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Eva Quartet

'Harmonies'

(KPR06)

Musicians:
Gergana Dimitrova – Soprano
Sofia Kovacheva – Mezzo-soprano
Evelina Stoilova – Alto
Daniela Stoichkova – Contralto
Milen Ivanov – Choir Master

Label - Kuker Music, Bulgaria
Released 2002

'Gergana Dimitrova, Sofia Kovacheva, Evelina Spasova and Daniela Stoichkova are the women who form the vocal quartet "Eva". Their names are related to the worldwide famous choir "Le mystere des voix bulgares". They are certainly some of the best Bulgarian voices and the beauty and purity of their singing proves it. It is not by chance that their album is called "Harmonies". Everything in it portrays that: the a capella singing, which is polyphonic and requires a great technique, the way the four voices become one for an instant and the next you have the feeling that they are a whole choir; the way the songs are interwoven, and altogether the feeling of the album.

Folklore songs from different regions of Bulgaria are included in the album. Some of the new arrangements are especially made for the formation. The recording of the album is accomplished without any additional sound and technical effects. The idea of the live recording is to bring the singers' pure and genuine talent out, to emphasize their exceptional singing technique as well as the raw and earthly but at the same time having elating effect Bulgarian folklore.

It is a real pleasure to listen to "Harmonies" - the album by Eva Quartet and their conductor Milen Ivanov. This music reaches beyond the mind - its beauty and richness are hard to be perceived by the mind, they are meant only for the senses.'

'The four young women of the Eva Quartet are all professionals who took such a chance, and their performances of arrangements and original compositions are about as good as you will find. Most of the songs, with the exception of a couple of medleys which charmingly reproduce village originals, are the work of some of Bulgaria's best composers and arrangers, and this is both an advantage and a disadvantage. The polish and expertise are obvious, but everything is a miniature, and especially in the work of Ivan Spassov and Antoni Donchev there is a sense that the composer has more to say than the bounds of the style permit. The combination of these singers and an "extended piece"would really be something to look forward to.'
KIM BURTON - Songlines Magazine

'In my opinion the most wonderful CD of Bulgarian female voices! EVA quartet convinces with its simplicity, knowledge about the traditional way of singing but also about the possibility of non-traditional arrangement effects. Eva Quartets gets the best of every song and surprises with its manifold a-cappella effects.'
RICHARD SCHUBERTH - Concerto

GBP

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Eva Quartet

'Harmonies'

(KPR06)

This symbol  indicates an mp3 sound clip for that track. Click on the symbol and wait for the clip to start. For more information click here. Tracks

1. Zora se zazorila (Daybreak dawned) 2. Shopski napevi (Shopski airs) 3. Hortsa i pripevki ot Pirina (Songs and Dances from Pirin) 4. Belo Ayshe jali (White Aishe's Lament) 5. Sevditze 6. Gel moma 7. Izkaray Gano govedata (Bring the cattle out, Gano) 8. Pripade temna magla (Dark mist fell) 9. Slantseto treperi (The Sun Shimmers) 10. Ogan gori (There's a fire burning) 11. Pripyavki ot Zapadna Bulgaria (Western Bulgarian refrain) 12. Aishinko 13. Dzyalo blazheni este

Duration (45'"02)