Search - Mikhail Glinka, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Anton Arensky :: Russian Images, Vol. 2

"The Riches of Russian Vocal Art"

12/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Following on from the success of the first "Russian Images"disc.Vasily Savenko and Alexander Blok have again come up with a selection to suprise and delight lovers of Russian Romans. The excellent sleeve notes put into perspective this kaleidoscope:"The spectrum is broad,both chronologically,ranging from the 1840s to the 1940s, and stylistically,comprising works by composers of Russian Nationalist school,the romantic era,the rich Silver Age immediate preceding the revolution,as well as the years of the soviet regime.The choice of songs has been designed to include both well-loved favourites and such unfamiliar material as the Mosolov settings of Pushkin,composed in 1949 but not receiving their premier in the West until Vassily Savenko and Michael Dussek gave the first performance almost fifty years later. To those unfamiliar with the artistry of the bass-baritone Vassily Savenko and his distinguished pianist,Alexander Blok,this disc is sure to be a revelation-both for its exquisite songs and thrilling performance by a singer who has few equals in this genre.Savenko uses his powerful,operatic voice to great effect in Rachmaninovs "Arion",in Medtners "Invocation"and Taneyevs "And the foes stood trembling",but commands expression and nuance of the utmost delicacy in Tchaikovskys "my genius,my angel,my friend" and in Arenskys "Was it so long ago to anchanting strains".In Taneyevs beautiful,evocative setting of Baudelaires "Dense Forest",Savenko displays his depth of tone and phenomenal breath control,but the whole selection affirms him an artist of great eloquence in the service of music.Alexander Bloks Accomplished support at the piano makes this a must- have disc!"