Search - Dmitry Shostakovich, Modest Mussorgsky, Mstislav Rostropovich :: Galina Vishnevskaya Sings Shostakovich & Mussorgsky

A Wonderful Voice

D. A Wend | Buffalo Grove, IL USA | 05/24/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD during the Shostakovich Centennial and it filled a gap in my collection for the Alexander Blok and Satires, works written with Galina Vishnevskaya in mind. The performances were made during the late 1970's and are also interesting for the collaboration of Vishnevskaya's husband Mstislav Rostropovich, who plays the cello and piano and is the conductor for the Lady Macbeth selections.



The booklet recalls the comment by Ms. Vishnevskaya that she is "a music hall singer with an operatic voice," something that Dmitri Shostakovich understood when composing these songs. It would be easy in some of the songs to loose control (particularly when the singer must half-shout, half-shriek) with the demands that the composer places on the singer but Vishnevskaya takes it all in stride. She is also superb in the Mussorgsky Songs and Dances of Death that Shostakovich orchestrated but Vishnevskaya really shines in the scene from Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. The disc includes only Act 1 Scene 3 but the scene is a pivotal one where Sergei (sung by Nicolai Gedda) seduces Katarina. I am familiar with the recording of the opera with Maria Ewing and, for drama and singing, this recording is truly excellent leaving one wanting for more.



The recordings have been nicely re-mastered and are a must for anyone interested in Shostakovich's music. The booklet includes the texts and a nice biography of Galina Vishnevskaya.

"

Unforgettable!

F. S. L'hoir | Irvine, CA | 04/09/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was introduced both to Schostakovich and the "Blok Romances" when the recording was issued as a vinyl on the Seraphim label. At the time, I was absolutely entranced. My vinyl records went the way of the dodo, however, and by the time I had acquired a CD collection, I had lost track of who had performed the piece. I bought various versions of Shostakovich's "Romances," which were lovely, but none could compare to my memories of my original recording.



I was therefore absolutely thrilled when I discovered this CD with Vishnevskaya and Rostropovich, and as I listened to the first rich notes of "Ophelia's Song," I realized that I had found, not the lost chord, but my lost recording. Vishnevskaya's interpretation is unparalleled, as is that of Rostropovich and the other members of the accompanying piano trio. This performance definitely belongs under the rubric of "Great Artists of the Century."



Personally, though, playing this magnificent CD was like welcoming back a long-lost and much-loved friend."