Slavic basses are firmly established at the vanguard of the world stage,
most notably Russian bass Feodor Chaliapin (1873-1938). Chaliapin was the
first Russian singer to establish a distinguished international career and
with a number of vintage recordings available it is easy to hear why. The
booklet notes refer to the elevated quality of Russian basses Mark Reizen,
Alexander Pirogov, Boris Gmyrya and Maxim Mikhailov whose work I don’t know.
I have however been able to hear recordings of the distinguished Bulgarian
basses Boris Christoff (1914-1993) and Nicolai Ghiaurov (1929-2004) both
quite marvellous singers. Any new Slavic bass on the scene has massive boots
to fill.
Now on the Delos label comes 'Power Players' — the first
full solo aria release from Russian bass Ildar Abdrazakov who has
established himself on the world stage. Born in 1976 at Ufa in the Russian
federal republic of Bashkortostan, Abdrazakov has won a number of
prestigious competitions including, in 2000, the Maria Callas International
Television Competition in Parma. This propelled him into the limelight and
led to his recital debut at La Scala the next year. In 2004 Abdrazakov made
his Metropolitan debut and soon established himself as a pillar of the
world’s leading houses including the Met, Bavarian State Opera, Covent
Garden and the Vienna State Opera. He won a double Grammy in 2011 for the
live recording of the Verdi
Requiem with the Chicago Symphony
Orchestra and Chorus under Riccardo Muti on CSO Resound. I can also recall
Abdrazakov as the excellent featured soloist in the 2006 Chandos release
Shostakovich: 'Words of Michelangelo' with the BBC
Philharmonic under Gianandrea Noseda. A true highlight of my concert-going
career involved reporting on a memorable performance in 2013 of the Verdi
Requiem with soloist Abdrazakov in superb voice. His collaborators
on that occasion at the Kreuzkirche as part of the Dresden Music Festival
included the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio di Torino under Noseda.
Recently Abdrazakov has made headlines appearing at the gala opening of the
Metropolitan 2014/15 season in the title role of Sir Richard Eyre’s new
production of
Le nozze di Figaro conducted by James Levine.
Bass singers have been destined by the vast majority of opera composers to
be cast as cantankerous old men, devious clerics, evil scoundrels and the
like. It’s the heroic tenors that receive the lion’s share of available
honour and romantic interest. Notwithstanding, bass roles include some
interesting roles as demonstrated here and reflecting many of the greatest
achievements in the Russian bass voice repertoire.
In my report of Abdrazakov’s 2013 performance of the Verdi Requiem at the
Kreuzkirche, Dresden I wrote of his “
innate sense of authority ... deep
resonant tones ... rich, dark character and projected powerfully and vividly
....” I wouldn’t change a word except to say that on the evidence of
this release Abdrazakov seems to have developed even greater vocal control.
Ruslan’s aria and cabaletta
O pole, pole from Ginka’s
Ruslan
and Ludmila is a splendid example of Abdrazakov’s exceptional ability
to move fluidly and with absolute ease through his range. He makes it easy
to picture the knight Ruslan gazing over the battlefield carnage and musing
on the future. My particular highlight is the Demon’s aria
Na Vozdushnom
Okeane from Anton Rubinstein’s underrated
The Demon. As the
forlorn and mysterious Demon wandering the heavens searching for the warmth
of human love Abdrazakov’s aptitude for characterisation is fiercely
evident. Worthy of esteem is his exquisite legato and capacity for vocal
colouring. From Tchaikovsky’s
Iolanta the aria
Gospod'
moi, esli greshen ya. King René’s plea to God for his blind daughter to
see again is given a heart-wrenching delivery. From Mussorgsky’s
Boris
Godunov, aria
Kak vo gorode bylo vo Kazani is vividly put
across in the singer's dramatic portrayal of the vagabond Varlaam.
Somewhat worse for wear Varlaam relates the victory of Ivan the Terrible
over the Tartars. Here the bass delivers plenty of energetic thrust without
exhibiting a hint of strain. An experienced opera conductor, Constantine
Orbelian ensures tautly controlled and well paced tempi from the Kaunas City
Symphony Orchestra capably supported by the splendid Kaunas State Choir.
As is the custom with Delos the booklet notes are first class. Crucially
they contain the Russian text and English translations. There is also a most
helpful explanation of each aria within its operatic context. The sound is
clear and well balanced.
This collection is something special. It has hardly left my CD player.
Michael Cookson
Contents
Sergei RACHMANINOV (1873-1943)
1. “Ves tabor spit” from Aleko
Mikhail GLINKA (1804-1857)
2. “Farlaf ’s Rondo” from Ruslan and Ludmila
3. “O pole, pole” from Ruslan and Ludmila
Alexander BORODIN (1833-1887)
4. “Ne sna ne otdykha” from Prince Igor
Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881)
5. “Kak vo gorode bylo vo Kazani” from Boris Godunov
Anton RUBINSTEIN (1829-1894)
6. “Na Vozdushnom Okeane” from The Demon
Pyotr Il'yich TCHAIKOVSKY (1840-1893)
7. “Liubvi vsem vozrasty pokorny” from Eugene Onegin
8. “Gospod moi, yesli greshin ya” from Iolanthe
Mikhail GLINKA (1804-1857)
9. “Chuyut pravdu” from A Life for the Tsar
Sergei PROKOFIEV (1891-1953)
10. “Velichavaya v solnechnykh luchakh” from War and Peace
Nikolai RIMSKY-KORSAKOV (1844-1908)
11. “Viking Song” from Sadko
Modest MUSSORGSKY (1839-1881)
12. “Coronation Scene” from Boris Godunov
Previous review: Robert J Farr
