SITE RATING: 7/10
SITE
REVIEW: I originally had reviewed this
performance with extremely limited, or
misleading data provided, having stumbled
across several "highlights" discs which
omitted important artist information; but
recently, having found a more complete
recording available on Spotify, I was able
to fill in some (but not all) of the blanks,
and can give a more informed review of this
Messiah. Recorded in 1982 under the
baton of Gennady Konstantinovich Cherkasov
(1930-2002), this somewhat abridged
performance is probably the finest Russian
recording I've heard from the era, with
extraordinarily sensitive singing and
playing from what was still, at the time,
cold war-era Russia. The playing, and
singing, is almost Bellini-esque with its
frills and flourishes, and it far outstrips
other Russian Messiah's I've heard from this
era. The tenor, 'A. Michakevski' (no
other information available) is quite florid
in his arias, but also possesses a
remarkably heroic timbre. Bass 'E.
Maximenko' (similarly, no other information
is available) is equally powerful, with
biting melismas and an almost reckless
attack style that comes across as fiercely
intimidating. Alto Nina Isakova is
severe and dramatic and quite compelling,
while soprano Valentina Kaevchenko is the
weakest soloist, with a thick vibrato and a
more emotionally detached performance than
that of her peers. The Tallin Choir is
similarly heroic, and suffers a bit from the
hard-hitting forcefulness of their attacks
and clashing vibratos, but it makes for
impressive, edge-of-your-seat
listening. Cherkasov's tempos are
mercurial, veering wildly between sweet and
pastoral to fierce and driving - listen to
the haunting opening of "Since by man came
death" followed by the blistering
chorus. A stunning listening
experience overall, with mountains of
passion evident in all involved. It's
a shame that it's only available in
compressed mp3 sound - this is a recording
that deserves a physical release, with full
liner notes on its history and production.
|
