‘Dragana and the Nightingale’ (a song from the Elin Pelin region) comes from the fifth volume of arrangements that Koutev made for the ensemble in 1959. Dimitrina Delcheva, from the village of Ognyanovo near Elin Pelin, was the first to perform it professionally; however, her singing style reflects the musical traditions of the Western Sredna Gora region.
The song is remarkable not only for its beautiful melody and Koutev's talented harmonisation, but also for the dramatically charged folk lyrics. A self-confident nightingale challenges the sweet-voiced Dragana to a 'vocal duel' and recklessly proposes a bet: if he out-sings the girl, he will cut off her hair; if she wins, she will cut off his wings. The girl wins, and the frightened bird begins to beg pitifully: let Dragana cut off his legs instead of his wings, for the nightingale has little chicks and will not be able to feed them without his wings. The sweet-voiced Dragana joyfully exclaims: "Nightingale, little bird, I don't want to cut anything off you! It's enough for me to be praised for having outsung the nightingale!"
Besides this exemplary a cappella interpretation by the magnificent singers of the National Folklore Ensemble “Philip Kutev,” conducted by Georgi Genov, it is also well worth hearing another — a classical and unsurpassed rendition.
“I am a child of urban culture: I want to hear the ringing of the trams, to wake up in the morning to the noise of the city,” said the unforgettable Bulgarian conductor Vasil Arnaudov during his lifetime. This did nothing to diminish his ability to feel the spirit of songs rooted in folk traditions. 'Lale Li Si, Zyumbyul Li Si, Gyul Li Si' ('Are you a tulip, are you a hyacinth, are you a rose') remains one of the pinnacles of his artistry, as well as that of his most cherished creation: the Sofia Chamber Choir 'Lyubomir Pipkov'.
However, this is not the only song arranged by Koutev that stands among his highlights. Among these artistic highlights are other songs by Philip Koutev. Arnaudov held Koutev's works in special reverence, likely because he sensed they were created with deep love and purity. In the 1977 recording of 'Dragana and the Nightingale', Arnaudov's singers truly sound like a heavenly choir of angelic voices.
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