I have never seen and doubt I ever will see what is one of my all-time favorite operas: "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Favronia". I can listen to this over and over and over again--talk about tuneful.
Thank you so much, Dave, for this video. Russian opera, singers and conductors have been a major passion for years. Of course you're absolutely correct that Russian is a beautiful language - its mellifluous rush of soft palatals perfectly suited to music. That Onegin from 1936 was the first ever complete recording, made originally for a film that was never completed. There was another Onegin made close in time (1937?) to this one with Kozlovsky, but I think Lemeshev has a much more beautiful voice. Orlov's Oprichnik is magnificent - the conducting and singing are superb, thrilling, captivating. Dolukhavana is in an early trouser role in stupendous voice. She was a stunningly versatile singer. Iolanta is a beautiful, beautiful opera, as spiritual as Tchaikovsky gets when the heroine undergoes a psychic healing at the hands of a Muslim healer. I don't know this Golovanov Iolanta but now I have to hear it. Rimsky-Korsakov is one of my most beloved opera composers. Yes, his work has been accused of being less than dramatic, but do critics realize that his form was based on a series of scenes, not acts as in western opera. Boris Godunov and Eugene Onegin are perfect examples. There is a later version of May Night with the breathtaking Konstantin Lisovsky, who has one of the most beautiful tenor voices I've ever heard. I really don't care for Gergiev as a conductor, but his Iolanta and Tsar's Bride are exceptional, mostly thanks to beautiful voices. The Maid of Pskov is worth hearing with Nelepp and Sakharov. Gergiev is too slow and pulseless here, imo. His Sadko has one fabulous singer, Valentina Tsidipova, who disappeared after this - at least I can't find her. Golovanov's Sadko with Nelepp is a thrilling, star studded production. The conducting is red hot, Nelepp's velvety sound has a seductive, erotic quality that he carries into his heroic moments - a powerhouse Russian heldentenor. His Florestan is admirable and probably not difficult for him to conjure, given time/place. You can see the masterful acting of Nelepp, Khanaev and Kozlovsky in Stroyeva's film of Boris Godunov. The Soviets made marvelous filmic opera; the Tsar's Bride is one of the best (I uploaded it on one of my other channels, where you'll find lots of historic Russian opera.) Svetlanov's Invisible City of Kitezh is exquisite for singing and conducting. It treats the Russian malady of alcoholism with brutal honesty and compassion. Kalinina and Piavko give heart and beauty to the destructive consequences of alcoholism, much in the same vein as Pikova Dama. That Nebolsin Kitezh has Rozhdestvensky's mother. Apologies for the ridiculous length of this comment but I don't get to revel in a Russian opera vid very often.
Tchaikovsky is particularly good in the first Acts of his operas.Any Tchaikovsky lovers ,who has not heard them ,should give them a try.The Enchantress,the Slippers and Oprichnik are very good.
Wonderful video on unjustly neglected music. To your point on why these operas aren't performed, I remember a time when no-one even considered doing Handel operas, and now they're everywhere! So I remain hopeful...... In fact, I went to the Handel production of Xerxes at English National Opera in the mid-80s which kind of kick-started the whole Handel "surge". I saw so many rarities at ENO, and a highlight was seeing Prokofiev's "War and Peace" in the 70s conducted by Russian expert David Lloyd-Jones (a family friend). I had discovered the opera via that abridged 1972 Melodiya recording (which I still love, with Vishnevskaya as Natasha). It is a SENSATIONAL piece, and needs to be done far more often.
The 1936 Onegin is also on Naxos remastered by the wizardry of Ward Marston. This is the recording that the young Vishnevskaya got as a gift and played over and over to the annoyance of neighbors and family and which determined her to sing opera. Then she later made THE definitive recording of it around 1955 with an all star cast.
I saw the scratch n sniff Love For Three Oranges. Definitely in my top five opera productions I've seen. Just terrific. I still have a couple of the scratch cards as souveniers.
Your take on local Arts Organizations (especially in the US) is spot on. Very much like US classical radio: they want your money so they can play the 100 Hits of classical music only (I listen to BR Bavarian Radio, never PBS - thanks, internet)
I enjoyed this segment on Russian opera. I just have to add a few comments. Being raised on Russian music, especially opera, I’m glad to find much useful and sympathetic info about it. I can add a few comments as a, somewhat insider ( my aunt sung in Kirov opera theater, my cousin was in charge of costume div. of Bolshoi). Too bad, Russian opera in your box missed 2 very important operas by Michael Glinka- the founder of Russian opera, “Ruslan i Lyudmila” and “Life for the Tzar”, which are absolutely fabulous. In “Eugene Onegin” there were best Bolshoi soloists: Onegin- Kibkalo, Tatiana- Vishnevskaya, Lensky- Lemeshev. My favorite opera “Pikovaya Dama” (Dame Pique, or Queen of Spades), is the most dramatic of all. Music in The barrack scene is hair raising. Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother Modest, saying he had terrifying visions writing that scene. Luckily those 2 operas plus “ Yolanta” were made as movies, with actors, who couldn’t sing, and best singers dubbing them. I guess those were first attempts to bring opera to much larger audience. As for Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas, most of them were beautifully made as delightful cartoons. His operas were never staged in Kirov or Bolshoi for the reason of perpetual tight budget and lack of good singers. I don’t know, why through the whole Soviet era there was a void of good singing voices. After Vishnevskaya and Lemeshev, only few exceptions in the midst of mediocrity. Instead Kirov and Bolshoi were converted into moneymakers for the state, staging ballet for tourists. The best in the world ballet dancers were performing, earning $$$$, at the expense of Russian opera. There are also 2 operas, missing in the box: Rachmaninov’s “Aleko”( based on Pushkin’s poem “Gypsies”) and Anton Rubinstein’s “Demon” (based on beautiful Lermontov’s poem). Both worth of listening, but staging…. nah.
I wish you’d mentioned (not a box, but hey) one of the Soviet Bolshoi recordings of Alexandr Borodin’s (only) opera Prince Igor! (completed by glazunov) (Borodin also collaborated with the Handful on Mlada, but Prince Igor is the only opera Borodin can truly call his) There are two stereo versions of Igor by Melik-Peshayev, one from the 40s and one from the 50s (the 50s one is more reference worthy, better sound throughout, the album has either a solar eclipse or Genghis Khan on the cover), and a live recording under Svetlanov, complete with Russians walking through the aisles and giggling
Great video, DH! You made a strong point: collectors should be aware of what's out there. It often does disappear, sort of like Kitezh! For instance, the Gergiev sets are both available on Amazon, but only from the Amazon Global UK store at the moment. Some of these great recordings tend to go in and out, so with meaty boxed sets, it's best to buy now and ask questions later. By the way, your recent Rimsky-Korsakov opera suites discussion was fabulous. I purchased the Chandos Jarvi double-album on the spot. As far as Prokofiev, his operas are shockingly neglected. (I recently discovered a fantastic piano version of the waltz from "War & Peace" by the composer, and apparently Babayan expanded this into a four-hand arrangement recently. He recorded it with Argerich on DG's 2018 release "Prokofiev for 2".) I do hope these operas find a wider audience.
I love these Russian operas but don't ever expect to see more than a few performed live. Thank God for recordings. There are many other relatively obscure ones well worth hearing: Rubinstein's The Demon and Dargomyzhsky's The Stone Guest, which is for my taste a much more exciting, atmospheric and enjoyable version of the story for Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Talking of opera, I just heard a wonderful opera by Galuppi (18 th century), called The world upside down. It is on RUclips, but I heard a broadcast from around the year 2000, by the European Broadcast Union. (I had taped it). I havent been able to find a recording of this work. It has a lot of lovely melodies, and is based on a play by the great playwright Goldini; they both lived in Venice.
For you, who are collecting the operas by Rimsky-Korsakov many versions in this set are different from the earlier more wellknown commercial recordings. As for the fragments from "Nausicaa": This is the cantata "From Homer" which in turn was elaborated from the sketches of the abandoned opera… It has been recorded a couple of times, so no "world premiere recording"... The music from "Servilia" is really worth hearing, whereas I was a little disappointed with "Pan Voyevode". AIt is a wonderful performance of "The Snowmaiden". Thank you, David Hurwitz for your enthusiasm and sharing. Mostly it is a real pleasure to watch your daily pep-talk about classical music!
I recently watched Rautavaara's RASPUTIN here on YT and really enjoyed it. I'd recommend it if only for Salminen's towering performance but the opera itself deserves to be up there with BORIS GODUNOVA, PIQUE DAME, etc.
Thank you for doing this! I have the Tchaikovsky and Rimsky Profil boxes and will be ordering the Moussorgksy soon - I agree, the Russian language is glorious - looking forward to more - hoping Profil will continue with Prokofiev, Shostakovich and perhaps the lesser known composers - by the way, I have the Taneyev opera on Melodiya - love it...
I saw The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya in Barcelona, and it is a wonderful opera, the beginning in the forest is just magical. The problem is the last act is too long and it doesn't really work except for Grishka's fate. He becomes more or less the Innocent in Boris Godunov, isn't it? I wonder if Rimsky had that in mind.
Thanks for this talk, David. The very last opera I saw live before the COVID shutdown was Queen of Spades in Chicago, and it was such a fabulous night at the theatre. It quickly became one of my favorites, and I agree with your assessment-it is indeed a masterpiece. One box that I thought might be mentioned in your review was the box set of Rachmaninov’s operas with Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg forces. I was able to pick it up rather cheaply recently, but as you note, having a good libretto is critical, and like these sets, the box doesn’t come with one and I’ve been having trouble finding a libretto online for them. So I have to confess that I’ve not done much deep listening to them. Any thoughts on that box, and/or where to find a good libretto for the operas? I’d love to know what to expect once I do get around to listening. Thanks again!
I'm always surprised to realise that The Fiery Angel remains under-appreciated. It's hot stuff, with a great mad role, and fun opportunities for staging. I do think it would be better with an overture, and one could easily be extracted using the symphony as a guide. As for War & Peace, I've never much liked the second act, and hope one day the de-Stalinised version will be reassembled and recorded.
'Pan Voyevoda' was the opera that RK gave the young Stravinsky to make a vocal score. Professor Taruskin doesn't think much of it: the dances are attractive enough but hardly memorable or even particularly characteristic: that Polonaise outstays its welcome. 'Sadko' is the one I first heard and I love it to bits.
Dave: I was surprised to see that your Profil Rimsky box came with a booklet @31:01 I ordered mine from Amazon and it came with nothing, not even a track list. Do you remember who you ordered yours from? I gave up trying to talk to Amazon and returned it. Did any of your other viewers buy the Profil Rimsky box? Booklet or no booklet? Who did they order it from? I see that Profil is about to release a Mussorgsky box. I don't insist on libretti, but at least provide a cast list and track listing.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Thanks - I will search around until find a dealer who agrees to open the box and check for a booklet before mailing it. Something Amazon won't do. I will keep everyone posted on the response.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Very kind of you. Thanks. The 56 page booklet that came with the Tchaikovsky box was surprisingly thorough. I hope the Rimsky and Mussorgsky booklets are equally helpful.
After listening to your talk, I checked out the Profil label. They have a Szell box on there that I never knew existed. David, do you know if these performances are the same as the ones in the big Sony/CBS Szell box?
Thank you so much, Dave, for this survey. It's great that you gave such a great endorsement of Russian opera.
Hvala.
Thank you!
I have never seen and doubt I ever will see what is one of my all-time favorite operas: "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Favronia". I can listen to this over and over and over again--talk about tuneful.
Thank you so much, Dave, for this video. Russian opera, singers and conductors have been a major passion for years. Of course you're absolutely correct that Russian is a beautiful language - its mellifluous rush of soft palatals perfectly suited to music. That Onegin from 1936 was the first ever complete recording, made originally for a film that was never completed. There was another Onegin made close in time (1937?) to this one with Kozlovsky, but I think Lemeshev has a much more beautiful voice. Orlov's Oprichnik is magnificent - the conducting and singing are superb, thrilling, captivating. Dolukhavana is in an early trouser role in stupendous voice. She was a stunningly versatile singer. Iolanta is a beautiful, beautiful opera, as spiritual as Tchaikovsky gets when the heroine undergoes a psychic healing at the hands of a Muslim healer. I don't know this Golovanov Iolanta but now I have to hear it. Rimsky-Korsakov is one of my most beloved opera composers. Yes, his work has been accused of being less than dramatic, but do critics realize that his form was based on a series of scenes, not acts as in western opera. Boris Godunov and Eugene Onegin are perfect examples. There is a later version of May Night with the breathtaking Konstantin Lisovsky, who has one of the most beautiful tenor voices I've ever heard. I really don't care for Gergiev as a conductor, but his Iolanta and Tsar's Bride are exceptional, mostly thanks to beautiful voices. The Maid of Pskov is worth hearing with Nelepp and Sakharov. Gergiev is too slow and pulseless here, imo. His Sadko has one fabulous singer, Valentina Tsidipova, who disappeared after this - at least I can't find her. Golovanov's Sadko with Nelepp is a thrilling, star studded production. The conducting is red hot, Nelepp's velvety sound has a seductive, erotic quality that he carries into his heroic moments - a powerhouse Russian heldentenor. His Florestan is admirable and probably not difficult for him to conjure, given time/place. You can see the masterful acting of Nelepp, Khanaev and Kozlovsky in Stroyeva's film of Boris Godunov. The Soviets made marvelous filmic opera; the Tsar's Bride is one of the best (I uploaded it on one of my other channels, where you'll find lots of historic Russian opera.) Svetlanov's Invisible City of Kitezh is exquisite for singing and conducting. It treats the Russian malady of alcoholism with brutal honesty and compassion. Kalinina and Piavko give heart and beauty to the destructive consequences of alcoholism, much in the same vein as Pikova Dama. That Nebolsin Kitezh has Rozhdestvensky's mother.
Apologies for the ridiculous length of this comment but I don't get to revel in a Russian opera vid very often.
Thank you for your detailed comments!
Tchaikovsky is particularly good in the first Acts of his operas.Any Tchaikovsky lovers ,who has not heard them ,should give them a try.The Enchantress,the Slippers and Oprichnik are very good.
Thanks Dave! I am so happy to lurn with you ever day!!!!! And your t shirt is gorgeous!!
I love that MACA t-shirt!
I need one!
Wonderful video on unjustly neglected music. To your point on why these operas aren't performed, I remember a time when no-one even considered doing Handel operas, and now they're everywhere! So I remain hopeful...... In fact, I went to the Handel production of Xerxes at English National Opera in the mid-80s which kind of kick-started the whole Handel "surge". I saw so many rarities at ENO, and a highlight was seeing Prokofiev's "War and Peace" in the 70s conducted by Russian expert David Lloyd-Jones (a family friend). I had discovered the opera via that abridged 1972 Melodiya recording (which I still love, with Vishnevskaya as Natasha). It is a SENSATIONAL piece, and needs to be done far more often.
This boxes are great as a whole. Now we need the ideal recordings for the most important works, please!
The 1936 Onegin is also on Naxos remastered by the wizardry of Ward Marston. This is the recording that the young Vishnevskaya got as a gift and played over and over to the annoyance of neighbors and family and which determined her to sing opera. Then she later made THE definitive recording of it around 1955 with an all star cast.
I saw the scratch n sniff Love For Three Oranges. Definitely in my top five opera productions I've seen. Just terrific. I still have a couple of the scratch cards as souveniers.
Your take on local Arts Organizations (especially in the US) is spot on. Very much like US classical radio: they want your money so they can play the 100 Hits of classical music only (I listen to BR Bavarian Radio, never PBS - thanks, internet)
I enjoyed this segment on Russian opera. I just have to add a few comments. Being raised on Russian music, especially opera, I’m glad to find much useful and sympathetic info about it. I can add a few comments as a, somewhat insider ( my aunt sung in Kirov opera theater, my cousin was in charge of costume div. of Bolshoi).
Too bad, Russian opera in your box missed 2 very important operas by Michael Glinka- the founder of Russian opera, “Ruslan i Lyudmila” and “Life for the Tzar”, which are absolutely fabulous. In “Eugene Onegin” there were best Bolshoi soloists: Onegin- Kibkalo, Tatiana- Vishnevskaya, Lensky- Lemeshev. My favorite opera “Pikovaya Dama” (Dame Pique, or Queen of Spades), is the most dramatic of all. Music in The barrack scene is hair raising. Tchaikovsky wrote to his brother Modest, saying he had terrifying visions writing that scene. Luckily those 2 operas plus “ Yolanta” were made as movies, with actors, who couldn’t sing, and best singers dubbing them. I guess those were first attempts to bring opera to much larger audience.
As for Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas, most of them were beautifully made as delightful cartoons. His operas were never staged in Kirov or Bolshoi for the reason of perpetual tight budget and lack of good singers. I don’t know, why through the whole Soviet era there was a void of good singing voices. After Vishnevskaya and Lemeshev, only few exceptions in the midst of mediocrity. Instead Kirov and Bolshoi were converted into moneymakers for the state, staging ballet for tourists. The best in the world ballet dancers were performing, earning $$$$, at the expense of Russian opera.
There are also 2 operas, missing in the box: Rachmaninov’s “Aleko”( based on Pushkin’s poem “Gypsies”) and Anton Rubinstein’s “Demon” (based on beautiful Lermontov’s poem). Both worth of listening, but staging…. nah.
Thanks for the insider perspective!
Спасибо! Эти вещи действительно заслуживают внимания. Есть ещё одна опера, которая стоит целого бокс-сета - это "Князь Игорь" 😉
I wish you’d mentioned (not a box, but hey) one of the Soviet Bolshoi recordings of Alexandr Borodin’s (only) opera Prince Igor! (completed by glazunov) (Borodin also collaborated with the Handful on Mlada, but Prince Igor is the only opera Borodin can truly call his) There are two stereo versions of Igor by Melik-Peshayev, one from the 40s and one from the 50s (the 50s one is more reference worthy, better sound throughout, the album has either a solar eclipse or Genghis Khan on the cover), and a live recording under Svetlanov, complete with Russians walking through the aisles and giggling
Great video, DH! You made a strong point: collectors should be aware of what's out there. It often does disappear, sort of like Kitezh! For instance, the Gergiev sets are both available on Amazon, but only from the Amazon Global UK store at the moment. Some of these great recordings tend to go in and out, so with meaty boxed sets, it's best to buy now and ask questions later. By the way, your recent Rimsky-Korsakov opera suites discussion was fabulous. I purchased the Chandos Jarvi double-album on the spot. As far as Prokofiev, his operas are shockingly neglected. (I recently discovered a fantastic piano version of the waltz from "War & Peace" by the composer, and apparently Babayan expanded this into a four-hand arrangement recently. He recorded it with Argerich on DG's 2018 release "Prokofiev for 2".) I do hope these operas find a wider audience.
Also, MACA!
Thank you!
I love these Russian operas but don't ever expect to see more than a few performed live. Thank God for recordings. There are many other relatively obscure ones well worth hearing: Rubinstein's The Demon and Dargomyzhsky's The Stone Guest, which is for my taste a much more exciting, atmospheric and enjoyable version of the story for Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Talking of opera, I just heard a wonderful opera by Galuppi (18 th century), called The world upside down.
It is on RUclips, but I heard a broadcast from around the year 2000, by the European Broadcast Union.
(I had taped it).
I havent been able to find a recording of this work. It has a lot of lovely melodies, and is based on a play by the great playwright Goldini; they both lived in Venice.
For you, who are collecting the operas by Rimsky-Korsakov many versions in this set are different from the earlier more wellknown commercial recordings.
As for the fragments from "Nausicaa": This is the cantata "From Homer" which in turn was elaborated from the sketches of the abandoned opera… It has been recorded a couple of times, so no "world premiere recording"...
The music from "Servilia" is really worth hearing, whereas I was a little disappointed with "Pan Voyevode". AIt is a wonderful performance of "The Snowmaiden".
Thank you, David Hurwitz for your enthusiasm and sharing. Mostly it is a real pleasure to watch your daily pep-talk about classical music!
I recently watched Rautavaara's RASPUTIN here on YT and really enjoyed it. I'd recommend it if only for Salminen's towering
performance but the opera itself deserves to be up there with BORIS GODUNOVA, PIQUE DAME, etc.
Thank you for doing this! I have the Tchaikovsky and Rimsky Profil boxes and will be ordering the Moussorgksy soon - I agree, the Russian language is glorious - looking forward to more - hoping Profil will continue with Prokofiev, Shostakovich and perhaps the lesser known composers - by the way, I have the Taneyev opera on Melodiya - love it...
I saw The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya in Barcelona, and it is a wonderful opera, the beginning in the forest is just magical. The problem is the last act is too long and it doesn't really work except for Grishka's fate. He becomes more or less the Innocent in Boris Godunov, isn't it? I wonder if Rimsky had that in mind.
You betcha. I just said, it's one of my all-time favorites but it's almost never performed so I've never been as lucky as you.
Thanks for this talk, David. The very last opera I saw live before the COVID shutdown was Queen of Spades in Chicago, and it was such a fabulous night at the theatre. It quickly became one of my favorites, and I agree with your assessment-it is indeed a masterpiece.
One box that I thought might be mentioned in your review was the box set of Rachmaninov’s operas with Neeme Järvi and the Gothenburg forces. I was able to pick it up rather cheaply recently, but as you note, having a good libretto is critical, and like these sets, the box doesn’t come with one and I’ve been having trouble finding a libretto online for them. So I have to confess that I’ve not done much deep listening to them. Any thoughts on that box, and/or where to find a good libretto for the operas? I’d love to know what to expect once I do get around to listening. Thanks again!
Quick question, which Prokofiev "The Fiery Angel" do you prefer, Jarvi or Gergiev?
I'm always surprised to realise that The Fiery Angel remains under-appreciated. It's hot stuff, with a great mad role, and fun opportunities for staging. I do think it would be better with an overture, and one could easily be extracted using the symphony as a guide.
As for War & Peace, I've never much liked the second act, and hope one day the de-Stalinised version will be reassembled and recorded.
What are the best recordings either cd or dvd of Shostakovich's Lady Macbdth etc and The Nose?
See reviews on ClassicsToday.com please.
Rostropovich and Gergiev in my humble view.
Which individual recording of the Queen of Spades would you recommend? Sancta Susanna would make good companion piece to The Fiery Angel.
It would make quite a long evening!
David, please let us know when that shirt is purchasable! 😊
Soon, I hope. I will of course promote the hell out of it.
'Pan Voyevoda' was the opera that RK gave the young Stravinsky to make a vocal score. Professor Taruskin doesn't think much of it: the dances are attractive enough but hardly memorable or even particularly characteristic: that Polonaise outstays its welcome. 'Sadko' is the one I first heard and I love it to bits.
Dave: I was surprised to see that your Profil Rimsky box came with a booklet @31:01
I ordered mine from Amazon and it came with nothing, not even a track list.
Do you remember who you ordered yours from?
I gave up trying to talk to Amazon and returned it.
Did any of your other viewers buy the Profil Rimsky box?
Booklet or no booklet? Who did they order it from?
I see that Profil is about to release a Mussorgsky box.
I don't insist on libretti, but at least provide a cast list and track listing.
It was just from Amazon, like yours.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Thanks - I will search around until find a dealer who agrees to open the box and check for a booklet before mailing it. Something Amazon won't do. I will keep everyone posted on the response.
@@johnfowler7660 If you like I can put you in touch with the label. I'm sure they'd just mail you a booklet.
@@DavesClassicalGuide Very kind of you. Thanks.
The 56 page booklet that came with the Tchaikovsky box was surprisingly thorough. I hope the Rimsky and Mussorgsky booklets are equally helpful.
@@johnfowler7660 Drop me an email and I'll send you contact info this evening (dhurwitz@classicstoday.com).
After listening to your talk, I checked out the Profil label. They have a Szell box on there that I never knew existed. David, do you know if these performances are the same as the ones in the big Sony/CBS Szell box?
They seem to be.
Can I get the MACA shirt?!??
Sure. It's available in the ClassicsToday.com shop.