Pachelbel, Waltz "The Sorrows of Love" by Friedrich-Max Kreisler, "Contemplation" by Johannes Brahms, "Romance" in F major by Ludwig van Beethoven, "Minuet" from the Sonata in E minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, "Rondo" by Carl Maria von Weber, "Serenade" by Franz Schubert.
Treat yourself to a sophisticated experience on Sunday evening with the chamber concert "Evening of German and Austrian Music" in the picturesque open space of the Expo Center "Flora". The chamber format of presenting musical works suggests creating a sense of intimacy, shared emotion, and empathy. Don't miss an exciting experience on a warm June evening by the seashore!

Tickets: at the Opera House box office, "Chasovnika" box office, on site - before the concert, at Grabo.bg - https://grabo.bg/burgas/kameren-kontzert-0vkhrsf and Eventim.BG - https://www.eventim.bg/bg/bileti/vecher-na-nemskata-i-avstriyska-muzika-burgas-ekspoksitonen-centr-flora-674137/event.html?co=bgr