Legend of Invisible City of Kitezh

Amazon.com
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh (and the Maiden Fevroniya) is very tuneful, very Slavic, and very, very convoluted and mystical in its plot. While there are some beautiful melodies here, offered up with Rimsky's colorful, well-crafted orchestration, Kitezh is not for everyone; it doesn't travel as well as, say, Boris Godunov or Eugene Onegin. Still, anyone drawn to Russian opera will want to own this score. Unfortunately, the quality of the performances in this technically fine live recording (made at the 1995 Bregenz Festival) is disappointing. The singing- -also very Slavic in its production--is sometimes unfortunate and sometimes adequate, but there don't seem to be any diamonds in the rough here destined to find vocal stardom. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Legend of Invisible City of Kitezh,Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov,Vladimir Fedoseyev,Viktoria Loukianets,Vladimir Galusin,Yelena Prokina,Koch Schwann,Classical Music,Opera,Russian Romantic Opera

---

Average customer rating:

The Very Best of Boris Christoff Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Boito, Arrigo | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Borodin | Borodin, Alexander | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gluck | Gluck, Christoph W. | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Gounod | Gounod, Charles | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Verdi | Verdi, Giuseppe | ( V ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Chamber Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music German | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music Similar Items: Samuel Ramey - Operatic Arias The Very Best of José Van Dam The Very Best of Tito Gobbi The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli The Very Best of Jon Vickers ASIN: B0006VYEIC Release Date: 2005-04-26

Tracks:

1. Skorbit Dusha!
2. Yeshcho Odno Poslyedneye Skazanye
3. Nye Syetuy, Brat
4. Kak Vo Gorode Bylo Vo Kazane
5. Dostig Ya vyshey Vlasti
6. Uf! Tyazhelo!
7. Prosnulsa Ya... Oh/Dushno!
8. Zvon! Pogrebal Ny Zvon!
9. Nateshilsya Li Knyaz?
10. O Net, Net, Drug
11. U Lyudey-To V Domu'
12. dlya Beregov Otchizni Dal'Noy
13. Song Of The Viking Guest
14. Prince Yuri's Aria
15. Prince Gremin's Aria
16. Song Of The Volga boatmen
17. Mephistopheles' Song Of The Flea

Tracks:

1. Le Veau D'or Est Toujours Debout
2. Siegneur, Daignex Permettre
3. Qu'Attendez-Vous Encore?... Vous Qui Faites L'Endormie
4. Decidesti Il Suo Destin... Con Le Mie Guardie... O Tu La Cosa Mia Piu Cara
5. Uldino! Non Hai Veduto?... Mentre Gonfiarsi L'anima
6. Ella Giammai M'Amo!
7. Son Lo Spirito Che Nega
8. Berceuse, Op.16 No.1
9. None But The Lonely Heart, Op.6 No.6
10. Along The Petersky
11. I. With Nanny
12. II. In The Corner
13. III. The Beetle
14. IV. With The Doll
15. V. At Bedtime
16. I. Trepak
17. IV. The Field-Marshal

Average customer rating: Little known but wonderful Rare Rimsky-Korsakov well done. A great collection for Rimsky fans. (And if you're not a fan, you will be.) As complete and good a collection as you're likely to find. Excellent compilation

Rimsky-Korsakov: Suites Manufacturer: Chandos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Grieg: Complete Music with Orchestra A. Glazunov: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8 The Essential Borodin Debussy, Ravel: Orchestral Works Rimsky-Korsakov: The Complete Symphonies; Russian Easter Festival Overture; Capriccio Espagnol [Germany] ASIN: B000000ACB Release Date: 1992-04-03

Tracks:

1. May Night - Overture
2. The Snow Maiden: Beautiful Spring
3. The Snow Maiden: Dance Of The Birds
4. The Snow Maiden: The Procession Of Tsar Berendey
5. The Snow Maiden: Dance Of The Tumblers
6. Christmas Eve: Christmas Night - Ballet Of The Stars - Witches' Sabbath And Ride On The Devil's Back - Polonaise - Vakula And The Slippers

Tracks:

1. Mlada: Introduction
2. Mlada: Redowa: A Bohemian Dance
3. Mlada: Lithuanian Dance
4. Mlada: Indian Dance
5. Mlada: Procession Of The Nobles
6. The Invisible City of Kitezh: Prelude: A Hymn To Nature
7. The Invisible City of Kitezh: Wedding Procession
8. The Invisible City of Kitezh: Tartar Invasion And Battle Of Kerzhenets
9. The Invisible City of Kitezh: Death Of Fevroniya And Apotheosis Of The Invisible City

Tracks:

1. The Golden Cockerel: Introduction And Dodon's Sleep
2. The Golden Cockerel: King Dodon On The Battlefield
3. The Golden Cockerel: Queen Of Shemakha's Dance; King Dodon's Dance
4. The Golden Cockerel: Wedding Feast; Death Of King Dodon; Finale
5. The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: Tsar's Departure And Farewell
6. The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: Tsarina Adrift At Sea In A Barrel
7. The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: The Three Wonders
8. The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: The Flight Of The Bumble Bee

Amazon.com

Rimsky-Korsakov's operatic suites used to be standard repertoire, but like so much attractive and colorful music, it seems that recording has absolved orchestras of the need to play them live! It's a rare day that you will find such lovely works as the Christmas Eve or Snow Maiden suite in the concert hall, so by all means invest in this comprehensive collection and enjoy them at home. This was the first project in Neeme Järvi's epic collaboration with the Scottish National Orchestra, and as is so often the case in such instances, everyone really plays their collective hearts out. Even Chandos outdoes itself in providing sound of speaker-shattering impact. A great set. --David Hurwitz

Customer Reviews:

Little known but wonderful.......2007-06-03

When was the last time you sat down and listened to Sheherazade? Have you ever heard it at good volume on good equipment? I thought not. So that's one thing to do. And now even better news: Rimsky-Korsakov wrote much great music in operas which have remained unknown to Western audiences. Here is a little of it in orchestral suites - good performances and sound and at a reasonable price. May it be the beginning of a delightful new journey into Russian opera!

Rare Rimsky-Korsakov well done........2006-07-19

Actually I was already familiar with some of the selections--most notably "Procession of the Nobles" from "Mlada" and "Dance of the Tumblers" from "The Snow Maiden". Thus I had a standard of quality from which I could compare the unfamiliar music.

Every piece sparkles. Rimsky-Korsakov's music is, generally, a study in elegance. Every note of these suites proves it. Frequently, when you hear music that is seldom performed, you discover WHY it isn't done. That does not apply here. I think it is a shame that I have not heard most of this music before.

Neeme Jarvi and the Scottish National Orchestra do a wonderful job performing all these suites. I whole-heartedly recommend this recording.

A great collection for Rimsky fans. (And if you're not a fan, you will be.).......2005-08-19

I have fond feelings for this collection. It was my introduction to the Chandos label and to conductor Neemi Jarvi, and I was bowled over. Since that time, recording just about every piece of music written by Western composers has apparently reduced some of Jarvi's enthusiasm, because his later recordings are often not as just-right as his Rimsky performances herein. But these performances are everything they should be. Jarvi and his Scottish orchestra stress the sparkling colors and the near-classical leanness of Rimsky's orchestrations. No Wagnerian bloat, no Brahmsian bottom-heaviness here. Rimsky seems to return to Berlioz as his orchestral paradigm, I always think.

I was immediately attracted to the Christmas Eve Suite, which I hadn't heard before; it builds to a wonderful climax in the tempo of a polonaise. Move over, Piotr I. Tchaikovsky--this music is a great change from chestnuts out of the Nutcracker (a pretty lame pun, but I'll let it stand).

However, Christmas Eve is not the only pleasure these discs provide. Jarvi offers first-rate performances of the lovely May Night, Rimsky's finest overture, as well as suites from the Golden Cockerel, the Snow Maiden, and Mlada, which contain some of Rimsky's most memorable music: the Dance of the Tumblers, the Procession of the Nobles, the Wedding Feast and Death of King Dodon. Great stuff.

And then there's Chandos' recording: incredibly clean and wide-ranging, with just the right sense of hall sound. I'm still impressed every time I listen.

As complete and good a collection as you're likely to find........2003-08-02

Over a 35-year period, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov wrote fifteen operas, all but a handful of them still in the active Russian repertoire. A few of them have even gained something of a foothold recently in the U.S., with Valery Gergiev and his Kirov Opera company performing them on tour. For those seeking orchestral works of Rimsky-Korsakov beyond Sheherazade, the Great Russian Easter Festival Overture, and, perhaps, Capriccio Espagnol and the 2nd ("Antar") Symphony, a logical place to start is with the orchestral suites he fashioned from several of his better-known operas (covering nearly half of his operatic output).

For those so interested, my first - and highest - recommendation goes to this Chandos boxed set, with Neemi Järvi conducting the Scottish National Orchestra (as it was known in 1984, when this recording was made; it is now the Royal Scottish National Orchestra). With the possible exception of some incidental music from Sadko and The Tsar's Bride, this set contains virtually all of the most popular orchestral music from Rimsky-Korsakov's better-known operas.

Over the years, Järvi has developed somewhat of a reputation for "recording everything in sight," not always with the most effective of results. But here, in what the editorial reviewer identifies as his first recording session with the SNO, he has done a splendid job all around, bringing out the often gorgeous coloristic effects of the music, with an orchestra that fully does justice to the performance requirements, and with stunning sound captured by the Chandos engineers.

Particularly noteworthy are the suite from Mlada (with its dramatic "Procession of the Nobles" march), the atmspheric and magical music from The Invisible City of Kitezh, and the better-known suite from The Golden Cockerel. In all of these suites - and in the balance of the boxed set as well - Järvi and the SNO capture the orchestrational genius of Rimsky-Korsakov with perfection: brilliant brass, shimmering strings, nicely-detailed woodwind playing, as is seldom heard from all too many Russian orchestras.

This was clearly an auspicious debut album for Järvi and the SNO, an orchestra that he would direct in many recordings over the following decade or so. And, though not inexpensive, it is the single finest (and most complete) album of Rimsky-Korsakov's orchestral suites from his operas that I have had the pleasure of hearing.

Recommended without reservation.

Bob Zeidler

Excellent compilation.......2000-09-07

I concur that this is an excellent set, performed exquisitely by Jarvi and the Scottish National Orchestra. The comprehensive liner notes refer to the Procession of the Nobles from the Mlada Suite as "splendid." Indeed it is, a tour de force of orchestration that has few peers. The panache with which it is performed here is a touchstone for the quality of the entire set.

This should be a must-have for fans of Rimsky-Korsakov. It certainly assembles much of his best work, some of which is not very easy to find. The one quibble, albeit a big one, is the price. At first glance, you may think that the price isn't too bad, given that you get 3 CDs. But these CDs each contain only 50 minutes or so of music. A technical justification is that a 2 CD package would have required one of the suites to straddle 2 discs. I'm sure that most listeners, however, would have preferred such a cut if the pricing were more realistic. Tough call. Maybe drop a big hint to a friend that you want this as a gift.

Average customer rating:

Opera Suites, Vol. I: Tsar Zaltan; Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh; Snow Maiden Manufacturer: Kontrapunkt ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Similar Items: Rimsky-Korsakov: The Golden Cockerel Suite/Maid From Pskov Suite/Pan Voyevoda Suite Rimsky-Korsakov: Opera Suites, Vol. 3: Sadko: Christmas Eve; Mlada ASIN: B00004ULN0 Release Date: 1992-01-01

Average customer rating: Beautiful and fascinating opera well worth having A compromised recording of a neglected work

Legend of Invisible City of Kitezh Manufacturer: Koch Schwann ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000001SR3 Release Date: 1997-10-21

Tracks:

1. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Prelude (Praise of Solitude)
2. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 1: Ach du Wald, mein Wald
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 1: Was soll das heisst, Herr mein Gott?
4. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 1: Doch wenn dann der Fruling hier Einzug halt
5. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 1: Gesegnet seien die sussen Lippen
6. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 1: Die Schutzen brauchen nur auf dem loichten Feld zu erscheinen
7. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 1: Woher stammst du, Madchen?
8. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Zeig, Michailuschka, zeig, du Schelm
9. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Aud dem tiefen See Jar stiegen einst zwolf Auerochsen
10. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Zeig, Michailuschka, zeig, du Schelm
11. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act two -
12. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Hehe Kinder! Die Schellen klingen
13. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Weshalb verjagt ihr ihn?
14. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Spielt auf, lasst die Gusli erklingen
15. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Seid still, Bruder, es blasen Trompeten
16. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Hai-da! Hai-da!
17. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 2: Haltet ein, ihr gottlosen Heiden
18. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Sied gegrusst, Leute von Kitesch!
19. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Fjodor! Freund! Leidvoller Blinder!
20. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: O Ruhm, nichtiger Ruhm
21. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Knabe, du bist der Jungste hier
22. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Wunderbare, himmlische Konigin
23. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Oi, ihr wahren Getreuen!
24. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Gott, der Herr, breitet uber Kitesch seinen schutzenden Mantel

Tracks:

1. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Interlude, The Battle Near Kershenez
2. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Hier ist es: Der Eichwald und der See
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Oi, ihr tartarischen Krieger!
4. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Weine nicht, weine nicht, schones Madchen!
5. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Horst du mich, Madchen...
6. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 3: Oi, Taubchen, ich bin frei
7. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Oi, unmoglich, weiter zu gehen, Grischenka!
8. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Gott, habe Erbarmen mit Grischenka!
9. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Wer stizt da neben dir, Furstin?
10. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Grischenka!...Er hort nicht...Fortgelaufen
11. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Wappne dich mit Hoffnung
12. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Bist du es, helles Licht meiner Augen?
13. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Der Brautigam ist gekommen
14. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Gott versprach den Suchenden
15. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Die Turen des Paradieses haben sich geoffnet
16. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Gottes Gnade uber dich, Furstin
17. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Act 4: Hier gibt es keine Klagen

Amazon.com

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh (and the Maiden Fevroniya) is very tuneful, very Slavic, and very, very convoluted and mystical in its plot. While there are some beautiful melodies here, offered up with Rimsky's colorful, well-crafted orchestration, Kitezh is not for everyone; it doesn't travel as well as, say, Boris Godunov or Eugene Onegin. Still, anyone drawn to Russian opera will want to own this score. Unfortunately, the quality of the performances in this technically fine live recording (made at the 1995 Bregenz Festival) is disappointing. The singing- -also very Slavic in its production--is sometimes unfortunate and sometimes adequate, but there don't seem to be any diamonds in the rough here destined to find vocal stardom. --Sarah Bryan Miller

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and fascinating opera well worth having.......1999-05-28

This got a poor review, but don't be put off. This is a very rare work, but heavily influenced not only by Rimsky's Russian Slavophile philosophy, but also by Wagner. Irritating cuts in 2nd half, but good singing- and you really feel that you are listening in an opera house. The conducting is vivid and there is a sense of occasion. It will make you want the entire opera, but I don't think it is yet available in a modern complete version. It makes you re-evaluate Rimsky and has some wonderful sections.

A compromised recording of a neglected work.......1999-02-14

Is there a trade descriptions act when it comes to cuts in an opera performance? The sleeve does state 'Bregenz Festival Edition' - what it does not convey is that more than 50 minutes of the opera is cut - amounting to a third of the score. The last act is literally ripped to shreds - much of the more familiar music from the orchestral suite is missing, this it seems, is because Harry Kupfer, the director of the production disagrees with the visionary ending of this epic, turning a final scene in paradise into the lead characters hallucination. Kitezh is a flawed, epic, probably overlong piece but it deserves better than this textual mauling. Performance is live, much stage noise, committed if not very beautiful performances from Prokina and Galusin. But be warned, this is an abridgement, not the whole work.

Average customer rating: lifeless performances Rimsky's Fairy-Tale Music

Rimsky-Korsakov: Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh; Maid of Pskov Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Tone Poems | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs $7 - $10 | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Classical General | Classical | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Rimsky-Korsakov: Sadko Suite for orchestra Op5; Pan Voyevoda Suite for orchestra Op59 Rimsky-Korsakov: Christmas Eve / Night on Mount Triglav Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus) Amy Beach: "Gaelic" Symphony; Piano Concerto Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms ASIN: B000053W4I Release Date: 2001-02-20

Tracks:

1. The Maid Of Pskov (Ivan The Terrible): Ov (Before The Prologue)
2. The Maid Of Pskov (Ivan The Terrible): Entr'acte To Act I: Olga
3. The Maid Of Pskov (Ivan The Terrible): Entr'acte To Act II: The Assembly
4. The Maid Of Pskov (Ivan The Terrible): Entr'acte To Act III: Street Scene
5. The Maid Of Pskov (Ivan The Terrible): Entr'acte To Act IV: Pyechorsky Monastery
6. Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Sym Ste: Prld: A Hymn To Nature
7. Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Sym Ste: Wedding Procession
8. Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Sym Ste: Tartar Invasion And Battle Of Kerzhenets
9. Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Sym Ste: Death Of Fevroniya And Apotheosis Of The...
10. Fairy Tale (Skazka), Op.29
11. Fant On Serbian Themes, Op.6

Customer Reviews:

lifeless performances.......2003-06-28

I brought this CD for the suite from "The invisible City of Kitezh". I heard the Chandos/Jarvi recording of this suite on the radio and was spellbound by it. However, I couldn't justify the expense of the Chandos performance, since this only comes as a full price 3 CD set. I therefore picked up the Naxos contender instead.
However, right from the start, the invisble city of kitezh fails to excite, as the Jarvi performance does so well. The beautiful shimmering strings at the start in Jarvi's account are almost inaudible in the naxos version, and given that there's not much else going on at this point, the performance seems to fall flat from the start for my liking. Things don't pick up either, and I find the whole performance rather lifeless. However, Jarvi's account on chandos is absolutely spellbinding; It's just a pitty that it's not available as a single disk.
I love Rimsky-Korsakov, but I find the rest of the CD rather boring. The suite from Ivan the terrible is pretty lifeless as well; Again, I've heard much better.

While naxos are putting out some fantastic performances (ie: Bax, Moeran, Harty, Copland, Ives, Holst, etc) there is also a large amount of "ordinary" performances; My opinion is that this CD is one of them.

Rimsky's Fairy-Tale Music.......2001-03-27

Nicolas Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908), the much-patronized composer of "Sheherazade" (1888) and of the "Capriccio Espagnol" (1887), poured most of his creative juices into opera. He wrote twelve operas, the first, "The Maid of Pskov," in 1868, and the last, "The Golden Cockerel," in 1908, the year of his death. (The première occurred posthumously in 1909.) The stage works contain Rimsky's best music and the suites that he derived from them outshine the works that he wrote strictly for the concert-hall. The mark of Rimsky's operatic achievement is that he had only one genuine successor in Russia - Sergei Prokofiev, of whose music-dramas only "War and Peace" measures up fully to the criteria established by his precursor. A romantic, Rimsky steeped his operatic scores in the lore, musical and narrative, of the Russian folk. Igor Golovchin, who, with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra, has recorded the orchestral works of Alexander Glazunov for Naxos, now enters a CD devoted to Rimsky, in a program including the suites from "The Maid of Pskov" (1868-72) and "The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh" (1907) and two other works, the early "Fantasia on Serbian Themes" (1867) and the once-popular "Skazka" ("Fairy-Tale" [1879]). Never forget that Rimsky wrote a treatise on orchestration: Of this subsidiary art, he was an exalted master. Part of the considerable delight in the two suites is the transparent brilliance of the sounds. Often, in the carefully constructed climaxes, the glockenspiel or triangle provides a highlight while trumpets opine over a magical tremolo in the strings; the woodwinds regularly bubble and coo and the percussion add to the pomp and splendor. The Stravinsky of "The Firebird" and of "Petrouchka" leaps like an Athena from the head of the Rimskyan Zeus. The alternative title of "The Maid of Pskov" is "Ivan the Great" (a.k.a. "the Terrible"): We hear the Overture and four entr'actes. The Overture features a fanfare on ceremonial horns - endearing and effective. The "Kitezh" music also comprises five movements, but it is more continuous in its impression, more symphonic (if you will), than "The Maid." With "The Golden Cockerel," "Kitezh" stands as the consummation of Rimsky's involvement with the legends of Old Russia. The opening "Hymn to Nature" recasts Wagner's "Forest Murmurs" in Slavic accent. The "Wedding Procession" makes use of an exotic eleven-beat rhythm that vexed early executors iof the score. Nicolas Slonimsky made up a rhyme to help the Boston Symphony "get it" back in the mid-1920s when he was Koussevitsky's assistant: "Rím-sky Kór-sak-óv is áb-so-lúte-ly mád, Rím-sky Kór-sak-óv is crá-zy ás a lóon." "The Battle of Kerzhenets" forecasts Prokofiev's music for the famous Eisenstein film. The Final "Death of [the Maiden] Fevroniya and the Apotheosis of the Invisible City" is at once glorious and sentimental. The Vox Box covering much of this material (and more) might still be available. The conductor there, I believe, is Richard Kapp, who does a good job. Golovchin and the Moscow Symphony offer a plenteous program in good sound. This is a good disc for getting kids to listen to serious music. The magic of the orchestrations will make them attend and all four scores have an understandable narrative context.

Average customer rating: Almost Perfect To clear up a few misconceptions... there is a highlights production by Gergiev on Philips We've waited long enough Mmmmmm......

Rimsky-Korsakov: Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh Manufacturer: Philips ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Rimsky-Korsakov: The Tsar's Bride Alexander Borodin: Prince Igor Tchaikovsky: Mazeppa Prokofiev: Love for Three Oranges Prokofiev: Semyon Kotko ASIN: B00002DF33 Release Date: 1999-11-09

Tracks:

1. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Introduction: 'In Praise Of The Wilderness' - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
2. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Akh ty les, moy les (Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Gde zhe vy, druyzhki lyubeznye (Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
4. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ty ne boys (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
5. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Nedosug, khozyayushka, sidet (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
6. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ch' ya ty, devitsa (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
7. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ay zhe ty prekrasnaya devitsa (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
8. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Den' i noch' u nas sluzhba voskresnaya (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
9. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Milyy, kak bez radosti prozhit (Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
10. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ispolat', usta sakharnye (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
11. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ty golubushka (Prince Vsevolod) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
12. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Tol'ko vyshli strel'tsy (Prince Vsevolod) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
13. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Oy! Oy, vernisya (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
14. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Vygonyal on - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
15. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act One: Ty otkol' vzyalasya (Poyarok, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
16. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Pokazhi, Mikhaylushka - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
17. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Iz-za ozera Yara - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
18. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Gospodi, spasi nas - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
19. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Nam-to chto? (Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
20. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Kormil'tsy vy milostnye (Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
21. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Ne vidat', tak i ne nadobno (Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
22. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Poezd svadebnyy (Poyarok) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
23. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Ty otstan (Fevroniya, Poyarok, Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
24. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Pomolisya, Grisha, Gospodu (Fevroniya, Kuter'ma, Poyarok) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
25. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Kak po mostikam - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
26. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Gayda! Gay! (Bedyay, Burunday, Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
27. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Sosluzhi lish' sluzhbu vernuyu (Burunday, Bedyay, Fevroniya, Kuter'ma) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov
28. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Two: Gayda! Gay! (Kuter'ma, Bedyay, Burunday, Fevroniya) - N. Rimsky-Korsakov

Tracks:

1. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Zdravy bud'te, lyudi kitezhane (Poyarok, Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
2. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Fyodor! Druzhe! (Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Fyodo! Druzhe! (Poyarok, Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
4. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Kak? Kak, ona? (Prince Vsevolod, Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
5. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: O, slava, bogatstvo suetnoe (Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
6. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Chudnaya nebesnaya tsaritsa (Poyarok, Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
7. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Pyl' stolbom podnyalas' do neba - Rimsky-Korsakov
8. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Okh, strashna desnitsa Bozhiya (Prince Yury, Prince Vsevolod, Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
9. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Gore, gore gradu Kitezhu - Rimsky-Korsakov
10. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Byti Kitezhu razgrablenu (Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
11. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Chudnaya nebesnaya tsaritsa - Rimsky-Korsakov
12. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Da svershitsya volya Bozhiya (Prince Yury, Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
13. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Podnyalasya s polunochi (Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
14. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Chto zh stoim my, syostry? (Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
15. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: A tuman vsyo gustche (Prince Yury, Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
16. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 1: Entr'acte To The Second Scene: The Battle Near Kerzhenets - Rimsky-Korsakov
17. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Vot dubrava ta (Kuter'ma, Burunday, Bedyay) - Rimsky-Korsakov
18. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Oy zhe, vy murzy tatarskie (Burunday, Bedyay) - Rimsky-Korsakov
19. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Ne vorony, ne golodnye (Burunday) - Rimsky-Korsakov
20. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Akh, ty milyy zhenikh moy (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
21. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Slysh' ty, devitsa (Kuter'ma, Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
22. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Net, gudit, gudit proklyatyy zvon (Kuter'ma, Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
23. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Otchego 'ne day Bog', Grishen'ka? (Fevroniya) (Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
24. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Stupay, Gospoden' rab (Fevroniya, Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
25. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Three, Scene 2: Oy, golubchiki, na vole ya (Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov

Tracks:

1. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Oy, nel'zya idti mne (Fevroniya, Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
2. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Ya ne greshnik (Kuter'ma, Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Ty zemlya, nasha mati miloserdnaya (Fevroniya, Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
4. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Chto zhe mne? (Kuter'ma) - Rimsky-Korsakov
5. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Grishen'ka (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
6. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Posmotryu ya: chto zdes' tsvetikov (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
7. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Posmotryu ya: chto zdes' tsvetikov (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
8. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Razygralis' ptashki vol'nyya (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
9. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Ty li, yasnyy svet ochey moikh? (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
10. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Zhiv nadyozha, drug (Fevronya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
11. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Se zhenikh prishyol (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
12. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Kto vkusil ot khleba nashego (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
13. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Gospodi Isuse (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
14. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 1: Entr'acte to Scene 2 - Rimsky-Korsakov
15. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2 - Rimsky-Korsakov
16. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Dveri rayskiya (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
17. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Tsartsvo svetozarnoe (Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
18. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Kak po tsvetikam po lazorevym (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod) - Rimsky-Korsakov
19. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Milost' Bozhiya nad toboy, nevesta (Prince Yury, Fevroniya) - Rimsky-Korsakov
20. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Otchego u vas zdes' svet velik (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod, Prince Yury, Poyarok) - Rimsky-Korsakov
21. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Budi s nami zdes' voveki (Fevroniya, Prince Vsevolod, Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
22. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Budi s nami zdes' voveki (Prince Vsevolod, Fevroniya, Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov
23. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh And The Maiden Fevroniya: Act Four, Scene 2: Grishen'ka, khot' slab ty razumom (Fevroniya, Poyarok, Prince Yury) - Rimsky-Korsakov

Amazon.com

Thanks to Valery Gergiev's efforts--including his accounts of The Tsar's Bride and Kashchey the Immortal--Rimsky-Korsakov operas are no longer a mystery, but that doesn't mean there's any clearer consensus on their quality. This opera suggests why. Rimsky no doubt sensed that he had the orchestral tone painting ability to convincingly project the magical moment when the city of Kitezh under siege by the Tartars manages to disappear. That and certain other moments, such as the opera's harmonically rich, proto-Richard Strauss finale and a number of choral and orchestral passages are powerful payoffs for an uneven opera that asks the composer to elevate Russian folk tale in the way that Wagner did for Nordic mythology. But the subplots are as sprawling as the title, and Rimsky's characters stand only knee-high to Wagner's towering creations. Still, the tunes are pretty good, the orchestral scoring pricks up the ear in the less-inspired passages of the libretto, and the performance is a middling representation of the amazing Kirov standard. All the singers are solid--some rather more than that--though Kirov star Galina Gorchakova, who plays the Maiden Fevroniya, has so many vocally ungraceful moments she's fatiguing to the ear. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Almost Perfect.......2007-06-08

I adore this opera, but this recording skips between tracks. While one is listening, appreciating the supernal voices--CLICK. Although the gaps are minimal, it is cruelty because it removes the work from achieving perfection.

To clear up a few misconceptions..........2007-01-11

...the audience IS relatively quiet throughout the performance; they do NOT applaud too early at the ends of acts and, when they do, it is polite, muffled applause.

The recorded sound is extraordinary for a live performance. The orchestra is clearly in focus; the voices benefit from the good stage acoustic of the Kirov Theatre, with just enough reverberance to make the voices ring naturally.

My problem is with the music. It's mediocre at best. All of these type of Russian operas sound alike to me; they just go on and on and on interminably, very little change or variation, and in the case of Rimsky, lack of inspiration was often a factor. If you like Russian opera and/or "Kitezh," however, I am sure that this recording will please you. Gorchakova's voice is absolutely gorgeous, and the rest of the cast is fine if not on the exalted level of individual singers of the past.

there is a highlights production by Gergiev on Philips .......2005-12-23

There is an highlights productionm by Gergiev on Philips. This copie I own. Next to this opera, highlights are presented from the Maid of Pskov, Sadko, The tsar`s bride and Kaschey the immortal. Oustanding production!

We've waited long enough.......2005-03-14

Maestro Gergiev and his team have done us a great service by introducing the western world to the brilliance and stunning beauty of Rimsky-Korsakov. It is unfortunate, however, that they give with one hand yet take away with the other. It's been some time since this great composition has been readily available in the UK/US. Why then, have there not been efforts to produce a better recording?

Ms. Gorchakova starts out very well. I agree that the role would have been more convincing with a more 'youthful' voice but this is, after all, grand opera and a lighter voice may not be able to go the marathon. Not impossible though- as Dame Margaret Price proved in moving from Mozart to Wagner's best Isolde in my opinion. But Ms. Gorchakova's loverly, rich (but unwobbly) soprano is delight. As the performance goes on, however, she seems less involved. I do not believe that every singer is given to sighs and gasps but with such a long work, a few would have gone some way to convey a greater sense of drama despite the singer's lack of involvement. This isn't spite; as said below, Ms. Gorchakova herself said that she was bored. Nevertheless, had it been a studio recording, the beauty of her voice alone may still have won through.

Yuri Marusin's tenor isn't exactly Sergei Larin's heart-stopping charm or Evgyeny Akimov's endearing youthful glow. I found it a little too rustic, given the already rough-hewn sound quality. He sings well enough though and so do the other performers. Larissa Dyadkova, for example is consistent in her quality and it was happy to discover Olga Korzhenskaya's voice within the Kirov team. Mikhail Kit's depthless bass is another consistent pleaser but he too deserved a better recording.

This brings me to the debated issue here. With all respect to the other reviewers, I found it imposible to even consider for a second that this was a studio recording. Perhaps there are different/improved recordings being sold under the same cover. This is the only explanation I could find for saying that this live recording isn't distractingly so. There are many stage noises and coughs from the audience and there is regular applause at the end of each scene.

I appreciate that this work is monumental but frankly, so is Boris Godinov and we have the excellent von Karajan and Abbado recordings. There are even longer works such as Wagner's Parsifal and indeed his entire dramatic Ring Cycle. These works have been performed in the studio to great acclaim. I do not exclusively hate live recordings but when there are this many obtrusive noises, it does a great injustice to the composer, the performaers and us as listeners to have such a large price tag to contend with, given the recording quality. Consider Abbado's Khovanshchina- a live recording of a monumental work reaching a zenith status, yet I didn't even know that was live until the end. I would happily pay full-price for a good recording of this work. The opera is more than worth it but this set is not. We are making too much of substandard productions in what is/ought to be a buyer's market. The names Gergiev and Phillips alone should not absolve this set let alone inflate it to its current monopoly position.

Mmmmmm.............2003-10-09

I think some folks have gotten their wires crossed in terms of recordings here. The Philips release was recorded live in St. Petersburg in 1994, but there isn't the slightest trace of crowd noises, and if I hadn't gone back to check just now, I would have sworn it was a studio recording.

That said, I'm afraid I don't have the expertise to comment on the vocal talents of individual performers. I might be an opera buff, but I'm not knowledgeable enough to make skilled critiques of individual performances. What I CAN say is that in spite of my lack of formal training, this opera (this recording, specifically) quickly became one of my favorites in my collection of over one hundred operas. The vocalists certainly don't sound bad, and the orchestra plays with all the passion due an opera by a Russian Nationalist composer. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, or maybe it's just that I love magic opera of the romantic persuasion, but I think that Rimsky-Korsakov's operas are starting to get some more attention among fans in the US.

Kitezh has everything that you'd expect from Rimsky-Korsakov-- highly romanticized, mythological themes, lush orchestration (and I can say with some confidence that Gergiev conducts the music with emotion and fire to spare), and drawn-out arias that highlight the emotions and sincerity of the lead characters. One frequent criticism that just plain confuses me is that this opera is long-winded and dull. Unfortunately, the only response I can think of is 'No, it's not.' Perhaps what it comes down to is an individual take on Rinsky-Korsakov's music. If you're drawn toward his lush sound and devotion to larger-than-life themes, then Kitezh will most likely satisfy you with its aural richness, unfailingly romantic themes (of a Brothers Grimm meets Andersen bent), and epic scope. If you're looking for gritty realism or head-on engagement of contemporary philosophical themes, then you've come to the wrong place. This opera is strictly for adults who retain a special place in their hearts for a fantasy world that never was, and may never be, but can always be dreamt of. This is that world's soundtrack.

Average customer rating: A great introduction to Russian vocal music

The Glory of Russian Opera Manufacturer: Russian Season ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Borodin | Borodin, Alexander | ( B ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Glinka | Glinka, Mikhail | ( G ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Rubinstein | Rubinstein, Anton | ( R ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Tchaikovsky | Tchaikovsky, Peter Ilyich | ( T ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Vocal & Song | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B00000HXHQ Release Date: 1999-01-12

Tracks:

1. Prince Igor: Ov - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
2. The Invisible City Of Kitezh: Intro: Hymn To Nature - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
3. Battle Of The Kerzhenets - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
4. The Tale Of Tsar Saltan: The Three Marvels - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
5. Mlada: March Of The Princes - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
6. A Life For The Tsar: Ov - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
7. Khovanchina: Prld: Daybreak Over The Moskva - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
8. Persian Dance - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
9. Mazeppa: Battle Of The Poltava - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov
10. The Oresteia: The Temple Of Apollo At Delphi - Orch Of The Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow/Andrey Chistiakov

Tracks:

1. Eugene Onegin: Scene With The Peasants - Ludmila Sergueienko/Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov
2. Eugene Onegin: Scene With The Young Peasant Girls - Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov
3. The Demon: The Chorus, 'The Night' - Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov
4. Boris Godunov: Scene Of The Revolt In The Forest Of Kromy - Vladimir Matorine/Alexandre Arkhipov/Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov
5. La Khovanshchina: Drinking-Scene Of The Streltsy And Scene With Ivan Khovan - Vladislav Verestnikov/Alexandre Timochine/Vladimir Boukine/Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stani
6. The Tsar's Bride: The Hop-Picker's Chorus - Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov
7. Mlada: Sacrificial Chorus - Vladimir Boukine/Olga Teruchnova/Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov
8. Prince Igor: The Polovstian Dances - Vladimir Matorine/Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov
9. Prince Igor: The Villagers' Chorus - Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov
10. A Life For The Tsar: Final Chorus - Choeur Du Theatre Bolchoi De Moscou/Stanislav Lykov

Tracks:

1. Ivan Soussanine (La Vie Pour Le Tsar): Air De Soussanine - Piotr Glouboky
2. La Roussalka: Air Du Meunier - Piotr Glouboky
3. La Roussalka: Duo Du Meunier Et Du Prince - Piotr Glouboky/Alexei Martynov
4. Eugene Oneguine: Air Du Prince Gremine - Piotr Glouboky
5. Boris Godounov: Monologue De Pimene - Piotr Glouboky
6. Boris Godounov: Recit De Pimene - Piotr Glouboky
7. Boris Godounov: Chanson De Varlaam - Piotr Glouboky
8. Le Prince Igor: Air Du Prince Galitski - Piotr Glouboky
9. Le Prince Igor: Recitatif Et Air De Kontchak - Piotr Glouboky
10. Antchar, L'Arbre Du Poison (Air De Concert Op.49 No.1) - Piotr Glouboky

Customer Reviews:

A great introduction to Russian vocal music.......2000-02-21

Chistiakov proves that he is the best Russian operatic conductor since Marc Ermler(I do not even want to mention the heavy and dull Gergiev). He is the student of the excelent Ilya Musin, a conducting professor from the Leningrad conservatory, and he recieved good training as a conductor of the Sverdlovsk philharmony. In the first disc he sets a perfect tempo for each work. In my oppinion, the most memorable are the Dawn on the Moscow river from Khovanshchina in the brighter and more cassic Rimskiy-Korsakov version and the overture to Ivan Susanin (Life for the tsar), in which the Allegro passage is the best since Melik-Pashayev's. The Bolshoi orchestra is responding well to his leadership. The second disc is perhaps the best one in the whole set. The Kromy scene from Boris Godunov (once again in the version by Rimskiy-Korsakov) is led with such vigor, that it is hard to immagine that it is a studio recording. Bass Vladimir Matorin and tenor Alexandr Arkhipov as Varlaam and Missail and the Bolshoi chorus make this Kromy the most dramatic ever. When I saw Godunov in the Bolshoi, Matorin sang the role of Boris, and I must say that Varlaam suits his voice better. He is one of the singers who sang all three roles in Boris. In fact, his first ever recording was of Pimen, in the first recording of Boris in the original Mussorgskiy version. The "Drinking scene" from Khovanshchina is also remarkably well performed. (By the way, the Scribe is sung by Alexandr Arkhipov, but his name is not stated in the booklet) The choral prayer which ends the scene is hard to discribe with words. The Mlada fragment is also very well performed by Vladimir Bukin, Olga Teriushnova and the chorus. The Life for the Tsar epilogue and the all time american favorite Polovetsian dances from Prince Igor are also very fine. The last disc is conducted By Emin Khachaturian, the nefew of the composor Aram Khachaturian, and features bass Pyotr Glubokiy. He is noticable as Pimen and Susanin, but I would prefer to have some different voices sing those arias. Of course the chorusmaster Stanislav Lykov deserves credit for keeping up the chorus since the death of Alexandr Rybnov.

Average customer rating:

Rimsky-Korsakov:Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh & the Maiden Fevronia Manufacturer: Le Chant Du Monde ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music | Cantatas | Romances Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music ASIN: B000QSO0UC

Product Description

Live recording-Christmas 1983 at Bolshoi Theatre by Melodiya.

Average customer rating:

Koussevitzky conducts Hanson Symphony No. 3 Manufacturer: Biddulph Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Hanson | Hanson, Howard | ( H ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music All Works by Mussorgsky | Mussorgsky, Modest | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music Romantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Incidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Overtures | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General Modern | Modern, 20th, & 21st Century | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music Modern & 20th Century | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Romances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Russian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music Folk Songs | Songs & Lieder | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Folk | Styles | Music ASIN: B000001ZDW Release Date: 1997-09-18

Tracks:

1. Khovantchina: Prld To Act I
2. The Enchanted Lake (Op.62)
3. The Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitzeh: Entr'acte From Act II: The Battle Of Kershenetz
4. Dubinushka
5. Pelleas Et Melisande (Op.80): Prld
6. Pelleas Et Melisande (Op.80): Fileuse
7. Pelleas Et Melisande (Op.80): Mort De Melisande
8. Sym No.3 in a (Op.63): I. Andante Lamentando
9. Sym No.3 in a (Op.63): II. Andante Tranquillo
10. Sym No.3 in a (Op.63): III. Tempo Scherzando
11. Sym No.3 in a (Op.63): IV. Largamente E Pesante

Average customer rating:

Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh & Maiden Rimsky-Korsakov , Moscow Radio & So , and Nebolsin Manufacturer: Preiser Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music ASIN: B000RGOCFG Release Date: 2007-08-14

Meditation Music:

1. Lucia di Lammermoor
2. Marilyn Horne Rossini Recital
3. Massenet: Cleopatre
4. Massenet: Thérèse
5. Maurice Ravel: L'Heure Espagnole
6. Mendelssohn: Die Hochzeit des Camacho (The Wedding of Camacho)
7. Montserrat Cabellé & José Carreras: Love Duets
8. Moussorgsky: Boris Godounov
9. Mozart: Così fan tutte
10. Mozart - Die Zauberflöte / Price, Serra, Schreier, Moll, Melbye, Adam, C. Davis

Meditation Music

meditation music

Meditation Music

Pickin' on Beck: The Bluegrass Tribute

Meditations for Spring

Janis Ivanovs: Orchestral Works, Vol. 2

Music: Destroy Rock & Roll [Import] [Limited Edition]

LSF [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Laughter Tears & Rage [Original recording remastered] [Import]

Lalit

Mccartney

Magic Bullet Fan CD Series, Vol.2 [EP]

Maximum Bruce Springsteen [Import]

Jeep Jockey Jump

I Land [Import]

Libido Speedway

Mars Market

Smooth Jazz: Sexual Healing