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Rimsky-Korsakov: "The Song of Alexis, op 20"; "The Song of Oleg the Wise, op. 58"; "Iz Gomera, op.60"; "Switezianka, op. 44"Brenesal, Barry. Fanfare - The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors 26. 3 (Jan 2003): 163-164.

A recording of vocal and orchestral music by Nikolay Andreievich Rimsky -Korsakov featuring soprano Elena Mitrakova, tenor Dmitri Kortchak, bass NikolaiDidenko, the Moscow Symphony Orchestra under conductor Vladimir Ziva, and the Academy of Choral Art under conductor Viktor Popov is reviewed (LeChant du Monde).

Barry Brenesal

RIMSKY -KORSAKOV The Song of Alexis, op. 20. The Song of Oleg the Wise, op. 58.1 Iz Gomera, op. 60. Switezianka, op. 442 Vladimir Ziva, cond;Elena Mitrakova (sop);2 Dmitri Kortchak (ten);1,2 Nikolai Didenko, (bs);1 Moscow SO; Viktor Popov, cond; Academy of Choral Art LE CHANT DU MONDEDDD RUS 288175 (51:03

Copyright 2003 Fanfare, Inc.

)

Rimsky -Korsakov was, above all, a composer of opera. Taken in totality, his operas are not merely the finest body of work in this genre composed withinRussia or the Soviet Union, but also among the greatest and most distinctive monuments of 19th-century opera. These four secular cantatas thereforethrow a light on an interesting and relatively little known aspect of Rimsky -Korsakov 's dramatic oeuvre.

The earliest composition on this release, The Song of Alexis, Man of God, expands upon a chores written for a revision of his early opera, The Maid of Pskov.From 1878, it's a relatively early and successful demonstration of Rimsky -Korsakov 's hastily acquired skill at counterpoint, with most of the work featuringthree independent, clearly defined, attractively folk-influenced parts. The structure would become one that the composer returned to often on a smallerscale: a theme, presented repeatedly over ingenious, ever-varied accompaniment. The work is the most immediately

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appealing of the group.

Switezianka, or ''The Girl in the Lake,'' dates from 1897, shortly after the completion of Rimsky -Korsakov 's popular opera, Sadko. The cantata is itself amini-opera, retelling the tale of the suitor who finds a supernatural love in Nature, only to prove unfaithful and suffer deadly consequences as a result. (Inhis defense, they barely knew one another, and she deliberately employed a second form to tempt him to ruin.) The suitor is sung by tenor Dmitri Kortchak,whose secure voice is regularly compromised by poor intonation and a complete lack of dramatic feeling. Elena Mitrakova is far better as both innocent loverand sexy temptress, with a youthful, well-focused tone.

The Song of Oleg the Wise dates from 1899, but seems more advanced than the other works on this release. The harmonic experimentation, melodicsubtlety and orchestral refinement of its musical language look ahead to Rimsky -Korsakov 's final trilogy of great operas, Kashchei the Immortal (1902),The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia (1907), and The Golden Cockerel (1909). It, too, is a mini-opera, this time in twoscenes. Kortchak once again makes far too little of his characterful role as the wise Soothsayer, but the singer of Oleg, Nikolai Didenko, is a real find: abass with a good dramatic style, fine breath control, and imaginative phrasing. His voice is a curious one, more French than Russian, a very light andhigh-lying sound with a fast, perfectly regular vibrato. Its qualities call to mind the extraordinary group of fine French basses who recorded at the turn ofthe 20th century, rather than their darker-hued Sovietequivalents who showed up at its mid-point.

The final work, Iz Gomera, appeared in 1901. At that time, Rimsky -Korsakov was seriously considering an opera based on the Odyssey, to be calledNausicaa. That was ultimately shelved, and this ''prelude cantata'' took its place. The opening part, a brilliant orchestral realization of raging seas, is moresuccessful than the anti-climatic if pleasant vocal section featuring women's chores and trio that follows. Possibly the two pieces were originally unrelated.The accompanying text in English and French is no help, as it begins with material that is assigned to no one--followed by a large portion of text that isassigned, according to Le Chant du Monde, to the orchestra itself. Only the last three lines out of 21 are indicated as sung, though this isn't the case, as thesung portion of the work consumes more than five minutes.

Vladimir Ziva and the Moscow SO deliver an effective performance notable for its clear delineation of orchestral parts. The opening tone poem episode in IzGomera could have used a more energetic pace, but tempos in general are judiciously chosen. The chorus of the Russian Academy of Choral Art underViktor Popov deserves praise for its thoroughly operatic involvement with the text. They enunciate and pronounce well (two very different things), anddisplay good intonation throughout.

Sound quality is good, with realistic placement of the voices. Definitely recommended.

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Indexing (details) Cite

Narrow subject Vocalists, Singing Styles, Composers, Orchestral Musicians, Playing Styles,Conducting Styles, Sound Recordings

Broad subject Orchestral Music, Vocal Music

Naxos composer Rimsky -Korsakov , Nikolay Andreyevich

People Rimsky -Korsakov , Nikolay Andreyevich, Mitrakova, Elena, Kortchak, Dmitri,Didenko, Nikolai , Ziva, Vladimir, Popov, Viktor

Company Academy of Choral Art, Moscow Symphony Orchestra

Title Rimsky -Korsakov : "The Song of Alexis, op 20"; "The Song of Oleg the Wise, op.58"; "Iz Gomera, op. 60"; "Switezianka, op. 44"

Author Brenesal, Barry

Publication title Fanfare - The Magazine for Serious Record Collectors

Volume 26

Issue 3

Pages 163-164

Publication year 2003

Publication date Jan 2003

Year 2003

Publisher Fanfare, Inc

Place of publication Tenafly, N. J.

Country of publication United States

Publication subject Music, Sound Recording/Processing/Systems

ISSN 0148-9364

Source type Magazines

Language of publication English

Document type Recording Review-Favorable

ProQuest document ID 1262697

Document URL http://search.proquest.com.ezaccess.library.uitm.edu.my/docview/1262697?accountid=42518

Last updated 2013-06-06

Database International Index to Music Periodicals Full Text

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