Highlights of Bulgarian Musical Culture: Marin Goleminov's dance drama Nestinarka

“Perhaps no other Bulgarian composer’s name is so completely bound to a single work as that of Marin Goleminov,” begins an article by eminent Bulgarian musicologist Venelin Krastev, dedicated to the longest-living representative of the second generation of Bulgarian composers.

And although Goleminov is universally recognized as one of the most significant figures in Bulgarian culture — not only as a composer, but also as a music critic, conductor, pedagogue, public figure, and academician — to this day, in the minds of Bulgarians, his name remains synonymous with a single masterpiece: the dance drama Nestinarka — the most popular and most frequently performed Bulgarian musical stage work in the world. It has been staged in Czechia, Germany, and Russia, and presented by the ballet company of the Sofia Opera in Barcelona, Venice, and Frankfurt.

The version created by Margarita Arnaudova in 1978 for Ballet Arabesque has been performed in over 50 countries and remains an emblem of the celebrated Bulgarian modern dance company.

Goleminov’s professional development was shaped by remarkable mentors — Dobri Hristov and Nikola Atanasov at the Music Academy in Sofia; Vincent d’Indy and Paul Le Flem at the Scola Cantorum in Paris; Paul Dukas at the École Normale de Musique in Paris; and Joseph Haas and Carl Ehrenberg at the Academy of Music in Munich. It was in the heart of the German province of Bavaria, in 1938, that the legend of Nestinarka began.

The idea of writing a musical stage work had been on Goleminov’s mind for several years — he wavered between a “choreographic poem” inspired by the poetry of Dimcho Debelyanov and various operatic subjects. On the eve of his departure for Munich, he came across Konstantin Petkanov’s short story entitled "Nestinarka" in a magazine and immediately knew he had found what he had long been seeking. Decades later, the composer would recall that Petkanov’s story struck him as a revelation: “It was as if the heavens had opened, and I had seen a light that I then tried to capture in the score.”

In 1939, the composer set out on a journey to the region of the nestinari (fire-dancers). Even then, the ancient ritual was fading from existence, but it still survived in the Strandzha village of Vugari (Bulgari). The trip was not easy — by ship from Burgas to Vasiliko (present-day Tsarevo), and from there by car up into the mountains, where the poor little village lay hidden. Once there, Goleminov was astonished — it was as if the distant past had remained untouched by time.

The procession with icons, the round dance to the sound of drums, the piercing bagpipes, the steps circling the fire, and the dance upon the burning embers — all became part of the dance drama, preserving the theatricality of the ancient ritual, along with the authentic melody recorded in the village of Vulgari. In the spectacular nestinari scenes, Goleminov retained the primal pulse of the rhythm, heightened the expression, and brought the music to a feverish intensity. Though he had at his disposal the vast palette and power of the orchestra, he chose restraint — leaving only the dizzying melody and the anxious beat of the drum.

The Nestinari Dance (Nestinarsko horo) is the most stirring, the most captivating, and also the most aggressive moment in the entire drama — a true benchmark of ecstasy in world music.

Petkanov’s short story written with striking dramatic clarity and divided into naturally flowing scenes was easily adapted into a libretto by Hrisan Tsankov, then a director at the National Theatre. Goleminov also received valuable advice by Anastas Petrov, director of the ballet company at the Sofia Opera.

At the heart of the drama stands Demna, a young fire-dancer whose fate is both poetic and tragic. According to the ancient tradition, the nestinari are chosen by Saint Constantine, who blesses them with prophetic gifts — their power proven by their ability to walk barefoot over burning embers.

Demna’s love and marriage to a man from another village, Naiden, seem to promise a new life, but in his village she is met with suspicion and fear. Whispers spread that she is possessed by unclean spirits. Her marriage brings no joy; isolated and misunderstood, she grows ever more desolate. Out of her suffering arises a primal call — a yearning for transcendence and deliverance. Seizing the icon of Saint Constantine, Demna throws herself into the flames of her own hearth, burning away both her earthly suffering.

Marin Goleminov described his Demna as a “tragically doomed heroine.” He was particularly drawn to the dual nature of the story — a fusion of ancient pagan beliefs and more recent Christian rituals. Yet the greatest strength of Nestinarka lies in the fact that it is a dance-based narrative, rooted in an ancient ritual dance.

Completed in 1940, Nestinarka premiered on January 4, 1942, at the Sofia Opera, conducted by Asen Naydenov. The libretto and stage direction were by Hrisan Tsankov, choreography by the exceptionally talented Maria Dimova, a student of modern dance pioneer Mary Wigman in Dresden. The sets and costumes were designed by Neva and Nikola Tuzsuzov, and the role of Demna was performed by Nina Kiradzhieva — later celebrated as the “First Lady of Bulgarian Ballet” — the first barefoot Demna to captivate the world stage

The work’s innovation and originality brought Goleminov instant fame; the young composer became a national sensation overnight.

In his diary, he later wrote: “Three months after the Sofia premiere in 1942, the Sofia Opera was invited to perform in Frankfurt am Main. Nestinarka was included in the program. A beautiful review appeared in a magazine founded by Schumann. Perhaps Saints Constantine and Helena had been watching over the cradle of the work!”

The undisputed highlight of the score — the Nestinari Dance, often performed as a standalone concert piece — remains a dazzling miniature that continues to ignite audiences on Bulgarian and international concert stages alike.