Явор Конов: „Падре Атанасиус Кирхер (1602 – 1680) и неговата Musurgia Universalis (Рим, 1650)”
Yavor Konov: „Padre Athanasius Kircher (1602 – 1680) and his Musurgia Universalis (Rome, 1650)“

Summary/Abstract: Yavor Konov’s latest book is a novelty for Bulgarian musicological literature, as no other book has been devoted to Athanasius Kircher for the time being. This fact has been taken into consideration with its content modelled on the classical ‘life and career’ pattern. Even the title has put a special accent and has shown the professional affinity of its author, musician (pianist) and musicologist, for Kircher’s fundamental Musurgia Universalis. The book came to life because of its author’s will to share what has drawn his attention, to make available in the public domain the legacy of a figure of three centuries ago still igniting discussions, affinities and oppositions. (Yavor Konov was also behind the Bulgarian reception of Gioseffo Zarlino and Sébastiеn de Brossard). Yavor Konov’s presentation of the parts of Kirher’s work is clear, wellstructured and balanced. Aware of the fact that he can’t afford to follow consistently several steps first, a rigorous scientific research, then the results, requiring a dialogue with and possibly, a consensus among specialised communities, sink in and verify them, and only then promotion – Konov unites these steps into one, developing the panorama of this incredible oeuvre in terms as comprehensible, readable and even attractive as possible. The author’s views, evaluations and interpretations take the same synthetic approach. We’d agree with some of them and disagree with others, and still others would seem markedly subjective to us, but in any event, we’ll have a basis for communication. Providing a wealth of facts about Kircher’s life, illustrations (Yavor Konov specifies that the illustrations are available on free websites), an index of the works of this prolific scholar, testifying to his wide range of research fields, Yavor Konov’s book would attract various readerships, widening like circular ripples and depending on the interests of Kircher himself, who has gone down in history because of his unique place between the fairytale and the scholarly, whose works have always over the centuries attracted readers, followed now by Bulgarian readers as well.

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