Rimsky-Korsakov: Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh

Editorial Reviews
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

Rimsky-Korsakov: Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh, Music, Nikolay Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov, Valery Gergiev, St. Petersburhg Kirov Chorus and Orchestra, Bulat Minjelkiev, Evgeny Boitsov, Evgeny Fedorov, Evgeny Fedotov, Galina Gorchakova, Grigory Karasev, Larissa Diadkova, Mikhail Kit, Nikolai Gassiev, Nikolai Okhotnikov, Nikolai Putilin, Olga Korzhenskaya, Tatiana Kravtsova, Vladimir Ognovenko, Yuri Marusin, Classical, Classical Music, Opera, Opera / Operetta / Oratorio, Opera/Operetta, Russian Romantic Opera
Rimsky-Korsakov: Suites
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • 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

SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
RomanticRomantic | Symphonies | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Classical | Styles | Music
RomancesRomances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
RussianRussian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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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:

5 out of 5 stars 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!

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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.

5 out of 5 stars 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

5 out of 5 stars 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.
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    ASIN: B0006VYEIC
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    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
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    Rimsky-Korsakov: Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh
    Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
    • 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

    RomancesRomances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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    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:

    4 out of 5 stars 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.

    3 out of 5 stars 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.

    5 out of 5 stars 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!

    3 out of 5 stars 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.

    5 out of 5 stars 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.
    Opera Suites, Vol. I: Tsar Zaltan; Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh; Snow Maiden
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Opera Suites, Vol. I: Tsar Zaltan; Legend Of The Invisible City Of Kitezh; Snow Maiden

      Manufacturer: Kontrapunkt
      ProductGroup: Music
      Binding: Audio CD

      SuitesSuites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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      ASIN: B00004ULN0
      Release Date: 1992-01-01
      Rimsky-Korsakov: Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh; Maid of Pskov
      Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
      • 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 MusicIncidental Music | Theatrical, Incidental & Program Music | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
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      Similar Items:
      1. Rimsky-Korsakov: Sadko Suite for orchestra Op5; Pan Voyevoda Suite for orchestra Op59
      2. Rimsky-Korsakov: Christmas Eve / Night on Mount Triglav
      3. Stravinsky: Three Greek Ballets (Apollo, Agon, Orpheus)
      4. 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:

      2 out of 5 stars 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.

      4 out of 5 stars 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.
      Koussevitzky conducts Hanson Symphony No. 3
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Koussevitzky conducts Hanson Symphony No. 3

        Manufacturer: Biddulph Records
        ProductGroup: Music
        Binding: Audio CD

        GeneralGeneral | Fauré, Gabriel | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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        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
        Lebendige Vergangenheit: Ivan Petrov
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          		Lebendige Vergangenheit: Ivan Petrov

          Manufacturer: Preiser Records
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          ASIN: B0000DKKWW
          Release Date: 2004-04-27
          Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: The Tale Of The Invisible city Of Kitezh And Maiden Fevronia
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            		Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov: The Tale Of The Invisible city Of Kitezh And Maiden Fevronia

            Manufacturer: Arlecchino
            ProductGroup: Music
            Binding: Audio CD

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            ASIN: B00000DH5F
            Release Date: 1994-12-27
            Mravinsky Edition: Volumes 11-20
            Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
            • Contains a wonderful performance of Bruckner's eighth
            • A Pleasant Weekend's Listening
            		 Mravinsky Edition: Volumes 11-20

            Manufacturer: Melodiya
            ProductGroup: Music
            Binding: Audio CD

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            ASIN: B000001HCN
            Release Date: 1996-05-21

            Tracks:

            1. Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: 1. Allegro Con Brio
            2. Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: 2. Andante Con Moto
            3. Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: 3. Allegro
            4. Sym No.5 in c, Op.67: 4. Allegro-Presto
            5. Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: 1. Poco Sostenuto-Vivace
            6. Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: 2. Allegretto
            7. Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: 3. Presto
            8. Sym No.7 in A, Op.92: 4. Allegro Con Brio

            Tracks:

            1. Sym No.3 in F, Op.90: 1. Allegro Con Brio
            2. Sym No.3 in F, Op.90: 2. Andante
            3. Sym No.3 in F, Op.90: 3. Poco Allegretto
            4. Sym No.3 in F, Op.90: 4. Allegro-Un Poco Sostenuto
            5. Sym No.4 in e, Op.98: 1. Allegro Non Troppo
            6. Sym No.4 in e, Op.98: 2. Andante Moderato
            7. Sym No.4 in e, Op.98: 3. Allegro Giocoso
            8. Sym No.4 in e, Op.98: 4. Allegro Energico E Passionato

            Tracks:

            1. Sym No.8 in c: 1. Allegro Moderato
            2. Sym No.8 in c: 2. Scherzo. Allegro Moderato-Trio. Langsam
            3. Sym No.8 in c: 3. Adagio. Feierlich Langsam, Doch Nicht Schleppend
            4. Sym No.8 in c: 4. Finale. Feierlich, Nicht Schnell

            Tracks:

            1. Hn Con No.1 in E flat, Op.11: 1. Allegro - Vitaly Buyanovsky
            2. Hn Con No.1 in E flat, Op.11: 2. Andante - Vitaly Buyanovsky
            3. Hn Con No.1 in E flat, Op.11: 3. Allegro - Vitaly Buyanovsky
            4. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Night
            5. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Sunrise
            6. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: The Ascent
            7. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Entering The Forest
            8. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Wandering By The Brook
            9. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: By The Waterfall
            10. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Apparition
            11. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Flowery Meadows
            12. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: In The Mountain Pasture
            13. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: On The Wrong Track Through Thickets And Undergrowth
            14. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: On The Glacier
            15. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Precarious Moments
            16. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: On The Summit
            17. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Vision
            18. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Rising Mists
            19. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: The Sun Gradually Dims
            20. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Elegy
            21. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Calm Before The Storm
            22. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Thunderstorm, Descent
            23. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Sunset
            24. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Epilogue
            25. An Alpine Sym, Op.64: Night

            Tracks:

            1. Sym No.21 in g: 1. Adagio-Allegro
            2. Sym No.21 in g: 2. Romance. Adagio
            3. Sym No.21 in g: 3. Menuet. Allegretto
            4. Sym No.21 in g: 4. Finale: Kazachok. Presto
            5. Sym No.5 in d, Op.47: 1. Moderato-Allegro Non Troppo-Moderato
            6. Sym No.5 in d, Op.47: 2. Allegretto
            7. Sym No.5 in d, Op.47: 3. Largo
            8. Sym No.5 in d, Op.47: 4. Allegro Non Troppo-Allegro

            Tracks:

            1. Sym No.7 in C, Op.60: 1. Allegretto
            2. Sym No.7 in C, Op.60: 2. Moderato (Poco Allegretto)
            3. Sym No.7 in C, Op.60: 3. Adagio
            4. Sym No.7 in C, Op.60: 4. Allegro Non Troppo

            Tracks:

            1. Sym No.8 in c, Op.65: 1. Adagio-Allegro Non Troppo-Allegro-Adagio
            2. Sym No.8 in c, Op.65: 2. Allegretto
            3. Sym No.8 in c, Op.65: 3. Allegro Non Troppo
            4. Sym No.8 in c, Op.65: 4. Largo
            5. Sym No.8 in c, Op.65: 5. Allegretto-Allegro-Adagio-Allegretto-Andante

            Tracks:

            1. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: 1. Andante Sostenuto-Moderato Con Anima-Moderato Assai, Quasi Andante...
            2. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: 2. Andantino In Modo Di Canzone
            3. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: 3. Scherzo: Pizzicato Ostinato. Allegro
            4. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: 4. Finale. Allegro Con Fuocco
            5. Sym No.4 in E flat, Op.48: 1. Andante-Allegro Moderato
            6. Sym No.4 in E flat, Op.48: 2. Scherzo. Allegro Vivace
            7. Sym No.4 in E flat, Op.48: 3. Andante-Allegro

            Tracks:

            1. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: 1. Prld. Paean To Solitude
            2. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: 2. Bridal Procession Of Fevroniya. Tartar Invasion
            3. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: 3. The Kerzhenets Slaughter
            4. Sym No.4 in f, Op.36: 4. Apotheosis Of The Maiden Fevroniya. Ascent To The Invisible City
            5. Sym No.6 in b, Op.74 'Pathetique': 1. Adagio-Allegro Non Troppo-Andante-Moderato Mosso-Andante...
            6. Sym No.6 in b, Op.74 'Pathetique': 2. Allegro Con Grazia
            7. Sym No.6 in b, Op.74 'Pathetique': 3. Allegro Molto Vivace
            8. Sym No.6 in b, Op.74 'Pathetique': 4. Finale. Adagio Lamentoso

            Tracks:

            1. Francesca Da Rimini, Op.32
            2. Ser in C, Op.48: 1. Pezzo In Forma Di Sonatina: Andante Non Troppo-Allegro Moderato
            3. Ser in C, Op.48: 2. Valse. Moderato, Tempo Di Valse
            4. Ser in C, Op.48: 3. Elegia. Larghetto Elegiaco
            5. Ser in C, Op.48: 4. Finale: Tema Russo. Andante-Allegro Con Spirito
            6. Capriccio Italien, Op.45

            Customer Reviews:

            5 out of 5 stars Contains a wonderful performance of Bruckner's eighth.......2004-11-30

            Well, I am not rich enough to own the whole set, so I will just refer to Bruckner's eighth symphony. Bruckner's seventh and ninth symphonies regularly featured in Mravinsky's concerts but the eight did less freaquently. However, what is on offer here is truly the one for the ages. Mravinsky leads a performance that is at once intense and lyrical and brings out the visceral power and sublime beauty in this magnificiant score. He clocks in just over 73 minutes, knocking some thirty minuets (!)off Celibidache's monstrous Munich account (EMI), despite his use of the Hass edition. How he pulls that off is anyone's guess because hearing it through one does not feel that it is all that fast. The intensely beautiful Adagio is particularly memorable. Recorded in mono in 1959, the sonics are a bit harsh at times but generally clear and perfectly acceptable.

            4 out of 5 stars A Pleasant Weekend's Listening.......2001-02-05

            About a year ago, I bought the first 10 CD set of Mravinsky's masterworks, and was struck by two things - the ferocity with which he was able to get his musicians to play, and the lack of preparation that I felt should have been paid when selecting the choicest bits for this sort of ambitious undertaking. However, the recordings we are offered were, technically speaking, not the best (in spite of the advances of digital recording technology in the past 20 years, a time span these mixes had been recorded in).

            Enough about the first ten - the second edition (vols. 11 through 20) are truly an exception. I couldn't pass up the price that these were being offered at, and have only had the opportunity to give them a cursory listen. Nonetheless, the audio quality on this edition is leaps and bounds beyond its father. Mind you, you'll still be unsettled by fits of coughing and the occasional sniffle here and there, but the distortions and fuzz in the background are gone. Blissfully, too, because you don't want anything to distract you from an exceptional set of recordings.

            Most of what you'll hear are the familiar phrases that we've come to know all too well (Beethoven's 5th, for example). This in itself is a bold move; we are being offered the chance to stack it against some of the best recordings thereof, albeit (perhaps) from memory. However, both Ludwig's 5th and 7th hold their own against the best you can find on Deutsche Grammaphone.

            The unfamilar is also offered; Rimsky-Korsakov's precarious "Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya" is a delightfully dark (at times) splash of music best enjoyed with a glass of port in a comfortable chair. Ovsianiko-Kulikovskii's 21st symphony (no, I don't know if I've ever heard symphonies 1-20 before it, either) is also particularly enjoyable.

            Brahms and Bruckner round out the selection, but Mravinsky and the Leningrad Philharmonic are at their absolute best when they approach the Tchaikovsky sets. "Pathetique" and "Leningrad" are, while not his most famous, among my favorites, and they are sympathetically conducted and remarkably played.

            Purchasing this set will allow you many, many hours of tremendous satisfaction. Don't look back at the first set; look forward to the hopes that Melodiya will put out more, with the quality of both selections and recordings becoming better and better.
            Legend of Invisible City of Kitezh
            Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
            • 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

            RomancesRomances | Classical (c.1770-1830) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
            GeneralGeneral | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
            RussianRussian | 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:

            4 out of 5 stars 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.

            2 out of 5 stars 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.

            Track Listings:

            1. Romanian Poem / Rhapsody 1 & 2
            2. Rubbra: Symphony No. 2; Symphony No. 6
            3. Schnittke: Music for the Movies [Soundtrack]
            4. Schoenberg: Gurrelieder / Voigt, Larmore, Moser, Riegel, Weikl, K.M. Brandauer; Sinopoli
            5. Schubert: Works for Violin and Piano
            6. Schumann: Symphonic Etudes Op. 13; Arabesque Op. 18 and Other Works
            7. Sheppard: Media Vita
            8. Shostakovich: Hamlet [Hybrid SACD] [SACD]
            9. Shostakovich: Sonatas for Violin and Viola / Kagan, Richter, Bashmet
            10. Shostakovitch: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 6

            Track Listings

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            Leos Janácek: Hradcany Songs and Other Choruses - Prague Philharmonic Choir

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            Mean What You Say

            Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons

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