(KM ACROSS 03)
"No-one has lived in house number 13 for a long time. During the day only the wind blows the leaves around the statue in front of the entrance. After dusk, behind the ivy covered facade you can hear strange noises and music... One of the residents of this house is the chicken with red-thread-sewn eye. "I sewed my eye with red thread so as not to erase what I saw: a house with ear muffs, above it an angel's sigh and a dog with snow flakes on his nose..."
VERGINIA ZAHARIEVA
Donchev proves to be master of the melody and the impressive, but economical instrumentation. He has created atmospheric, fascinating musical treasures.
EMANUEL WENGER / Jazz Live
Music for theatre plays and films - that cannot be worth a whole record? Nothing of the kind. With "DOM No.13" it refers to extracts of order compositions for projects in Germany and Bulgaria. For those who are brave enough to dive into the grotesque, partly melancholic, partly experimental music but also into a dreamlike, lyric piano sound or typically East European singing, this work by Antoni Donchev is a feast. While there is a final time mood arising with "Six Characters look for an Author" or an eerie mood captivating the listeners we are trying to find a - rather unfounded - parallel between the forgotten Bulgaria which is full of despair and this music. When a train is taking off into the air with much easiness ("Fly, fly, little train") all this seems to be forgotten. A group of 18 musicians is making music in varying constellations. And the choice of the instruments is always decisive for the mood of the piece - nothing seems to be at random, everything makes sense…
It is worth mentioning that Antoni Donchev`s work finishes with a solo choral on the organ and his melodious piano play with "Talking to the Moon" witnesses his sincerety and love. A masterpiece! - with an imaginative booklet - lyrics by Edvin Sugarev, drawings and photographies by Dimiter Panev. The texts are included in Bulgarian and English.
CARINA PRANGE / Jazzdimensions