Disc One
1 PRINCE IGOR, Borodin, Yaroslavna’s aria 4.44
Rec: 12 April 1928 Matrix: CVE 43726-2 Victor Cat: 9233
2 SADKO, Rimsky-Korsakov, Berceuse 4.08
Rec: 13 April 1928 Matrix: CVE 43727-3 Victor Cat: 9233
3 Traditional, arr.Ravel, Kaddish 4.29
Rec: 6 April 1928 Matrix: CVE 43705-1 Victor Cat: 9208
4 Traditional, trans Shalitt, Eili, Eili 2.41
Linton, organ
Rec: 12 April 1928 Matrix: CVE 43706-4 Victor Cat: 9208
5 Ponce, Serenata Mexicana 3.24
Rec: 5 April 1928 Matrix: BVE 43701-3 Victor Cat: 4040
6 Ponce, Estrellita 3.18
Rec: 12 April 1928 Matrix: BVE 43702-5 Victor Cat: 4040
7 Martini, Plaisir d’amour 4.34
Leboshutz, piano; Lapitino, harp; Schmidt, violin; Lennartz, cello
Rec: 5 November 1928 Matrix: CVE 47899-1 Victor Cat: 9675
8 Chopin, Étude in E major (arr.Litvinne) 2.39
Pavelvsky, piano
Rec: 4 April 1930 Matrix: CVE 59737-2 Victor Cat: 9675
9 Chopin, Wiosna 3.46
Leboshutz, piano
Rec: 8 November 1928 Matrix: CVE 47898-1 Victor Cat: unpub.
10 Chopin, Étude in E major (arr.Litvinne) 3.14
Leboshutz, piano
Rec: 8 November 1928 Matrix: CVE 47897-1 Victor Cat: unpub.
11 Grechaninov, Berceuse 2.34
Grechaninov, piano
Rec: 15 April 1929 Matrix: CVE 51163-3 Victor Cat: 7111
12 Grechaninov, Snowdrops 1.47
Grechaninov, piano
Rec: 15 April 1929 Matrix: CVE 51163-3 Victor Cat: 7111
13 DOBRINYA NIKITICH, Grechaninov, The flowers were growing in the fields 3.44
Grechaninov, piano
Rec: 15 April 1929 Matrix: CVE 51164-3 Victor Cat: 7111
14 Rakhmaninov, In the silence of the secret night, op.4 no.3 2.53
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2090 Schirmer Cat: 5510
15 Rakhmaninov, Sing not to me beautiful maiden, op.4 no.4 4.31
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2094-2 Schirmer Cat: 5508
16 Rakhmaninov, The Isle, op.14 no.2 2.02
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2096 Schirmer Cat: 5509
17 Rakhmaninov, How fair this spot, op.21 no.7 2.06
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2096 Schirmer Cat: 5509
18 Rakhmaninov, Lilacs, op.21 no.5 1.51
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2106 Schirmer Cat: 5510
19 Rakhmaninov, Daisies, op.38 no.3 2.33
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2106 Schirmer Cat: 5510
Tracks 1-6 Bruno Reibold, conductor
Tracks 14-19 Celius Dougherty, piano
Disc Two
1 Rakhmaninov, All things pass by, op.26 no.15 1.48
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2105 Schirmer Cat: 5508
2 Rakhmaninov, Loneliness, op.21 no.6 2.14
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2105 Schirmer Cat: 5508
3 Rakhmaninov, Christ is risen, op.26 no.6 2.42
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2093-3 Schirmer Cat: 5511
4 Rakhmaninov, To the children, op.26 no.7 3.35
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2092 Schirmer Cat: 5511
5 Rakhmaninov, When yesterday we met, op.26 no.13 2.35
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2091 Schirmer Cat: 5509
6 Arensky, Valse 4.15
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2107 Schirmer Cat: 5512
7 Tchaikovsky, None but the lonely heart 2.36
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2109 Schirmer Cat: 5512
8 Tchaikovsky, At the ball 2.13
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2109 Schirmer Cat: 5512
9 Russian Folk Song, Dark eyes 3.08
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2108-2 Schirmer Cat: 5513
10 Sicilian Song, arr. Sadero, Amuri, Amuri 3.54
Rec: 1939/40 Matrix: 2110-2 Schirmer Cat: 5513
Tracks 1-6 Celius Dougherty, piano
Tracks 7-10 Nina Koshetz, piano
Odarka Trifonieva Sprishevskaya (1885-1969)
11 THE TSAR’S BRIDE, Rimsky-Korsakov, In Novgorod 2.57
Rec: 26 May 1928 Matrix: 01878-1 Victor Cat: 4070
12 THE TSAR’S BRIDE, Rimsky-Korsakov, Mad Scene 2.55
Rec: 26 May 1928 Matrix: 01876-2 Victor Cat: 4070
13 THE SNOW MAIDEN, Rimsky-Korsakov, To go berrying 3.23
Rec: 26 May 1928 Matrix: 01871-2 Victor Cat: 4093
14 THE SNOW MAIDEN, Rimsky-Korsakov, How painful 3.16
Rec: 26 May 1928 Matrix: 01872-1 Victor Cat: 4093
15 THE SNOW MAIDEN, Rimsky-Korsakov, Death of the Snow Maiden 3.19
May 1928 Matrix: 01873-2 Victor Cat: 4112
16 SADKO, Rimsky-Korsakov, Berceuse 3.12
Rec: 26 May 1928 Matrix: 01875-2 Victor Cat: 4112
17 MAZEPPA, Tchaikovsky, Maria’s Lullaby 2.47
Rec: 28 May 1928 Matrix: 01903-1 Victor Cat: 4098
18 IOLANTA, Tchaikovsky, Iolanta’s Aria 2.35
Rec: 26 May 1928 Matrix: 01874-1 Victor Cat: 4098
To devotees of recorded vocal art, the voice of Nina Koshetz epitomises that special quality associated with the finest Russian lyric sopranos; a warm and unaffected lower register, (almost mezzo-soprano in colour) suffused with the romantic timbre inherent in the Russian language, and coupled with a delivery tinged with a melancholy that in Koshetz case was no doubt due in part to her Jewish heritage.
The total number of Koshetz electrical recordings exceeds the length of one CD but are not quite enough to fill a second disc. We have therefore taken the opportunity to present recordings made by a contemporary artist who remained in Russia and is little known outside her homeland - Odarka Trifonieva Sprishevskaya (1885-1969). She embodies many of those excellent qualities so admired in Koshetz.
