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passion and beauty
Similar to Hvorostovsky's 1991 release, Russian Romances, this collection of Russian songs by some of its most renown composers is brimming over with passion and soul. They are songs of love and loss, with solo piano accompaniment, and sung to perfection by one of the great voices of our time; Siberian baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky has it all, emotional expression, technical skill, breath control and marvelous phrasing, and a dark honey sound that is recognizable after a note or two.
With eleven selections from Tchaikovsky, four from Rachmaninoff, three from Rimsky-Korsakov, and a tragic, solemn piece from Borodin set to words by Pushkin, the melodies abound, and some of my favorites are Rimsky Korsakov's The Clouds Begin to Scatter, Tchaikovsky's It Happened in the Early Spring and Not a Word Beloved, and Rachmaninoff's How I Languish.
Hvorostovsky is one of the finest interpreters this genre of music, and these superb renditions are a worthy addition to any Russian music collection.
Mikhail Arkadiev plays the piano accompaniment beautifully, and the sound balance between instrument and voice is excellent. The booklet insert has the lyrics in English and German, and total playing time is 57'26.
[Wednesday, July 28, 2004]
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The best!
After seeing Mr. Hvorostovsky in the Met playing Germont, I knew that this is something new, I have never heared before. This beautiful c.d of russian songs could not have been sung better. Buy it!!!
[Wednesday, December 26, 2001]
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Deeply satisfying
This is another five-star recording from the most exciting baritone in opera today. This CD finds him in familiar territory, singing Russian songs as only he can. His phrasing is superb, and his dark baritone adds a haunting dimension to the many reflective numbers presented here. It is difficult to pick out highlights from this outstanding collection of Tschaikovsky, Borodin et al, but I was particularly taken with the four Rachmaninov songs that conclude the CD. Child, You Are Beautiful Like a Flower is as lovely as its title suggests, and Hvorostovsky sings it in his tenderest fashion. For complete contrast, Spring Waters is given a bravura treatment as the baritone unleashes all the power at his disposal - a thrilling conclusion to the CD. Hvorostovsky is ably supported throughout by pianist Mikhail Arkadiev, and the sound quality is good, though a tad distorted in Spring Waters. (Perhaps the recording engineers couldn't cope with the voice in full throttle?!) Highly recommended.
[Friday, November 23, 2001]
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