Lieder by Rachmaninoff & Glinka

1	Night is mournful, song f
2	Georgian Song ("Do not Si
3	Music, song for voice & p
4	Spring waters, song for v
5	Vocalise, transcription f
6	Doubt (Someniye), song fo
7	I recall that wonderful m
8	How sweet it is to be wit
9	To Her (K ney), song for
10	I had but recognized you
11	Venetian Night (Venetsian
12	The Lark (Zhavronok), son
13	Barcarolle, song for voic
Lieder by Rachmaninoff & Glinka
1.	Night is mournful, song for voice & piano, Op. 26/12 3:08
	Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
2.	Georgian Song ("Do not Sing, My Beauty"), for voice & piano, Op. 4/4 5:21
	Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
3.	Music, song for voice & piano, Op. 34/8 3:30
	Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
4.	Spring waters, song for voice & piano, Op. 14/11 2:02
	Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
5.	Vocalise, transcription for piano, Op. 34/14 7:45
	Composed by Sergey Rachmaninov
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
6.	Doubt (Someniye), song for voice & piano, G. x176 4:45
	Composed by Mikhail Glinka
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
7.	I recall that wonderful moment (Ya pomnyu chudnoye mgnoven'ye), song for voice & piano, G. x201 3:27
	Composed by Mikhail Glinka
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
8.	How sweet it is to be with you (Kak sladko s toboyu mne bīt'), for voice & piano, G. x197 3:23
	Composed by Mikhail Glinka
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
9.	To Her (K ney), song for voice & piano, G. x283 1:31
	Composed by Mikhail Glinka
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
10.	I had but recognized you (Tol'ko uznal ya tebya), song for voice & piano, G. x159 1:49
	Composed by Mikhail Glinka
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
11.	Venetian Night (Venetsianskaya noch'), song for voice & piano, G. x117 2:13
	Composed by Mikhail Glinka
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
12.	The Lark (Zhavronok), song for voice & piano (A Farewell to St. Petersburg No. 10), G. x250 3:31
	Composed by Mikhail Glinka
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya
13.	Barcarolle, song for voice & piano (A Farewell to St. Petersburg No. 8), G. x240 2:42
	Composed by Mikhail Glinka
	Performed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Galina Vishnevskaya

Barnes & Noble

Galina Vishnevskaya's powerful voice found its natural outlet in the great soprano roles of Russian opera, from Tchaikovsky to Shostakovich. Yet, as revealed by this spellbinding recital from 1976 -- finally released on CD -- she could also rein in the strength of her instrument for a more intimate setting, one in which her interpretive skill pays great dividends. Split between the highly emotive songs of Sergei Rachmaninoff and the more formally restrained ones written by Mikhail Glinka two generations earlier, Vishnevskaya's program distills the essence of each composer with compelling artistry. She seeks out the melancholy depths of Rachmaninoff's "Oh, Never Sing to Me Again" and "The Night Is Mournful," and while there are climaxes where her voice becomes too "operatic," more striking is her success with the quiet, subtle moments, the sensitive nuances of feeling with which she imbues all these songs. The rarely heard Glinka selections are equally fine, and it sounds as if they may lie closer to Vishnevskaya's heart than the moody Rachmaninoff songs. Some, like "To Her" and "Night in Venice," are lighthearted, while others, including the Pushkin setting "I Remember the Wonderful Moment," carry a more complex emotional heft, but they all lie perfectly in Vishnevskaya's voice, bringing out a fresh and almost girlish quality in her singing. The soprano's husband, Mstislav Rostropovich, leaves aside his cello to accompany Vishnevskaya at the piano here, making for a very successful musical partnership. It's too bad that the otherwise attractive reissue format doesn't allow space for the texts and translations of these mostly unfamiliar songs. Regardless, the return of this recital to the catalog -- just in time for Vishnevskaya's 80th birthday -- is a most welcome one. Scott Paulin

All Music Guide

Don't start with the first track. You'll never make it through "Night is mournful." And don't start with the second track, either. "Do not sing, my beauty" will kill you, kill you dead. Start with the fifth track. It's not that "Vocalise" is any less emotionally annihilating; it's that it at least has the virtue of not having words, so its meaning is less specific and more general. Or maybe that only makes it harder to take in the long run.

One thing is certain. Wherever you start it, this recital of songs by Rachmaninov and Glinka sung by soprano Galina Vishnevskaya accompanied by her husband Mstislav Rostropovich will prove to be one of the most profoundly moving vocal recordings you'll ever hear. Vishnevskaya was the epitome of the Russian soprano -- silken of technique, creamy of tone, and overwhelmingly passionate of interpretation -- and her choice of repertoire here is excellent. Glinka's songs were the first great Russian art songs and they're still deeply affecting in Vishnevskaya's fresh and natural performances. Rachmaninov's songs were among the last flowerings of the Russian art song and they're magnificently melancholy in Vishnevskaya's voluptuous and sensuous performances. Rostropovich, a great cellist, a decent conductor, and a capable pianist, supports his wife with affection and appreciation. This disc should be heard by everyone who loves great singing. Deutsche Grammophon's late stereo sound is deep, warm, and just about real. James Leonard