A 1949 recording of not very good recording quality ... of a "Rigoletto" (Verdi) sung in Russian. How do you get it into your head to release something like this on CD, you would initially think. And it certainly takes some getting used to, when the famous, first aria of the opera "Questo e quella" in Russian passes by. An all too long held high note by tenor Ivan Kozlovsky (1900-93) as the Duke
… makes a smile appear on your face, but no annoyance because that high note is radiant on it. Moreover, the phrase ends charmingly with a beautiful 'mezza voce' (lit. 'half voice'; sung at half strength). Gradually you start to realize why this recording was released on CD. All singers - including Andrei Ivanov (1900-70) as Rigoletto and Irina Manlennikova (1918-) as Gilda - arouse admiration for their beautiful voices, good technique and musicality. Especially the soft ('pianissimo') sung parts are impressive. The performance is reminiscent of Questa's famous recording with Taddei, Tagliavini and Pagliughi, made around the same time. This is not only due to the high quality, but also because Gilda is once again sung here by a youthful sounding coloratura soprano. It is unbelievably unfortunate that all these Russian singers have remained unknown in the west as a result of the iron curtain. Fortunately (!) Myto-records has dared to release this recording with the Orchestra Sinfonica conducted by Samuil Samosud on CD. (CP) _ The performance is reminiscent of the famous recording under Questa with Taddei, Tagliavini and Pagliughi, which was made around the same time. This is not only due to the high quality, but also because Gilda is once again sung here by a youthful sounding coloratura soprano. It is unbelievably unfortunate that all these Russian singers have remained unknown in the West as a result of the Iron Curtain. Fortunately (!) Myto-records has dared to release this recording on CD with the Orchestra Sinfonica conducted by Samuil Samosud. (CP) _ The performance is reminiscent of the famous recording under Questa with Taddei, Tagliavini and Pagliughi, which was made around the same time. This is not only due to the high quality, but also because Gilda is once again sung here by a youthful sounding coloratura soprano. It is unbelievably unfortunate that all these Russian singers have remained unknown in the west as a result of the iron curtain. Fortunately (!) Myto-records has dared to release this recording with the Orchestra Sinfonica conducted by Samuil Samosud on CD. (CP) _ It is unbelievably unfortunate that all these Russian singers have remained unknown in the west as a result of the iron curtain. Fortunately (!) Myto-records has dared to release this recording on CD with the Orchestra Sinfonica conducted by Samuil Samosud. (CP) _ It is unbelievably unfortunate that all these Russian singers have remained unknown in the west as a result of the iron curtain. Fortunately (!) Myto-records has dared to release this recording with the Orchestra Sinfonica conducted by Samuil Samosud on CD. (CP) _more
