COMPOSERS: Rachmaninov
LABELS: Chant du Monde
WORKS: Francesca da Rimini
PERFORMER: Soloists, Russian State Choir, Orchestra/Andrei Chistiakov
CATALOGUE NO: LDC 288 081
This recording completes the trio of Rachmaninov’s operas from Chant du Monde. The sound is drier and less well-balanced than would be ideal, but it suits the claustrophobic nature of the drama. The music is typically expansive, with Hell depicted by meandering strings and wailing chorus, while the love duet is the composer at his most incandescent. Of the cast, only Marina Lapina’s Francesca gives cause for concern: she sounds shrill under pressure and is too dominant in her long duet with the admirable Vitaly Tarastchenko (Paolo). Matthew Rye
Rachmaninov: Francesca da Rimini
This recording completes the trio of Rachmaninov’s operas from Chant du Monde. The sound is drier and less well-balanced than would be ideal, but it suits the claustrophobic nature of the drama. The music is typically expansive, with Hell depicted by meandering strings and wailing chorus, while the love duet is the composer at his most incandescent. Of the cast, only Marina Lapina’s Francesca gives cause for concern: she sounds shrill under pressure and is too dominant in her long duet with the admirable Vitaly Tarastchenko (Paolo). Matthew Rye
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:31 pm