Deutsche Grammophon has released Anna Netrebko’s first
recital disc for the label. In a dream-ticket combination Netrebko
is accompanied by Daniel Barenboim.
All the songs bar the final two - given as encores - are by composers from Netrebko’s
Russian homeland. It follows hard on the heels of her 2006 Grammy-nominated ‘
Russian
Album’ with the Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre under Valery Gergiev.
In the tentative applause for the opening song Rimsky-Korsakov’s
O čyom,
v tiši nocey (
What it is, in the still of night) one senses anticipation
from the near spellbound audience. Early in the recital Netrebko sounds somewhat
nervous and why wouldn’t she be as there can be few more exposed situations
than performing in recital at the Salzburg Festival. In fact, her vulnerability
is rather appealing. Nevertheless as Netrebko’s voice warms up she relaxes
and demonstrates her creamy timbre with its attractive dusky tinge.
I especially enjoyed Netrebko’s ardent and forceful interpretation of Rimsky-Korsakov’s
Zvonče žavoronka
pen’ye (
The lark’s song rings more clearly). She is wonderfully
expressive in the setting
V carstvo rozï i vina (
To the
realm of rose and wine) and I loved her tender and emotional performance
in
Plenivšis’ rozoy, solovey (
Captivated by the rose, the
nightingale). A highlight is the way the resilient and expressive singer
plumbs profound emotional depths in the Tchaikovsky song
Otčego? (
Why?).
I found several of the Tchaikovsky settings splendid opportunities for Netrebko
to convey her own brand of heartbreak. Barenboim’s playing throughout is
as sensitive as one would expect. His artistic partnership with Netrebko is most
satisfying.
I wasn’t sent what the label describe as their ‘prestige limited
edition’ of these performances. I understand that it includes a hardcover,
texts and translations with an extra essay; it’s on 4778867. My
promotional copy must be the ‘downmarket edition’ as the accompanying
booklet does not include any texts at all. This is yet another example of a major
recorded company not allowing the listener to understand the meaning of these
carefully chosen words by some of the world’s greatest authors. We are
told that the texts with English translations can be downloaded as a PDF file
from the Deutsche Grammophon website. I am extremely disappointed by this rather
mean-spirited approach. Certainly not every potential purchaser is on-line. If
you can be bothered and actually do manage to print them off where do you store
them? This is just another marketing ploy to get the purchaser to visit the Deutsche
Grammophon website. I had hoped that the famous yellow label was above all this.
The sound is clear and well balanced. I sensed Netrebko’s very personal
affection for these songs. You would have to have a heart of stone not to be
moved by this engaging and moving recital.
Michael Cookson
Complete Track Listing:
Nikolay RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908)
1)
O čyom, v tiši nocey (
What it is, in the still of night),
Op. 40, No. 3 (1897) [2:28]
text by Apollon Maykov
2)
Prosti! Ne pomni dney paden’ya (
Forgive me! Remember not the
downcast days)
Op. 27, No. 4 (1883) [1:29]
Text by Nikolay Nekrasov
3)
Ne veter, veya s vïsotï (
It was not the wind, blowing
from the heights), Op. 43, No. 2 (1897) [2:14]
Text by Aleksey Tolstoy
4)
Zvonče žavoronka pen’ye (
The lark’s
song rings more clearly), Op. 43, No. 1 (1897) [1:16]
Text by Aleksey Tolstoy
5)
Na kholmakh Gruzii On (
On Georgia’s hills), Op. 3, No.
4 (1866) [2:31]
Text by Aleksandr Puškin
6)
V carstvo rozï i vina (
To the realm of rose and wine),
Op. 8, No. 5 (1870) [2:26]
Text by Afanasy Fet after a Hafiz adaptation by Georg Friedrich Daumer
7)
Pesnya Zyuleyki (Zuleika’s Song), Op. 26, No. 4 (1882) [1:56]
Text by Ivan Kozlov
8)
Plenivšis’ rozoy, solovey (
Captivated by the rose, the
nightingale), Op. 2, No. 2 (1866) [3:09]
Text by Aleksey Koltsov
9)
Redeyet oblakov letučaya gryada (
The line of flying
clouds grows thin), Op. 42, No. 3 (1897) [3:36]
Text by Aleksandr Puškin
10)
Nimfa (
The Nymph), Op. 56, No. 1 (1898) [3:25]
Text by Apollon Maykov
11)
Son v letnyuyu noč’ (
Dream on a Summer’s Night),
Op. 56, No. 2 (1898) [5:25]
Text by Apollon Maykov
Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
12)
Skaži, o čyom v teni vetvey (Say, when under shady boughs),
Op. 57, No. 1 (1884) [3:44]
Text by Vladimir Sollogub
13)
Zabït’ tak skoro (
So soon forgotten) (1870)
[2:56]
Text after Aleksey Apukhtin
14)
Noči bezumnïye (
Reckless nights), Op.
60, No. 6 (1886) [3:09]
Text by Aleksey Apukhtin
15)
Otčego? (
Why?), Op. 6 no. 5 (1869) [2:52]
Text by Lev Mey after Heinrich Heine’s
‘
Warum sind denn die Rosen so blass?’
16)
Serenada, Op. 63, No. 6 (1887) [3:42]
Text by K. R. (Grand Duke Konstantin Romanov)
17)
Kolïbel’naya pesnya (
Lullaby), Op. 16, No.
1 (1872) [4:26]
Text by Apollon Maykov
18)
Ya li v pole da ne travuška bïla (
Was I not a blade of
grass in the field?), Op. 47, No. 7 (1880) [6:05]
Text by Ivan Surikov
19)
Sred’ mračnïkh dney (
Amidst gloomy
days), Op. 73, No. 5 (1893) [1:51]
Text by Daniil Ratgauz
20)
Den’ li carit (
Amidst the day), Op. 47, No. 6 (1880)
[1:51]
Text by Aleksey Apukhtin
Encores:
Antonín DVOŘÁK (1841-1904)
Když mne stará matka (
Songs My Mother Taught Me), Op.
55, No. 4 ‘
Gypsy Songs’
[3:46]
Text by Adolf Heyduk
Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)
Cäcilie,
Op. 27, No. 2 [2:31]
Text by Heinrich Hart
Anna Netrebko (soprano);
Daniel Barenboim (piano) 
