Reviews
358 records
Two years ago Nayden Todorov drove Gounod's "Faust" at the Classic Openair to a sensational success with enormous drive. This summer he will once again take over the direction of Gounod's masterpiece.
…conductor Nayden Todorov achieved some moving moments… he lent the proceedings plenty of momentum.
…the renowned artists — such as, on the Brahms day, the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Nayden Todorov — convince… the very strictly and masterfully precise Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn… After the interval, in the First Brahms Symphony, the orchestra achieved brilliant sentiment and sonic power in the finale.
The jewel casket of Brahms's melodies was then opened by the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of the only 31-year-old conductor Nayden Todorov. The "Tragic Overture", the popular "Variations on a Theme by J. Haydn" and the Symphony No. 1 in C minor sounded very precise and homogeneous.
Nayden Todorov gave a convincing account of all three Brahms works, each different in character. In the First Symphony he revealed with particular expressiveness the capabilities of our leading orchestra, and with high emotional pathos he conveyed the rich range of states in this beloved piece.
…with its permanent guest conductor Nayden Todorov, the orchestra catapulted itself in Brahms's Haydn Variations to impressive precision and purity of sound.
The Bulgarian company received lavish praise for its performance… The orchestra's conductor for the Midland production was Nayden Todorov, who also received generous applause from the appreciative audience at Cole Theatre.
The evening was magical. From the moment that the curtain opened to the final curtain closing, the production was terrific. Upon the first note played, I knew this would be a great performance.
The rapturous beauty of Giuseppe Verdi's magnificent music shines through in Opera Verdi Europa's streamlined touring production of "Aida"… Under the steady baton of conductor Nayden Todorov, the tale of star-crossed lovers in war-torn Egypt unfolded with crisp precision.
Most interesting in this "Aida" was the sound produced by the orchestra, conducted by Nayden Todorov. The strings and winds blended wonderfully with dark, shadowy hues.
The cast of 60, accompanied by a capable touring orchestra of 40 players under the energetic direction of Nayden Todorov, filled The Whiting's stage with colorful pageantry for almost three hours… the skillful singing by the chorus and the majestic sounds of the orchestra made the finale of Act II glorious to behold.
It's clear that conductor Nayden Todorov believes in Glass' music and he gets committed playing from the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra.
The absence of a chorus was fully made up for by the orchestra of the Plovdiv Symphony, on which conductor Nayden Todorov could rely from the first bar. All the orchestral sections stinted neither on technical brilliance nor on accuracy of tempo and dynamics, so that the musicians produced an impeccable overall sound as well as wonderful, finely coordinated solos. The overtures to "The Marriage of Figaro" and "The Barber of Seville" came off with rousing verve.
Nayden Todorov led both bodies of sound through soulful mezzo-forte passages and, even in the fortissimo finale, left the singer enough room, always keeping the musicians slightly in the background.
The young guest conductor Nayden Todorov (b. 1974) has the ensemble play eloquently, breathingly and transparently. The woodwinds play with warmth and rich colour and contribute much, on balance, to the overall positive impression.
Also of the party from Monschau Castle: the symphony orchestra from the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, led at its Alsdorf guest appearance by Maestro Nayden Todorov — supplely and without a single fault.
…accompanied by the Plovdiv Symphony Orchestra under the musical direction of Nayden Todorov — an orchestra which, thanks to the energetic yet sensitive leadership of its conductor, brings to life both the tension and drama and the transparency and tenderness of the compositions.
The musicians introduced themselves with a nimbly and accurately shaped overture to Mozart's "Figaro" — an impression confirmed later in Rossini's "Barber" overture.
He… conducted Mozart's "Figaro" overture with verve and wit… A fabulous man on the podium, as the whole evening confirmed… one could delight for two hours in the excellent music-making of the Plovdivians.
Vigorously and supplely, the Plovdiv Symphony from Bulgaria under the direction of their maestro Nayden Todorov shape the familiar introductions to Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro" and Rossini's "Barber of Seville". And they understand, empathetically, the art of accompanying the singers.
…the Bulgarian opera orchestra under the leadership of the dynamically acting Nayden Todorov offers a beautiful, well-gripped interpretation of the ballet that certainly deserved more attention than one is prepared to give it in view of the composition.
The orchestra will be conducted by Nayden Todorov, who was warmly applauded last year in Bizet's "Carmen".
The billing "monumental open-air staging" led one to fear the worst. Unjustly: for under the direction of Nayden Todorov the singing was good almost throughout.
…in the first part of "Traviata", both screens fail, and several of the sound monitors as well… Yet the young conductor Nayden Todorov led with sovereign command not only the routined and resilient orchestra of the Plovdiv State Opera but — despite the severe technical breakdowns — also the opera chorus from Stara Zagora, likewise Bulgarian, and the soloists.
Under the direction of Bulgarian conductor Nayden Todorov the orchestra respond with characterful application throughout, with warmth and a decent amount of drama.