The Scottish Opera - Dybbuk - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Naxos has released a second collection of Russian tenor arias by Vladimir Grishko. Like the first volume, we have a beautiful tenor voice treating us to some rarely heard arias from operas not often performed outside of Russia. Probably the only familiar pieces to non-Russian listeners would be the brief orchestral excerpts from Glinka's A Life For Tsar and Polovtsian March from Borodin's Prince Igor so listening is a treat in and of itself. Album Tracks 1. Introduction 2. Sadko's Melismatic Song (Ah, You Dark Oak Grove!) 3. Danse Des Cosaques 4. Vakula's Aria (Does Your Heart Not Hear My Terrible Grief?) 5. Men's Dance 6. The Young Gypsy's Romance (See, Beneath Yon Firmament) 7. Prince's Cavatina 8. Gypsy Dance 9. Bayan's Song (There Is a Deserted Land) 10. Krakoiak 11. Sobinin's Aria (Brothers. Into the Snow Storm!) 12. Likov's Arioso (Act I) (It's All Different) 13. Likov's Arioso (Act III) (The Thundercloud Has Scurried Past) 14. Entr'acte (Act II) 15. Vaudemont's Romance (No! the Charm of a Feisty Beauty's Embraces) 16. Polovtsian March 17. Vladimire's Aria

The tunes included in these Overtures almost invariably include “Yankee Doodle” and a large helping of Scottish and Irish tunes, presumably appealing especially to those coming from those countries. Other tunes used include the “Marseillaise”, William Shield’s “The Ploughboy”, “Oh dear, what can the matter be”, and, most surprising of all, the opening tutti from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 20 in D minor. The results are clearly of considerable historical interest even if musically to describe them even as second rate might seem an exaggeration of their qualities. However unless you insist on nothing but the best, as did a relation of mine whose entire reading of fiction consisted of “Ulysses” and “War and Peace”, there is much to enjoy here. This is due more than a little to the sprightly performances and clear recording but I think is primarily due to the very appealing self-confidence and ingenuous swagger of the music itself. Despite the political messages that their music is apparently intended to send, the three composers represented here were all British in origin – Reinagle from Scotland and Carr and Hewitt from England. These Overtures have much in common with the music of such composers as Michael Kelly, Charles Dibdin and Steven Storace. Hewitt is best known for a wonderfully naïve Sonata describing the Battle of Trenton, and the works by him on this disc are little more advanced musically. However like all the rest they have charm and curiosity value in abundance. Maybe it is overstating the case to describe them as “American Classics” but this is certainly a disc that I find almost always generates a contented smile in this listener at least. Album Tracks 1. Medley Overture in D minor-Major By James Hewitt 2. Federal Overture By Benjamin Carr 3. New Medley Overture in C Major By James Hewitt 4. New Federal Overture By James Hewitt 5. Miscellan

Ned Rorem's life, as his diaries have revealed, has been unconventional, but his music is conceived largely in accordance with traditional, tonal norms, treated with originality and immense inventiveness. Album Tracks 1. Morning 2. Adam and Eve 3. Mazurka 4. Staying on Alone 5. Their Accord 6. Looking 7. Conversation at Midnight 8. Flight 9. Lear 10. Katharine 11. Lear 12. Titania and Oberon 13. Caliban 14. Portia 15. Why Hear'st Thou Music Sadly? 16. Remembrance of Things Past 17. Iago and Othello