LE MYSTERE DES VOIX BULGARES LP – Nr MINT A1 UK 1986 INDIE 4AD WORLD MUSIC

Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares
(4AD Records  1986  CAD603)
Matrix No’s: A2/B1 – UK Pressing

Sleeve in Nr MINT/Excellent+ condition
– small scuff/tear near top of spine edge – a little rubbing on the back
Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality apart from the odd light pop/crackle)

Le Mystère des Voix Bulgares (translated as “The Mystery of Bulgarian Voices”) is an album of Bulgarian folk songs performed by the Bulgarian State Radio & Television Female Vocal Choir with guest-soloists Yanka Rupkina, Kalinka Valcheva and Stefka Sabotinova.

The album was the result of fifteen years of work by Swiss ethnomusicologist and producer Marcel Cellier and was released in 1975 on his small Disques Cellier label.

In the 1980s, Ivo Watts-Russell (founder of 4AD) was introduced to the choir from a third or fourth generation audio cassette lent to him by Peter Murphy, singer from the band Bauhaus. He became thoroughly entranced by the music, and tracked down and licensed the recordings from Cellier. So in 1986, it was re-released on the 4AD label in the UK, in 1987 the Nonesuch label in the US and on the Philips label in other territories.

Track listing

1. “Pilentze Pee” (Пиленце пее) [Birdie Sings] – 2:31
2. “Svatba” (Сватба) [The Wedding Procession] – 1:27
3. “Kalimankou Denkou” (Калиманко Денко) [The Evening Gathering] – 5:06
4. “Strati Na Angelaki Doumasche” (Страти на Ангелаки думаше) [Haiduk Song] – 2:37
5. “Polegnala E Pschenitza” (Полегнала е пшеница) [Harvest Song from Thrace] – 2:02
6. “Messetschinko Lio Greïlivko” (Месечинко льо грейливка) [Love Song from the Mountains] – 2:31
7. “Breï Yvane” (Брей Иване) [Dancing Song] – 1:31
8. “Erghen Diado” (Ерген дядо) [Song of Schopsko] (Lionder) – 2:50
9. “Sableyalo Mi Agontze” (Заблеяло ми агънце) [The Bleating Lamb] – 4:31
10. “Prïtourïtze Planinata” (Притури се планината) [Song from the Thracian Plain] – 2:45
11. “Mir Stanke le” (Мир Станке ле) [Harvest Song from Thrace] – 3:10
12. “Schopska Pesen” (Шопска песен) [Diaphonic Chant] – 1:27
13. “Polegnala E Todora” (Полегнала е Тодора) [Love Song] – 3:38