Under the steady baton of conductor Nayden Todorov, the tale of star-crossed lovers in war-torn Egypt unfolded with crisp precision.

…the symphony orchestra from the Bulgarian city of Plovdiv was conducted by Maestro Nayden Todorov smoothly and flawlessly during the full performance.

It’s clear that conductor Nayden Todorov believes in Glass’ music and he gets committed playing from the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra.

Тhe wider range of Todorov’s tempi enables the exciting climaxes to achieve their effect all the more powerfully.

As a performance, it would be hard to imagine a better one… If I may dream an impossible dream, I would wish that I could expose every lover of ballet, classical music, and lover of the story of Don Quixote to this recording. The Sofia National Opera Orchestra, along with Nayden Todorov, has produced a gem and should be proud.

The conductor Nayden Todorov kept things moving, allowing the singers leeway but making sure they didn’t go overboard. He set crisp, swift tempi, and was in obvious control.

The orchestra, chorus and four soloists were all exemplary musicians, deeply familiar with Mozart’s style and directed firmly and subtly by conductor Nayden Todorov. Symphony No. 40 emerged with high energy in the first movement, gentle colours in the second, intense drama in the minuet and quicksilver brilliance in the finale.

With his presence and sensitivity in the accompaniment of the arias, Todorov conveyed the security that the performers need on stage in order to be able to concentrate fully on their singing and playing. They thanked him and the audience with remarkable achievements.

Especially Nayden Todorov is a sound mage, with feverish tempos and a sense for the Gounod’s elegance and melting melody.

Nayden Todorov drew fine shaping from the strings. The brass section met his demands with fearless vigor and awesome accuracy.